The Shiver of the Vampires feels like an excuse to parade naked chicks across the screen then direct them to make out with each other, but it is also a French film probably inspired by the earlier lush Hammer Films period so it is not without merit.
The Shiver of the Vampires starts in a puzzling fashion. Two female servants are given puzzling instructions by two men contingent on whether or not they can succeed in defeating an unseen foe. The next day, two newlyweds visit and encounter the servants to discover that the bride’s cousins are dead, but the couple may stay at the chateau. Surreal vampire shenanigans ensue with entrances that would make Salvador Dali proud. The music and the clothes are consummately Sixties. The camera movement reminded me of Spike Lee’s less traditional panning methods. As the story unfolds, the opening scenes make more sense, and the bride’s family history explains why the tragedy is unfolding.
The most disturbing portion of The Shiver of the Vampires is the incestuous and sexual violence implications for all women whether human or vampire, servant or master. For example, the husband encounters some truly disturbing sites and experiences some inexplicably violent reactions from inanimate objects, but his reaction is to grope his sleeping wife whom he has not spent one consensual night with. How about waking her up and running? He cannot excuse his actions on supernatural influence.
The Shiver of the Vampires is simultaneously a perfect surreal vampire film meets exploitation flick, but I suspect that I may be missing layers of significance as I did when I initially watched Ganja & Hess. The Shiver of the Vampires is a must see for vampire lovers, but not if you are sensitive to sexual situations and implied sexual violence.