Vampires of the Velvet Lounge (2026)

Brent Marchant March 29, 2026

★ 5/10

Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Báthory (1560-1614) was a macabre, eccentric noblewoman believed to have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula (1897), an allegedly vampiric being said to have been the most prolific serial killer in history. But did she really die in 1614 as believed, or did she secretly live on in perpetuity, continuing to practice her notorious blood-sucking ways throughout the centuries? That’s the question raised in writer-director Adam Sherman’s latest feature outing, an all-out, no-holds-barred campy horror romp that epitomizes the over-the-top nature of grindhouse gore offerings. Set in present-day Savannah, Georgia, the film follows the nefarious vampiric practices of the immortal Elizabeth (Mena Suvari) and her coven of disciples, working out of a back alley absinthe bar where their unsuspecting victims are lured through internet dating websit…

JPRetana June 6, 2026

Vampires of the Velvet Lounge (2026) opens with a series of intertitles recounting the oft-told story of Countess Elizabeth Báthory, noting that she “allegedly died in 1614” and that “her legacy morphed into that of a vampire-like figure, cementing her status as history’s most prolific serial killer with the highest known death count.” Too many, it would appear, to put in exact numbers. The word “allegedly” has been misplaced. It should not be applied to the date she died or the fact itself of her death but to the crimes Báthory was accused of. Later on, the film’s dialogue will repeat the “highest death count of any serial killer in history” claim, adding that Báthory drained “hundreds of young maidens of their blood.” In reality, the countess and her servants were accused of killing anywhere from 600 to 1600 victims but were convicted for 80 counts of murd…