Comtesse des Grauens (1973)

Comtesse des Grauens: Directed by Jorge Grau. With Lucia Bosè, Espartaco Santoni, Ewa Aulin, Ana Farra. An aging Marchioness obsessed with looking youthful devises a vicious plan, under advice from her personal nurse, to look young again.

“When a vain countess is accidentally splattered with droplets of her nubile female servantu0026#39;s blood, she notices a more youthful quality to the appearance of her skin where the blood had been…thus begins the horror of THE FEMALE BUTCHER, and itu0026#39;s not just another tawdry, matter-of-course Liz Bathory digest fraught with obligatory lezvamperotica. This is a great looking and attentively directed Gothic mini-classic, purposeful in its treatment of a grim story involving a pontifical, influential madwomanu0026#39;s rabid lust for virgin blood. Itu0026#39;s vividly delineated, and acquaints the viewer with stimulating, aptly-played characters. It should also be noted that this expounding of the Bathory legend is purportedly truest to the u0026#39;de factou0026#39; circumstances. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA subtly composed Euro-chiller, perhaps even a tad overmuch so, but quite jarring, nonetheless…this is high priority viewing for horror fans of every stripe. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e7.5/10”