There’s blood in the water in Stephanie Rothman’s serpentine The Velvet Vampire. Hip newlyweds Lee & Susie go out into the desert with their pale sexy neighbor who, of course, turns out to be a thirsty vampire. For those looking for: A groovy American compliment to the arty euro-horror of Jesús Franco and Jean Rollin. This kaleidoscopic gem of cinematic psychedelia is a real horror show trip scored by some premier freak-era blues, rock, and folk. If the fantastic slow-motion sex dreams don’t get you, the nightmares of blood and insatiable hunger definitely will.
