Ian Dear – Village Of Blood (Nel, 1975)
Yet another pesky film crew,yet more rotten vampires. This time, Ken Mathers’ crew are shooting the famous Bellingham legend on the estate where it reputedly all took place. It soon looks as if “reputedly” doesn’t come into it. Lord Bellingham has been funding Anvil Productions’ horror films for years, and it’s all been with the single purpose of this vanity project which he sees as potentially the scariest horror film of all time. When life begins to mirror art and several persons vanish in ominously bloody circumstances, Mathers has to agree. Fortunately, plucky journalist Ann Green is on hand to perform love interest and damsel in distress duties. And the villagers are revolting.
This is a fairly brisk read at 128 pages and at least the undead has the good grace to be all out nasty, bucking the “sympathetic vampire” vogue which was coming to the fore. It’s no The Dead Travel Fast, though.
The cigs of choice seem to be gaulois.
See also Vault’s Village Of Blood thread.
Your Daily NEL: New English Library 