First up was Carmilla (1989) with Meg Tilly and Ione Skye. This moves the tale to post-Civil War Georgia. The story is largely unchanged with Ione Skye and Laura and Meg Tilly as Carmilla. There were some neat scenes but it was a Showtime Nightmare Classics episode, so there isn't the investment you see in a big movie production. Still though it was fun. There isn't much chemistry between Skye and Tilly, which struck me as odd to be honest. Plus you get the feeling in the end that Laura became a vampire after Carmilla was killed.
Styria (2014) or "Angels of Darkness" as it is known in the US, is also a retelling of the classic tale. This time moved to 1986 and Styria, Slovenia. This time Laura and Carmilla are played by Eleanor Tomlinson and Julia Pietrucha. These actresses had more on-screen chemistry and the tale has a bit more terror. Moving it to Communist-controlled Eastern Europe was an interesting twist and I liked it. Plus it gave them a good excuse to use music from Joy Division and The Jesus and Mary Chain.
Unlike the 1989 version or Unwanted, Carmilla is much more of a predator here and more of a classic vampire OR Laura is insane. Could go either way. Of the three "Carmilla" movies I have seen this challenge so far, this is the best.
2016 Movie tally
Watched: 25
New: 20
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