Available on VOD January 20th is the new lesbian vampire horror film Blood of the Tribades from the directing duo of Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein, a wonderfully inspired attempt at combining the British studio productions of Hammer Films and the Euro arthouse vampire movies of the 1970’s such as Vampyros Lesbos, Countess Dracula, and The Shiver of the Vampires. Most fans of this subgenre should be delighted in this constant visual feast that delivers some absolutely stunning imagery and locales, a fantastic score, loads of nudity, beautiful babes, and some drive-in style cheesiness. The story involves a 2000 year old vampire community that is separated between the women and men; a religious rift leads to violence as the men look to hunt down all of the females. Let the battle begin.





The story is somewhat weak and the dialogue is kept to a minimum, with more focus put towards the visuals and music that are presented to the audience. There is a definitive and unique world that has been built with themes of religion and religious fanaticism, but these themes are only slightly explored. That shouldn’t be too surprising, given that this is at least partially based on the highly erotic Euro vampire flicks that were directed by the likes of Jean Rollin and Jess Franco during the 1970’s. There are some scenes where the dialogue is in French, which adds some depth to the tale while also paying tribute to its European predecessors. It should be noted that there are aspects of the picture that may actually turn away and displease some of the core audience that this production is reaching out to. This includes the combination of martial arts and wrestling that is used in several fight sequences, along with some of the props, wardrobe, and acting. It’s hard to tell if some moments where intentionally cheesy or simply a bi-product of the roughly $20,000 budget.

The acting is a mixture of under and over-acting, which is expected from a low budget horror picture. The main villain played by Seth Chatfield is so over the top bonkers that you’ll either love his performance or completely hate it. I enjoyed it for the most. Mary Widow portrays the lead character Fontine and is the essence of what you would expect to see in an actress from that era, she looks like she was literally pulled from a Hammer Film and placed into this one. She is just strikingly beautiful and her face is enchanting, you simply cannot keep your eyes off of her. She was the perfect casting choice and does a great job in her role. Chloe Cunha is also commendable, providing the French dialogue.





There should be no doubt that the directing duo of Cacciola and Epstein know how to produce gorgeous images, as this contains some of the most spectacular visuals. Shot after shot is just outstanding, with vibrant natural colors, good camera placement, and the use of some unusual camera work to create surrealistic moments. It didn’t hurt that the impressive locations that they chose to shoot at are quite breathtaking to begin with, which included gothic castles, the ocean, an old cemetery, and a grand stone walkway next to a waterfall. The score from Night Kisses (Michael J. Epstein and Catherine Capozzi) is excellent and could easily fit into one of the pictures that they are paying homage to.





There is a certain expectation when it comes to this type of movie and it delivers a hefty amount of graphic female and male nudity. Several scenes do contain gore, but for the most part the violence is minimal and at times obviously fake. This was most likely due to the production budget and choosing shooting on location versus putting more money into the effects aspect. This could dismay some fans, but I think it’s forgivable given the budget.





The blood is the life!!





This should please most fans of the lesbian vampire subgenre and the aforementioned films, offering up remarkable visuals, a great score, and a lead actress that is to die for.









Share the blood!