The Vampire Doll (4 Stars)

This is a Japanese horror film, made in 1970. The word "vampire" in the title is deceptive. The film isn't about vampires, but maybe that's a spoiler, because it isn't made obvious until late in the film who or what the monster is.

It's also worth pointing out that this isn't really a Japanese film. What I mean is, even though it's made by a Japanese director and Japanese actors, the film's setting is very European. It's a European style house, and very little of Japanese culture can be seen. The film could just as well be set in England and have British actors.

Kazuhiko has just spent six months in New York on business. When he returns to Japan he drives to the remote mansion where his girlfriend Yuko lives. Her mother tells him that she was recently killed in a car accident, but he can stay overnight. He thinks he sees Yuko wandering around the house at night. Then he disappears.

A week later Kazuhiko's sister Keiko and her fiancé visit the mansion looking for Kazuhiko. Yuko's mother tells them that Kazuhiko left a week ago, but they don't believe her. They begin to search for him, at the same time investigating Yuko's family. They find out that 20 years ago someone broke into the mansion and killed the whole family, apart from Yuko's mother. Yuko was born nine months later, presumably the child of the killer.

Yuko's mother is polite and (seemingly) helpful to everyone, but she sends a shiver down my spine every time I see her. She's creepy.

This is a very good film, well written and full of suspense. Today was the first time I watched it, and I admit that I was thrown off guard by it being so un-Japanese. I also spent most of the film waiting in vain for the vampires to show up. Maybe I'll give it a higher rating next time I watch it.

I bought the film as part of a box set of three films by the same director, "The Bloodthirsty Trilogy". I'll watch the other two films in the next few days.