10 Weirdest Dracula Adaptations

This list wouldn’t be complete without an entry from vampire smut aficionado, Jess Franco.

The Dracula connection is only implied here, but it is a mighty strong implication. It’s set in Dracula’s house and there’s a Dr Seward, who like Renfield wants to become a vampire.

Instead of a wintery landscape of darkness, the yarn is set on a sumptuous sex island. And, instead of an ancient aristocratic bloodsucker, the vampire is a lesbian seductress who holds a powerful psychic sway over her victim lover.

As well as the psychic, there is a good helping of Franco’s signature psychedelic vibe. This makes the whole thing feel like a hazy, trippy, erotic dream.

In this hilarious quote from Total Film, who reviewed Vampyros Lesbos at the time, they say, “Despite (or perhaps because of) the hilariously leaden acting, dull script and amateurish direction, this film still exerts a certain fascination." Yeah, I wonder what it could be.

This loose take on the Dracula myth was out there. The ‘70s were the golden age of low budget, feature length smut. You’d never get away with it now. Probably for the best.