The Return of Count Yorga (1971) *** (out of 4)This sequel to COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE finds Count Yorga (Robert Quarry) and his five vampire brides stalking out an orphanage where there are plenty of victims but along the way Yorga decides to try and take a wife.When AIP released COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE they had no idea that it would turn out to be such a huge hit. Obviously with the film making so much money a sequel was bound to follow and THE RETURN OF COUNT YORGA didn't take long to materialize. If you're a fan of the first film then you'll probably also appreciate this sequel, which was made for much more money but in many ways it's more of a remake than anything else.I say that because this here follows a very similar story and in fact the biggest difference is obviously in the budget, which was a lot higher here. The film manages to be quite entertaining on a number of levels even with a story that's less than good. The highlight of course are the vampire brides who I thought looked quite excellent and especially in their slow-walking ways. The slow pacing of them was a major plus and I thought the look of the brides were terrific.The action picks up a lot more during the finale and there are actually some very good attack scenes. The supporting players are nice but it's Quarry who once again steals the picture as Count Yorga. I really loved the way that the actor played the role and I thought he really delivered a fun and menacing character.THE RETURN OF COUNT YORGA certainly isn't a flawless picture but it's a good one that will keep you entertained.

Robert Quarry is once again in fine form as Count Yorga, sophisticated Bulgarian vampire. Although dispatched at the end of the first film, he is somehow revived by the mysterious Santa Ana winds, and has soon moved into a castle located near an orphanage. This time, he's motivated not just by hunger but by something resembling love, as he is taken with local beauty Cynthia Nelson (Mariette Hartley). He works his spell on some of the area residents, and is naturally opposed by people like psychiatrist David Baldwin (Roger Perry, another returnee from the first "Count Yorga").This sequel shows its audience a pretty good time, being more of a flat-out horror show, with not as much accent on humor. (Which isn't to say, of course, that there are no laughs at all.) Bob Kelljan does a fine job directing the action, and creates quite a bit of enjoyable suspense, atmosphere, and creepiness. Those vampire babes in Yorgas' castle are sexy as hell, but also quite chilling in their low key way. The body count is respectable, with a fair bit of blood spilling, and Yorga (and others) claiming their share of victims. When Kelljan opts to go for shocks, and show the crazed Yorga pursuing people, unfortunately, it's more amusing than scary.Also among those returning from the original "Count Yorga": producer Michael Macready, whose actor father George has a comedy relief cameo as a doddering vampire expert, actor Edward Walsh as hulking manservant Brudda, and composer Bill Marx, whose music is just right throughout. Kelljan also wrote the script with co-star Yvonne Wilder, who plays the vulnerable deaf-mute Jennifer.The acting is fine from everybody concerned. Perry is more or less reprising his role in the first film, no matter if he's sporting a beard and has a different character name. He still has to convince others that they could possibly be dealing with a bloodsucker. Hartley is wonderfully appealing. Philip Frame, Ms. Wilder, Tom Toner, and Rudy De Luca are all good in support. Michael Pataki has a small role as one of the victims, Walter Brooke also does the cameo thing as Hartley's father, and none other than Craig T. Nelson makes his film debut as one of the cops.All in all, this is a worthy sequel.At one point, Yorga watches the Hammer / A.I.P. co-production "The Vampire Lovers" on TV, where it's redubbed with a Spanish soundtrack.Seven out of 10.

I saw this movie at my Junior High School in the '70's....halfway through it my buddy grabbed a teacher and she screamed her head off. This one caused a few sleepless nights for me as a kid. It is reminiscent of "Night Of The Living Dead" in the scene where all the female vamps break in and kill all inside, but it was somehow more scary in that this family was "at home", where we are supposed to feel safe. The opener with the kid running through the graveyard and the hands coming up out of the ground also creeped me out. Best line has to be when Count Yorga is at the costume party and the cheesy looking guy dressed as Dracula asks him "Where are your fangs?" Yorga replies "Where are your manners?" Classic.

Despite being slain at the end of the first film, Count Yorga is back for more bloodthirsty mayhem! This is a sequel to the first film, but it's effectively the same story, only a little bit different. It isn't really any better or worse than it's predecessor, but the fact that it doesn't do anything new either prompts me to give it a lower rating. The film seems suspiciously like another excuse to launch the dapper vampire on the box office again. Anyway, Robert Quarry returns in the role that made him, and once again has fun and does well with it. This time, the count has relocated to a place near to an orphanage. The vampire continues to prey on the local population, while also looking for a new bride whom he can spend eternity with. Despite a very silly vampire conversation at the start, this may even be a slightly better film than the first; but the fact that no effort has been made to make it a real sequel, it becomes boring rather quickly and it's really hard to rate it much above average. The lack of invention is shown best by the way that a bumbling police force has been thrown in. Bumbling police forces are often funny, but the one here is making too much of a big deal out of trying to be funny; and it never really works. The plot is also quite slow, thus making the film overlong – which is very annoying. Really, there isn't much to recommend this film on; but if you really liked the original, I suppose it's worth a look.