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A virginal heiress, a cursed castle, and seductive vampires stir up gothic mischief in Ossorio’s Euro-horror cocktail.

FANGS OF THE LIVING DEAD

1969 · 01:38:00 · PG · Comedy / Drama / Horror / Romance · IMDB TMDB

A beautiful virgin inherits a castle, but when she arrives at it, she finds that the inhabitants include a strange nobleman and a bevy of beautiful women she suspects may be vampires.  The vampire lord of an Italian castle tries to make his niece think she is a witch.

Quick Answer
What is Fangs of the Living Dead about?

Fangs of the Living Dead is a 1969 Spanish-Italian comedy, drama, horror, and romance film directed by Amando de Ossorio about a beautiful virgin who inherits a castle, only to find herself surrounded by mysterious nobles and suspected vampires.

Key Facts
Director
Amando de Ossorio
Writer
Amando de Ossorio
Release
1969
Runtime
1h 38m
Country
Spain, Italy
Language
Spanish
Also Known As
Bloody Girl, Malenka, the Niece of the Vampire, the Vampire, The Vampire's Niece, Fangs of the Living Dead

The SassyFlix Take

Anita Ekberg trades high society for high stakes as she navigates a castle crawling with possible vampires, femme fatales, and a possibly mad uncle. Amando de Ossorio mixes gothic chills with campy melodrama and a dash of European sensuality, proving that vampire horror is even better with a side of inheritance drama.
From the Vault

Proof that castle inheritance never goes smoothly—especially in 1969 Euro-horror.

Why Cult

Gothic Castle Horror

Experience classic Euro-horror atmosphere as Sylvia explores her forbidding castle inheritance, complete with crypts, cemeteries, and a torch-lit curse.

Anita Ekberg in Peril

See Anita Ekberg as the virginal countess, swept into a world of vampiric intrigue, witchcraft, and some not-so-subtle femme fatale energy.

Lesbian Subtext & Sexy Vampires

This castle isn’t just haunted by the undead—it’s haunted by a bevy of alluring women, with plenty of vampiric seduction and lesbian subtext.

Ossorio’s Euro-Horror Mix

Director Amando de Ossorio’s signature blend of horror, romance, and cheeky camp makes this a unique entry in late-60s vampire cinema.

About This Film

The beautiful and virginal Sylvia (Anita Ekberg) is delighted to discover that she's inherited not only the noble title of countess, but has also inherited a castle located in the country. She excitedly calls her fiance, Dr. Piero Luciani (Gianni Medici), to tell him that she's going to travel to view the castle. Once there, she stops at a local inn for a drink, where she announces her destination and relation to the castle's inhabitants; this horrifies the townspeople. Unswayed by their reactions, Sylvia arrives at the castle and meets her uncle, Count Walbrooke (Julián Ugarte), and beds down for the night. She is later awakened by the maidservant Blinka (Adriana Ambesi), who warns her that Walbrooke is a century-old vampire that means her harm. Blinka's attempts to draw Sylvia out of bed and out of the castle are interrupted by Walbrooke, who takes her into another room and whips her. Sylvia pleads with him to stop, only for Walbrooke to reveal that Blinka herself is also a vampire.

The next morning, Sylvia attempts to leave but is persuaded to stay after Walbrooke tells her about her aunt Malenka, who was burned at the stake for being a witch. He convinces Sylvia that the family is cursed, and that because of her strong resemblance to Malenka, paired with her ties to the family, Sylvia is also cursed. Furthermore, Sylvia must remain at the castle and stay unmarried, otherwise the curse will worsen and affect those around her. As a result, Sylvia breaks off her engagement with Piero, who decides to travel to the castle out of concern for Sylvia. When he arrives at the same inn that Sylvia visited earlier in the film, Piero is filled in on the events by Brugard (Juanita Ramírez), one of the inn's barmaids. Piero then travels to the castle, intending to stop Walbrooke from turning Sylvia into a vampire. He stabs Walbrooke with a stake through the heart.

In the original Spanish version of the film, the uncle's "vampire ploy" turns out to be a hoax he's using to drive his niece crazy. An alternative "supernatural" ending however was later filmed and added to the English-language version, in which the uncle actually disintegrates into a skeleton at the end, indicating that he really was a vampire and thereby contradicting the rest of the film.

Film Details

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Fangs of the Living Dead about? +

Fangs of the Living Dead follows a beautiful virgin who inherits a castle, only to find herself among suspicious nobles and seductive vampires, as her uncle tries to convince her she is a witch.

When was Fangs of the Living Dead released? +

Fangs of the Living Dead was released in 1969.

Who directed Fangs of the Living Dead? +

Fangs of the Living Dead was directed by Amando de Ossorio.

How long is Fangs of the Living Dead? +

Fangs of the Living Dead has a runtime of 98 minutes.

What genre is Fangs of the Living Dead? +

Fangs of the Living Dead is a comedy, drama, horror, and romance film.

Where can I watch Fangs of the Living Dead? +

You can watch Fangs of the Living Dead on SassyFlix.