The Velvet Vampire. 1971. USA. Directed by Stephanie Rothman. Written by Rothman, Charles S. Swartz, Maurice Jules. With Celeste Yarnall, Michael Blodgett, Sherry Miles, Gene Shane, Jerry Daniels, Sandy Ward and Paul Prokop. 35mm. 80 min.
In the seclusion of a sun-drenched desert estate, a young married couple are seduced by a hip, deceptively beautiful, centuries-old vampire whose dream-inducing spell undermines their bond of heterosexual desire. Made by female genre pioneer Rothman, The Velvet Vampire was released as a double-feature on the exploitation market by producer Roger Corman, who was said to be disappointed by its ambitious artfulness. From a contemporary perspective, the film is appreciated by scholars such as Adam Lowenstein, who praises it for “refiguring how we imagine the relation between women and horror…around the subjects of gender, sexuality, embodiment, [and] surrealism….” This presentation is the first public screening of the Museum’s newly acquired print, restored by the Academy Film Archive.
On July 25, Lowenstein will be signing copies of his new book Horror Film and Otherness in the Lauder lobby between 6p and 7pm, followed by a discussion with filmmaker Stephanie Rothman after The Velvet Vampire.