Where Count Yorga was independently made, the sequel now comes backed by AIP. It attempts to repeat the same success with variations. It is certainly a film with a good beginning and ending – alas the in-between bits are often a drag. In these scenes director Robert Kelljan tries to play the dreamy horror thing a la the same year’s Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971), but it proves rather elliptical and vague and none of it really coheses into a solid script. There are some occasionally effective scares.

As in the first film, some amusement is derived from the incongruities of the classic vampire placed up against the modern world – Robert Quarry turns up at a fancy-dress party in cape and is forced to apologize “Sorry about that, old chap” as another partygoer turns up also dressed as a vampire. Later he sits down with cynical amusement to watch The Vampire Lovers (1970) on tv. And at the end the priest goes to confront Yorga who proceeds to persuade him out of his half-belief in evil by promising donations to the church, only to then lead him around the estate and into a quicksand pit.