Seduction Cinema's Lesbian Vampire Lovers Collection

This collection is a nostalgia trip that symbolizes the end of an era. Not so long ago, stores like Borders actually stocked all kinds of DVDs, and chains like Best Buy included "adult" fare in their "Special Interest" section (I can remember seeing "Topless Tapioca Wrestling" right next to documentaries about WWII). There was this little window between late-night cable TV and Netflix that lasted from 1998 to 2008 where people were buying DVDs like crazy, and stuff like this was readily available. It was during this time that Seduction Cinema kicked a lot of ass and released tons of movies, a cross between Skinemax and exploitation classics that yielded some true cult film gems, some of which can be found on this latest collection.

"Vampire's Seduction" (1998) stars Tina Krause as Dracoola, and is actually quite funny. This was one of the first Seduction releases I ever saw (Back then they were called Brain Escape Pictures, and also released Frank Terranova's "Caress of the Vampire"), and it's still one of their best. "My Vampire Lover" (2002) features several of the Seduction Cinema stable of actors including Paige Richards, Katie Jordan, Misty Mundae, Ruby LaRocca and Darian Caine but lacks a solid comic lead like the other films on this disc. "Vampire Vixens" (2003), the remake of/sequel to "Vampire's Seduction", has a high skin factor (some of the scenes really push the "softcore" envelope) but seems like a thrown-together afterthought. What you do get is a mega-cast of not only returning principals from the original, but also most of Seduction Cinema's repertory players from that time. "Sexy Adventures of Van Helsing" (2004) rounds out the set, and is easily the best film in terms of production value, acting and comedy. It remains one of my favorite SC flicks, and features great performances by Erika Smith and AJ Khan. And I'm happy to say I'm the proud owner of the "Lesbian Party" prop sign from the film (also shown on the DVD menu screens)!

DVD extras from the original releases were preserved for the most part. Each film (except "Van Helsing") is accompanied by a blooper reel or a behind-the-scenes featurette, but it doesn't render the originals obsolete by any means. While the included booklet contains a great, trivia-filled interview with studio boss (and all-around awesome guy) Mike Raso, it cannot take the place of the commentary track for "Vampire's Seduction" that was part of the "Van Helsing" standalone DVD package. Fans of Seduction Cinema should NOT be without track, as it is a treasure trove of information that chronicles the entire history of the company. But the fact that so many extras were included with this new collection shows SC knows the movies are special, and people who see them are going to want more.

Release date is set for July 27, 2010 from www.alternativecinema.com