The Return of Count Yorga 2000 Horror Movie Review

Yes, yes—doubtless you’re thinking that if you haven’t seen the original Count Yorga, Vampire you’ll be completely lost. Turns out it’s surprisingly easy to catch up! Robert Quarry reprises his role as Yorga, this time taking up residence by the Westwood orphanage. Mariette Hartley plays the lovely Cynthia, a kindhearted orphanage worker who unknowingly wins Yorga’s heart. This might seem more special if Yorga weren’t already being followed around by a bevy of nightgown-clad vampire girlfriends, but there you go. After Cynthia is captured and entranced by Yorga, her fiancée leads the chase to find her (helped by a few skeptical but dogged policemen—watch for a deeply embarrassed and heavily made-up Craig T. Nelson as one of the detectives). Quarry does his best to make Yorga a debonair vampire in the Dracula tradition, but is unfortunately hindered by Yorga’s fondness for lounge-singer dinner jackets and his tendency to lunge at victims with both arms thrust straight out like a Scooby-Doo character. Yorga is mysterious, though—he is able to walk the land even during bright day-for-night sequences, for example, and there is also a fascinating moment in which he has apparently frightened a pod of humpback whales. This video edition includes the original theatrical trailer, which describes The Return of Count Yorga as “the most horrifying love story ever filmed.” I could not agree more. —Ali Davis