Lake Of Dracula

Lake of Dracula (Noroi No Yakata: Chi O Suu Me) (1971)

Runtime: 82 minutes

Directed by: Michio Yamamoto

Starring: Midori Fujita, Choei Takahashi, Sanae Emi, Kaku Takashima, Shin Kishida

From: Toho

September of 2017 I watched The Vampire Doll, which was the first of three Gothic-themed horror films done for Toho by director Michio Yamamoto in the early 1970's; this film-which has a great title-is the second. There is less time spent in a creepy old mansion but the Hammer influences are more pronounced here as the setting is a nice house out in the woods by (naturally) a lake, there are rainy/foggy scenes and the studio's first Dracula film was an inspiration for this movie.

It features many of the tropes you'd expect in a Dracula film: he seduces women, he sometimes bites people and after they die they becomes his servants, he can't be seen in mirrors, etc. Him wearing a white scarf & having glowing eyes are unique inventions, admittedly. A young lady sees the Count as a little kid but thought of it as a dream; 18 years later, when a coffin shows up at a nearby residence, she finally realizes it's real. Weird things happen, including her doctor boyfriend discovering victims and taking too long to admit a legend is actually true.


This is a standard Dracula tale for the most part yet it was told well and in a world filled with funky early 70's clothing, a cool score, some spooky scenes, plus the dream motif and sibling rivalry as you discover there is long-repressed issues between lead girl Akiko and her younger sister. In addition, Shin Kishida does a swell job as Dracula, playing both suave and menacing pretty well. This culminates in a memorable finale which will seem familiar-as it is-but that doesn't mean it is not a treat to see. If you love taking bites out of vampire flicks, this is one worthy of viewing.