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As the ‘60s gave way to the ‘70s, vampires on film were stuck in a rut of crumbling castles and cotton candy cobwebs. It was time for an update; to rid the screen of the stagecoaches and street lamps. It was time for Count Yorga, Vampire (1970), a fun little romp brought into the modern age by a world class turn from Robert Quarry as the titular bloodsucker.

Yorga was released by American International Pictures (we’re back in Aip territory – and it’s a glorious place to be) in June stateside, with a rollout around the world shortly thereafter. But that wasn’t the easiest thing to do; the filmmakers had to submit Yorga a few times to the MPAA to achieve their desired rating – a Gp (equivalent to a PG at the time), which they eventually received. And wouldn’t you know it? The film was very successful, especially on the drive-in circuit.

Before grindhouse director Bob Kelljan turned exclusively to television by the late 1970s, he had accidentally carved out a small triptych of derivative American vampire flicks, beginning with his first solo effort, 1970’s Count Yorga, Vampire. The actor turned director initially starred in his first co-directed effort, the incest drama Flesh of My Flesh (1969), but the success of his Dracula rip-off would carry on to a 1971 sequel before assuming duties for the Blaxploitation sequel Scream Blacula Scream (1973). Initially conceived as a soft-core porno, Kelljan eventually crafted this into a sort of Bram Stoker parody, although not everyone involved in the production seemed to be aware of this.

With his coffin arriving on a boat, Count Yorga (Robert Quarry) is relocated to modern day Los Angeles where he poses as a medium, holding swank séances at parties conceived by bored suburbanites. He’s invited to Donna’s (Donna Anders) home to...