Softcore pornography can be many things. It can be seductive, amusing and even artful at times but there is one thing it should try not to be, completely and utterly confusing. “Lust for Dracula”, the newest feature from Seduction cinema, may star Misty Mundae and contain gratuitous lesbian love making sessions but this adult feature is unlike any you have seen before.
Perhaps the most avant garde adaptation of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” ever committed to film, “Lust for Dracula” dispenses with many of the elements viewers have come to expect from a Misty Mundae feature such as humor and a devil may care attitude, instead substituting an attempt to mix a level of artistry in between sex acts. While taking a stab at elevating the normal adult video fare to actual drama is commendable, “Lust for Dracula” manages to fall short on several levels.
Not having the budget for a period piece the legend of Dracula is updated to California with Mina Harker (Misty Mundae) being depressed at her unhappy marriage to pharmaceuticals mogul Jonathan Harker (Julian Wells, who I might point out is a woman) is enticed to join the ranks on the undead by the tender (yet deadly) Dracula (as played by Darian Caine).
Right off the bat the fact that all the lead characters are played by women derails any semblance of serious drama. Julian Wells is very attractive but having her dress in business suits and try and act like a man (even in the sex scenes!) never comes off as anything but ridiculous. The fact that he/she runs a drug company is mentioned throughout the film and most of the central characters are pill poppers, however the connection between the Harker family, the drugs and the vampires is never fully explained. Worst of all is the main plot often takes a back seat to a pair Dracula’s angsty vampire goons wrestling with their feelings for one another.
Before being accused of overanalyzing a softcore feature I must point out that the movie goes out of its way to attempt to convey a depth it clearly does not possess. Many of the sex scenes are intercut with distracting images so even the basic purpose of a film such as this is defeated. Seduction has a good thing going for it with the comedically talented Misty Mundae as seen in other films such as “Playmate of the Apes” and “Lord of the G-Strings” (a classic in its own right) but by forcing her to play the film straight never manages to make her convincing. In essence everything about “Lust for Dracula” plays against type but this film makes a strong case for Seduction Cinema to stick to what it is good at, amusing lightweight late night fare.
