TV Vampire

 

 

 (imdb)

VAMPIRE-1979-Architects John (Jason Miller) & Leslie (Kathryn Harrold) Rawlins design and build a huge cross to help revitalize a section of San Francisco. Unfortunately, it seems they have disturbed the tomb of a vampire. Enter Count Anton Voyteck (Richard Lynch), a mysterious guy who's romancing Leslie's lawyer friend (Jessica Walter). Voyteck leads them to some underground ruins that house lost art. Voyteck is arrested but later released and he visits Leslie who he seduces, but it's obvious he's a vampire. Later John finds Leslie dead, her body mutilated. It's blamed on a serial killer but John suspects Voyteck. He also comes to believe Voyteck is a vampire but he cracks up and is put in a mental ward. 

When Voyteck visits John he plans to kill him but he's interrupted by Mr. Kilcoyne (E.G.Marshall), a pipe smoking retired detective who'd been hanging around unnoticed. It turns out Kilcoyne, like John, believes Voyteck was also responsible for some grisly murders that he and his partner investigated in the '30's. He believes his partner who became a priest trapped Voyteck underground (at the cost of his own life) and the construction let him escape. The duo hunt for him.

 It's mostly a lot of talk but seems to set up for a sequel or TV series (?). Joe Spinell is in one scene. Directed by E.W. Swackhamer, at the time a busy TV director.

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Night of the Living Head

 

 (imdb)

LA CABEZA VIVIENTE-1963-In the year 1525 in Mexico, Aztecs worship the head of a great warrior, Acatl. They hide the head in a secret tomb along with a priest Xihu (Guillero Cramer) and a princess Xochiquati (Ana Luisa Peluffo) (who they seem to blame for Acatl's demise) to watch over it. 

In 1963 Prof. Muller (German Robles) discovers the head and opens a stone coffin to find the well preserved body of the priest. When Muller removes a mask from the head it opens its eyes. (No one in his party sees it) They take the head and the mummy like priest back to their lab. Muller's daughter Marta (also Peluffo) is there and she discovers one of the archaeologists dead with his heart cut out. Police inspector Toledo (Producer Abel Salazar) investigates. It seems the head can control the dead priest and has him/it kill the defilers of his tomb.

Considering there's a reanimated severed head and a fairly scary warrior mummy this isn't that good with a climax that goes on way too long. Director Chano Urueta made his first movie in 1928! After this he made several “Blue Demon” wrestling movies.

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