Who wants to see an Argentinean vampire, beatnik go-go flick? I do! I do!

Mondo Macabro continues their "seal of excellence" in bringing some of the most whacked out "thought you'd never see 'em flicks" to the digital format with the insanely bizarre Blood of the Virgins. I'm pretty sure that this is gonna be one of those flicks that you probably weren't looking for, but could ultimately wind up being "happy as a clam" for finding. From the same gent who brought us the deliriously offbeat flick The Curious Dr. Hump comes this sex laced and blood drenched Argentinean vampire epic(?) Blood of the Virgins.

Suffering from "the story doesn't really matter much" syndrome, Blood of the Virgins has a lot more to offer than pesky characterization and any of that annoying subtext. A group of hipster beatnik doofuses are happily vacationing at an anonymous ski resort location. Things are going great until they run out of gas (gulp!) and wind up having to spend the night in a spooky mansion (zoinks!). First they explore and then they feast! It doesn't take long for a few of our lady friends to go missing (gulp again!) although I'm sure it has something to do with this guy who mysteriously enough resembles a vampire (in the traditional sense that is) lurking around the premises. It's also odd that when our lady friends do happen to reappear they have these strange bite marks on their necks (what do you think this could be?) and toothpicks in their mouths that resemble fangs. Anywho, maybe we should alert the authorities? Good idea... or is it?

Obviously capitalizing on a formula made famous by the likes of Hammer Studios, director Emilio Vieyra crafts a film that isn't so much concerned with style as it is in stealing. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, for the Argentinean film market Blood of the Virgins was a big step. Always hot on sex in films it appears as if this film would have been one of the first to actually combine sex and violence into one deliciously perverse stew. Definitely a guilty pleasure to the highest degree, Blood of the Virgins will have you in a complete uproar with your inner sense of decency for actually liking it.

From the nearly ridiculous moments (red tinted shots of seagulls meant to be bats) to the sublimely cool as shit horror elements (the spurned vampire lover, reclaiming his bride from the grave in a truly ground-breaking moment), somehow Blood of the Virgins manages to survive it all in one piece. Half nekkid vampire ladies, topless go-go dancing, a nifty animated opening credit sequence, ample amounts of on screen gore and no morals or apologies offered. Now THAT's entertainment!

Mondo Macabro presents Blood of the Virgins on DVD in an impressive full frame transfer. The packaging states that the film was transferred from the original negative so one can only assume that this print is uncut and in its proper ratio. This was an extremely low budget film and it shows (can someone say unnatural lighting shadows?), all things considered it looks pretty damn good. There are some minor light scratches that pop up here and there and some minor print damage throughout (dirt and speckles et al). Quality ranges from scene to scene in that some shots appear quite acceptable and others are truly outstanding. Considering the age and rarity of the title, it's evident that a lot of care went into this transfer. Mondo Macabro has done an outstanding job in bringing this gem of a film to each of our own little silver screens. It's a pleasure for me to add this disc to my collection.

Audio is presented in a Spanish stereo mix and sounds quite good as well. We have the option of removable and accurately translated English subtitles that are nice and readable. Dialogue is clear with only minimal amounts of background noise from time to time. Once again, considering the title at hand this is an admirable audio track and most impressive.

Extras may be few, but they are certainly powerful enough. The most impressive extra is a documentary that runs just about 25 minutes on Argentinean exploitation films. This is a great piece that has fairly extensive interview footage with director Emilio Vieyra and Argentinean "sexpot" actress Isabel Sarli. It's also full of clips and insights (as well as plenty of nudity fellas) on a genre I barely knew anything about. This is a highly entertaining and most welcomed extra. The final extra is a text essay of production notes, which are both interesting and well written. Unfortunately, there is no trailer present, perhaps one doesn't exist or is forever lost in a black hole of forgotten cult movie extras? Apparently when a disc is released in the UK all of the extras need to be submitted individually for approval to the BBFC. Not only that, but they are charged as well! It's understandable that extras may be left off from time to time because of outrageous fess from the BBFC.

Not a great horror film in the traditional sense, and most certainly not destined to be a classic, Blood of the Virgins if accepted at face value is if nothing else, a good time. While it certainly won't appeal to as wide an audience as something like El Vampiro, it will easily appeal to fans of the weird and wonderful world of international cult cinema. Mondo Macabro has done another outstanding job in bringing the unthinkable right to us, in the privacy of our own homes. Close the door and turn the blinds, there's nothing wrong with watching as long as no one else knows about it. Check it out. I won't say a word, my lips are sealed.

Blood of the Virgins is an all region PAL DVD. You will need to be able to play PAL DVDs to enjoy all the toothpick fanged goodness. For more info on this and other quality Mondo Macabro titles, check out their official site by clicking here.