MovieChat Forums > Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) Discussion > The Most Terrifying Scene!!!

The Most Terrifying Scene!!!

posted 15 years ago by kurtmoulton
19 replies | jump to latest

The most terrifying, chilling scene of the movie has to be when Dr. Hayes, Donna, and Michael pay a visit at night to Count Yorga and...they...won't... LEAVE! <shudder!> That was a cringe-worthy bit of film that wouldn't end, but dragged on uncomfortably - the awkwardness was palpable! Guests who won't go home, no matter how many not-so-subtle hints are dropped! Dr. Hayes was not exactly Professor Van Helsing. What a brilliant plan: Let's drop in unexpectledly on someone we hardly know late at night and stay there, drinking his alcohol and just sitting around with nothing particular to say - only interminable small talk - and when he finally loses his patience and says he's going to bed, then we'll have irrefutable proof that he's a vampire!
Come to think about it, the film was full of uncomfortable moments that made me more tense than the actual horror: the classical stereotype of the vampire-complete with cape - needing a ride home crammed into a VW van with a resentful driver, walking in on your girlfriend who's just eaten her cat (embarrassing!), Dr. Hayes telling his booty call to go home, Dr. Hayes repeatedly calling the police about the threat of vampires, Yorga giving his deformed assistant that disappointed "mom look" after the assistant admits to raping Donna, Dr. Hayes being caught red-handed breaking into Yorga's house and then sitting there with his broken piece of chair while Yorga makes him squirm (pathetic!). The movie should have been titled, "The Awkward Encounters of Count Yorga"!

[–] flcnesbitt 15 years ago

great post!

Dr. Hayes was a bit of a T00L and deserved what he got.

[–] vestdennis 11 years ago

These had to be the rudest house guests in history! He chit chats with them for a good while and they still refuse to leave. If I had been the Count I would have had my butt ugly butler escort them out.

[–] Adirondack 15 years ago

What's the matter with you?

The doctor stayed so long on purpose, because he knew (or just suspected at that point) that Yorga needed to be asleep by dawn. Consider that the doctor was also playing mind games with Yorga. He may have been intentionally making Yorga suspect that he knew what Yorga was. The only person between the cast and their characters, the crew and the viewers who was supposed to be uncomfortable was the character of Yorga. I was never uncomfortable with any scene of the film.

Yorga never wore a cape. He always either wore a suit or a housecoat. I think he was the least stereotypical of all movie vampires from the 70's and before.

The girl eating the cat was a good, shocking scene. That was one thing that made the film a non-stereotypical vampire film. At this point, she was not, nor could have been embarrassed because her transformation had altered her mind (if she still even had one). She could only feel a craving for blood and an allegiance to Yorga. Btw, I assume no real animals were actually harmed in the making of the film. At least I hope not.

But yeah, there were many moments where the characters were made uncomfortable. That shouldn't have made the viewer uncomfortable, IMO.

[–] kurtmoulton 15 years ago

"What's the matter with me?" Talk about feeling awkward! My post was intended to be a witty, tongue-in-cheek criticism of a scene that I found to be "awkward" in that I assumed that everyone has - at one time or another - had guests who just don't get that the party's over. I'd certainly never considered hanging around all night as a means for revealing that your host is a vampire (why didn't Yorga just go to bed, after all?).
However, "Andirondak" has pointed out that, not only was my comment apparently devoid of all humor, something is "the matter with me" because I didn't understand what the doctor was doing! Like I sat there watching in total ignorance, even bewilderment, oblivious of the doctor's well-conceived and brilliantly executed plan!
Oh, and the cape? I had to go dig the movie out and rewatch it. YORGA WEARS A CAPE - or at least a capelike outer garment that may be an ulster, but is awfully capey enough for me to say that he was wearing a cape on at least two occasions: when he attacked the couple in the van and when he attacked the guy snooping around his house. It appears that he was wearing the cape, drape, or shawl when returning home in the Dead Head van. Again, my lame attempt at humor seemingly fell flat and now I'm beating any remaining vestiges of funny out of it by explaining myself.
Still, you can't make me admit that "Count Yorga, Vampire" was a good movie. Maybe that's "what's the matter with me".

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] bravo78 11 years ago

I will add Count Yorga unwittingly abetted Dr. Hayes plan of staying on too long by putting out the good brandy. I'm not even a centuries old vampire and know enough not to put out the good stuff with unexpected guests.

[–] torifying-101-29863 8 years ago

YorgA wears a cape! After the seance he says "I believe I had ... A cape" and Donna is like "I'll go get it " rewatched it last night

[–] dalldorfw 11 years ago

"THE THING THAT WOULDN'T LEAVE!!!!"

[–] kurtmoulton 11 years ago

Finally - after years of waiting - someone got the humor of my original post! I was trying to be funny by exaggerating a (I believe)valid point that there was something kind of awkward and pathetic about the confrontation between vampire and hunter! Thank you, dalldorfw!

[–] dalldorfw 11 years ago

You're welcome. It is frustrating when you're just trying to tell a joke and everyone insists on taking is seriously, Isn't it?

[–] kurtmoulton 11 years ago

It is, yes. I didn't know I'd be offending the passionately loyal Count Yorga fan base by critiquing a scene that I honestly felt was kind of funny when you really thought about it. Annoying a vampire to the point that he admits he's a vampire - brilliant! I felt sympathy for the vampire! (Isn't that an Anne Rice book - "Sympathy for the Vampire"? It should be.)

[–] dalldorfw 11 years ago

That's a great title. I'm going to have to steal it.

[–] holbrookp 11 years ago

Not sure why, but I watched that scene where they wouldn't leave and also felt very uncomfortable. Quarry was indeed brilliant in that scene. Just watched it again tonight and didn't feel that way because I knew what was coming, so I saw it from a slightly different perspective.

I remember seeing it when it was originally released and came away disappointed that it wasn't scarier and more violent, since it kept building up to such scenes but never delivered, at least not as well as such films typically did at the time.

"Truth is its own evidence." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

[–] torifying-101-29863 8 years ago

I loved the movie AND loved your post Kurt

[–] kurtmoulton 8 years ago

Thanks for taking time to comment - and for the compliment! I think it's way cool that someone replied to this post after so many years! I check back every once in a while, just to see. Your comment made my day! Take care, torifying-101-29863!

[–] victora87 8 years ago

I thought your original post was excellent!
I love this movie and I think it's scary but I actually felt sorry for the vampire when those morons refused to leave his house.
And yes, I have experienced that particular torture on many sorry occasions as we have a collection of slow witted friends who can't figure out that our party ended two hours ago!
I appreciate your wit and for all the other fans who were insulted or offended by your post bear in mind the Count Yorga still rules!
And rest in peace Robert Quarry.....you scared the heck out of me when this movie played on late night television back in the seventies!

[–] sumankey13 8 years ago

all that aside, there ARE many uncomfortable scenes, which makes it all that much more---! and at the end of that uncomfortable and funny awkward scene you described,

Yorba calls the docs bluff by answering all his vampire questions, finishing with "yes, and they have intellects far superior to others (regular men)"----which he picks back up again later whilst holding the doc's wooden stake in his OWN hands saying---"They can make a fool out of any man"....in which, the jig is up!

*Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!*

[–] kurtmoulton 7 years ago

Thanks for appreciating my post!
Maybe Doc's plan was based on the scene from Airplane, where the Japanese soldier commits seppuku rather than continue to listen to Robert Hays' interminable flashback. I could see Count Yorga urbanely take the stake and just ramming it into his own chest. THAT would be a unique vampire slaying method: purposefully ignoring polite social cues until the vampire offs itself!