Amazon.com: Yes, yes--doubtless you're thinking that if you haven't seen the original Count Yorga, Vampire you'll be completely lost. Turns out it's surprisingly easy to catch up! Robert Quarry reprises his role as Yorga, this time taking up residence by the Westwood orphanage. Mariette Hartley plays the lovely Cynthia, a kindhearted orphanage worker who unknowingly wins Yorga's heart. This might seem more special if Yorga weren't already being followed around by a bevy of nightgown-clad vampire girlfriends, but there you go. After Cynthia is captured and entranced by Yorga, her fiancée leads the chase to find her (helped by a few skeptical but dogged policemen--watch for a deeply embarrassed and heavily made-up Craig T. Nelson as one of the detectives). Quarry does his best to make Yorga a debonair vampire in the Dracula tradition, but is unfortunately hindered by Yorga's fondness for lounge-singer dinner jackets and his tendency to lunge at victims with both arms thrust straight out like a Scooby-Doo character. Yorga is mysterious, though--he is able to walk the land even during bright day-for-night sequences, for example, and there is also a fascinating moment in which he has apparently frightened a pod of humpback whales. This video edition includes the original theatrical trailer, which describes The Return of Count Yorga as "the most horrifying love story ever filmed." I could not agree more. --Ali Davis
Yorga, not yoga Count Yorga is the "Shaft" of vampire movies. So sleek, ruthlessly suave, not taking any bull, only he ain't a cop. I would definitely agree that this sequel is better than "Count Yorga, Vampire" for the sole reason that we get to find a little bit more about the acidic, intelligent Count. In this one, the pale faced fiend falls in love. I guess those billions of chicks in his castle with the huge teeth just didn't cut it for him.
His retarded assistant is beaten bloody and shot dead, FINALLY. He did add an element of primitive creepiness to Yorga's entourage, as though revealing the "other" side of Yorga (what he really is beneath the intellect and charisma), but largely he was just annoying and stupid, cracking people's necks and lumbering around ineffectually. The detectives who do this are not much smarter than he is, though, and the dialogue in this one is even funnier than in the original.
Needless to say, all the attempts to kill Yorga are complete failures except till the end, which I won't give away, let's just say it isn't exactly a victory. Yorga seems bothered very little but the various attempts made on his life, crushing them without lifting a finger. One thing I didn't like is that we never get to find out whether Tommy, the young boy Yorga seems? to feast at the beginning actually turns into a vampire or not, or just ends up under his spell.
There are both intentionally and unintentionally comedic scenes in this film. One: Yorga is watching "Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter" on TV, perhaps pondering how others see vampires. Yorga shows up unannounced at a local costume party/contest and the winner is a guy dressed up like a vampire, who Yorga congratulates.
The morbid mood of the film justifies the worse parts of it. The jumpy, eerie camera angles and the looming presence of yucky looking vampires everywhere make this one a vampire classic.
COUNT YORGA FOR PRESIDENT! This along with Salem's Lot are my two favorite vampire flicks. The vampire/zombie women along with GATEWAY MANSION really create an eerie atmosphere that is so classic 70's. I LOVE THIS FILM!
COUNT YORGA IS A BAD ...!!! Robert Quarry reprises his best role as Count Yorga.This time,he is after a beautiful woman who works at an orphanage.Count Yorga has his horde of vampires kill her familly,then kidnaps her.Roger Perry returns,but is playing a different character.He is now playing the fiance of the kidnapped woman.When he convinces the police that Count Yorga is to blame,they go to his big mansion and another terror filled romp ensues,as they find there's no way out.Watch when a preist tries to distract Count Yorga from noticing the police break in.Count Yorga sees through him and leads him to his death.It was hysterical how the preist reacted to this.Another hysterical scene,was Count Yorga's slo-mo run towards his victim.He can't say he didn't see him comming.Another weird ending.This one is more scarrier then the first.
Slightly better than the first movie Though the original movie leaves Count Yorga staked and turned to dust, he is back in this movie and up to his old tricks. How he got back is never explained, nor the return of his sidekick, or even his killed-in-the-original chief hunter. I actually prefer this lack of explanation to some silly alternative.
Yorga has moved to San Francisco, to a mansion next to an orphanage, which provides him with both adult and child prey. He is particularly attracted to Cynthia, played by Mariette Hartley. In true romantic fashion, he decides to win her by killing her family and kidnaping and hypnotizing her.
In many ways similar to the original movie in style, this film does have a couple creepy moments, in particular when Cynthia wanders through the mansion and is tormented by voices. Otherwise, this is essentially a remake of the original in structure, though more campy in style. I was particulary amused by Yorga's preferred method of attack: a hissing, slow-motion run at his victim.
As a bonus, this movie features one of Craig T. Nelson's earliest roles, but I don't know if that will really draw many watchers outside of the most avid Coach fans. For others, I can say that if you liked the original, you will like this one; if given a choice of only one to watch, choose this one. You will not be missing anything by skipping the first one.
Well made sequal to vampire classic! If you loved "Count Yorga, Vampire", be sure to get a copy of the follow-up, "Return of Count Yorga". Although it also is a lower budget horror flick it has some truly great moments. The very good perfomance of a hearing-impaired teacher as well as her character's treatment by the authorities in the film also deserves mention. The deaf character in the movie is not considered a reliable witness by the police when reporting the brutal murder of her friends at the hands of the vampires. Craig T. Nelson is very young and handsome playing one of the cops in an early role. He fails to understand how a series of dissapearances could be linked to the vampire played once again (very well!) by Robert Quarry. Robert Quarry is both suave and chilling. As the film progresses they both get the point, except Nelson gets two of them!! Leave the lights on and don't forget the popcorn!
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