When most think of gothic horror and the 1970s, Hammer studios and Christopher Lee’s iconic reincarnation of Dracula is what first comes to mind. But on the wayside and hiding in the shadows, a slew of European productions had a serious impact on horror. They were trashy, sexy, drenched in blood and had a tinge of European avant garde. Though low budget and underrepresented in film scholarship these films have had a longstanding influence on cinema. One of the best representation of this gothic Euro trash cinema is Harry Kumel’s Les Levres Rouges (1971) or Daughters of Darkness. Recently Xan Cassavetes’ Kiss of the Damned (2012) has paid homage to this era of the horror genre. Stylistically reminiscent of Daughters of Darkness, Xan’s take on Euro trash horror is a sexy, nostalgic, frightful film.
Both films are sparse in terms of narrative and this allows for the aesthetic to dominate. Kiss of the Damned is centered on Paolo, a handsome script writer who falls for beautiful vampire Djuna. She turns him into a vampire and the two plan on spending eternity together. Djuna’s sister, Mimi, problematizes the story leaving a mess of bodies in her wake and constantly tempting and prodding other characters. Daughters of Darkness tells the tale of a couple, Stefan and Val, who have recently eloped and are staying in a grand hotel. A mysterious guest then arrives with her valet introducing herself as the Countess Bathory. The Countess becomes obsessed with the couple and prods at the two. Stefan soon reveals his more sadistic side to the horror of beautifully blond Val. Both films use a rich aesthetic to frame their characters, focusing less on actual character development within the narrative. In Darkness the Countess is always in red while Val is always beautifully seen in white. Within Damned Djuna is elegant and almost Victorian in her style while Mimi is post punk in her style and dress. Music is similarly key to both of these films and both have haunting 1970s rock themes that play thematically throughout the films.
From the onset of the Kiss of the Damned the audience is thrown into the gothic and uncanny while a sincere sense of nostalgia is established. A key element of gothic texts are grand settings that ominously loom over the characters. It is for this reason that Kiss of the Damned wastes no time revealing the grand foreboding mansion that is surrounded by a dark forest. The audience immediately identifies with Djuna watching a film looking up longing at a black and white projection. The camera then cuts to someone stalking dangerously through the forest. This shot alludes to a hidden danger that seems to be approaching the young woman. As the film progresses it is revealed that the figure in the forest is actually the Djuna stalking deer to feed on. The fact that Djuna is watching an old movie and meets Paolo in a video store truly establishes the cinematic nostalgia that runs throughout this film.
The opening sequence also elaborates on the theme of the doubles that can be found in both Darkness and Damned. Djuna’s sister taunts and terrorizes the new vampire couple throughout the film. In many ways this character is similar to the Countess within Darkness. Both characters consistently interrogate and challenge the young couples within these films and both are unabashed predators. They also similarly meet their end in almost the exact same way. Abruptly both fall victim to the sun and get into car accidents. The two burn to death on the pavement in the shambles of their car wrecks.
Kiss of the Damned elegantly pays tribute to the 1970s Euro Trash films in its sexy representation of the gothic vampire. The music and aesthetic of the film are tremendously similar to Daughters of Darkness. Even the poster is reminiscent of the 1970s horror film in its use of colors and style. Infused with nostalgia and delicately stylized Kiss of the Damned is a success of a film which references a specific time in horror history.
Both films are sparse in terms of narrative and this allows for the aesthetic to dominate. Kiss of the Damned is centered on Paolo, a handsome script writer who falls for beautiful vampire Djuna. She turns him into a vampire and the two plan on spending eternity together. Djuna’s sister, Mimi, problematizes the story leaving a mess of bodies in her wake and constantly tempting and prodding other characters. Daughters of Darkness tells the tale of a couple, Stefan and Val, who have recently eloped and are staying in a grand hotel. A mysterious guest then arrives with her valet introducing herself as the Countess Bathory. The Countess becomes obsessed with the couple and prods at the two. Stefan soon reveals his more sadistic side to the horror of beautifully blond Val. Both films use a rich aesthetic to frame their characters, focusing less on actual character development within the narrative. In Darkness the Countess is always in red while Val is always beautifully seen in white. Within Damned Djuna is elegant and almost Victorian in her style while Mimi is post punk in her style and dress. Music is similarly key to both of these films and both have haunting 1970s rock themes that play thematically throughout the films.
From the onset of the Kiss of the Damned the audience is thrown into the gothic and uncanny while a sincere sense of nostalgia is established. A key element of gothic texts are grand settings that ominously loom over the characters. It is for this reason that Kiss of the Damned wastes no time revealing the grand foreboding mansion that is surrounded by a dark forest. The audience immediately identifies with Djuna watching a film looking up longing at a black and white projection. The camera then cuts to someone stalking dangerously through the forest. This shot alludes to a hidden danger that seems to be approaching the young woman. As the film progresses it is revealed that the figure in the forest is actually the Djuna stalking deer to feed on. The fact that Djuna is watching an old movie and meets Paolo in a video store truly establishes the cinematic nostalgia that runs throughout this film.
The opening sequence also elaborates on the theme of the doubles that can be found in both Darkness and Damned. Djuna’s sister taunts and terrorizes the new vampire couple throughout the film. In many ways this character is similar to the Countess within Darkness. Both characters consistently interrogate and challenge the young couples within these films and both are unabashed predators. They also similarly meet their end in almost the exact same way. Abruptly both fall victim to the sun and get into car accidents. The two burn to death on the pavement in the shambles of their car wrecks.
Kiss of the Damned elegantly pays tribute to the 1970s Euro Trash films in its sexy representation of the gothic vampire. The music and aesthetic of the film are tremendously similar to Daughters of Darkness. Even the poster is reminiscent of the 1970s horror film in its use of colors and style. Infused with nostalgia and delicately stylized Kiss of the Damned is a success of a film which references a specific time in horror history.