''Embrace of the Vampire'' is a 1995 American

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...

erotic horror film directed by Anne Goursaud. It stars

Alyssa Milano Alyssa Jayne Milano ( ; born December 19, 1972) is an American actress and activist. She has played Samantha Micelli in '' Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1992), Jennifer Mancini in '' Melrose Place'' (1997–1998), Phoebe Halliwell in '' Charmed'' ...

as Charlotte, a chaste girl who is haunted by a vampire played by Martin Kemp.

Plot

Charlotte is a "

chaste Chaste refers to practicing chastity. Chaste may also refer to: * Aymar Chaste (1514–1603), Catholic French admiral * Chaste (Marvel Comics), a fictional Marvel Comics martial arts enclave * Chaste (canton) - see List of townships in Quebec, Ca ...

" good girl who is having erotic dreams where she meets her dream lover — a dark, handsome

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

– who was himself bitten by

nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

vampires long ago, and who sees Charlotte as the reincarnation of his long-lost lover, a princess. Charlotte's dreams interfere with her relationship with her more mundane real-life boyfriend, Chris. The Vampire gives Charlotte an

ankh The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol used to represent the word for "life" and, by extension, as a symbol of life itself. The ankh has a T-shape topped by a droplet-shaped loop. It was used in writing as a tri ...

that alters her behavior when she wears it. Charlotte is drawn towards The Vampire's world but she is disturbed by her longings. Charlotte struggles between these opposing entities, coming to see that not only does she have to choose between her boyfriend and her mysterious night-time visitor, but also between light and dark, and good and evil. Charlotte is influenced by The Vampire and starts behaving wantonly, going to a party wearing nothing but ankle boots and a short, low-cut dress from her friend Nicole's wardrobe. She has her drink spiked and after briefly kissing a student called Milo, they are interrupted by his girlfriend Eliza, the "campus slut." The Vampire intervenes, killing Eliza by banging her head against Charlotte's door, and then licking the blood from the door as Charlotte listens in a state of arousal from the other side. Charlotte drifts in and out of her dream as The Vampire tells her to come to him. He believes there is nothing left for her here (on Earth) and he only has hours to exist unless he can get Charlotte to love him. After some dream scenes, Charlotte is in the tower with The Vampire. Chris is there too, but The Vampire pushes Chris away and is about to bite Charlotte when she utters Chris's name; he initially tells her not to think of Chris and instead think of himself and her as a couple. Then, after Charlotte calls out Chris's name again, The Vampire angrily warns her that she cannot take Chris's love to the eternal life he was offering her, and he disappears. The story concludes with Charlotte and Chris awakening in the morning, sharing a tender kiss, while The Vampire meets his demise in his desolate room.

Cast

as Charlotte Wells * Martin Kemp as The Vampire * Harrison Pruett as Chris * Jordan Ladd as Eliza * Rachel True as Nicole * Charlotte Lewis as Sarah *

Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American-Canadian actress and professional poker player. Known for her distinctive breathy voice and comedic timing, she is the recipient of a Saturn Award, and a GLAAD Award, ...

as Marika * Rebecca Ferratti as Princess * John Riedlinger as Milo

Production

Regarding her nude scenes in the film, Milano said in a 1995 interview, "I'm not going to say that I was manipulated into doing things that I didn't want to do. I did it because it was a woman director and I felt protected. And I learned a lot as far as knowing where the camera is and what coverage they need so that it's not all explicit." In an interview published in 2005, director Anne Goursaud said the film "was made for $500,000 in thirteen days". She estimates that thanks to video sales, "it has made maybe $15 million".

Reception

In a retrospective positive review for ''

Fangoria ''Fangoria'' is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr. The magazine was originally released i ...

'', Alexandra Heller-Nicholas wrote of the film, "''Embrace of the Vampire'' is good, trashy, '90s fun, and with the broader compelling stories about Milano and Goursaud to go along with it, it makes for quite a ride."

References

External links

* {{IMDb title 1995 films 1995 directorial debut films 1995 horror films 1995 independent films 1995 LGBTQ-related films 1990s American films 1990s English-language films 1990s erotic films 1990s supernatural horror films American erotic horror films American independent films American supernatural horror films American vampire films Films about nightmares Films about reincarnation Films directed by Anne Goursaud Films shot in Minnesota LGBTQ-related horror films New Line Cinema films American LGBTQ-related films English-language horror films English-language independent films English-language erotic films