What is the order of the trilogy

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You should try watch them in the order they were made:

VAMPIRE LOVERS
LUST FOR A VAMPIRE
TWINS OF EVIL

The dates and/or places in a Hammer series from film to film is arbitrary and not really relevant to the plot itself. The witch hunting scenes were added to TWINS when the MARK OF THE DEVIL fad started to take on a life of its own, it is not intended to represent a specific period in history. Though I do like the idea of TWINS perhaps being a "prequel" of some kind, or rather a pre-history of the Karnsteins. The only problem with the theory is the presence of Peter Cushing -- are his Puritan character and The General from VAMPIRE LOVERS supposedly related?

The reason to try and watch them in order is to perhaps observe how the intentions behind the story arcs and approaches to the plotting changes from film to film. VAMPIRE LOVERS is very much a classic Hammer structure and makes a point to be classy rather than trashy even during it's most lurid moments. LUST FOR A VAMPIRE is more of straight forward softcore fantasy piece that just happens to use the trappings of a Hammer vampire film as its navigation points. TWINS OF EVIL is more of an exploitation film and reflects how the horror market had changed since 1970, with the lurid moments taking on a sleaze factor that isn't there in the first film and only just suggested in the second.