The Bloody Vampire (DVD, 2003)

This film is one of many European/Mexican vampire films that were made quickly and cheaply in the wake of the Hammer vampire classics that set the horror standards for the late 1950's and early '60's. The DVD image seems to have been made from a 16mm print as there are some edit marks as well as some ghost images that were trademarks of release prints later used for TV transfers. The acting is about as poor as it can be - none of these actors will ever be asked to appear on "Inside the Actors' Studio with James Lipton". The flying bat effects are laughable at best; the model bat used for Hammer's 1960 effort, "The Brides of Dracula", seems to be much more high-tech by comparison. If your DVD player allows you to scan with sound at twice-normal play speed that will make watching "The Bloody Vampire" about 30 minutes less painful. Better yet, put your money towards the purchase of the German Robles classic vampire films just made available on DVD, "The Vampire" (1957), and "The Vampire's Coffin" (1959). They were the classiest of the Mexican horror entries and were almost rivals of the Christopher Lee-Hammer Dracula films.