The Vampire Doll

"The curse of an undead beauty who has risen, weeping in her search for fresh blood..."

1970 1h 11m JA

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 63

HorrorMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young man goes missing after visiting his girlfriend's isolated country home. His sister and her boyfriend trace him to the creepy mansion, but their search becomes perilous when they uncover a gruesome family history.

“The curse of an undead beauty who has risen, weeping in her search for fresh blood...”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Kayo Matsuo
Keiko Sagawa
Akira Nakao
Hiroshi Takagi
Yukiko Kobayashi
Yûko Nonomura / The Vampire Doll
Yoko Minakaze
Shidu Nonomura
Atsuo Nakamura
Kazuhiko Sagawa
Kaku Takashina
Genzô
Jun Hamamura
Public Officer
Ginzô Sekiguchi
Staff at Gus Station

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michio Yamamoto
Writers: Ei Ogawa, Hiroshi Nagano
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 71-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

56 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Bloodthirsty Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michio Yamamoto, shot by Kazutami Hara. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Riichirō Manabe. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Kôichi Iwashita shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kayo Matsuo and Akira Nakao and Yukiko Kobayashi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The curse of an undead beauty who has risen, weeping in her search for fresh blood...".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michio Yamamoto directs. Kazutami Hara behind the camera. Riichirō Manabe scores. Kôichi Iwashita cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 71-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
256 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Bloodthirsty Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Michio Yamamoto, shot by Kazutami Hara. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Riichirō Manabe. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Kôichi Iwashita shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Kayo Matsuo and Akira Nakao and Yukiko Kobayashi carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The curse of an undead beauty who has risen, weeping in her search for fresh blood...".
9IMDB entry: tt0066600 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 63 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
11Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Kazutami Hara
Original score: Riichirō Manabe
Editing: Kôichi Iwashita
Runtime: 71 min · 1h 11m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: The Vampire Doll (1970)

Part of

Bloodthirsty Collection

Three cult classic Japanese vampire stories, directed by Michio Yamamoto, which emphasize atmosphere and style inspired by the runaway success of the British and American Gothic horror films of the sixties.