Finally got around to watching A Taste of Blood, his two-hour 1967 vampire-themed shocker set in Miami and London. It's unfortunate that just at the time he gets a decent-ish cast of actors he seems to lose his sense of pacing and tension, resulting in uncharacteristic tedium. (Tbf I don't think HGL himself rates this one either). But - this may be a specific thing - I can still derive some enjoyment from looking at the backgrounds, which are full of typical accoutrements of 1960s South Florida. Things like jalousie windows, a distinctive kind of patio furniture, roughly paved roads that lead into scrubland. Interiors have that look of an older person's gloss on midcentury modern - the same look I see in Frank Sinatra's Tony Rome, for one example. In A Taste of Blood you have to be willing to look at these vintage Miami interiors a lot - even when the scene switches to London you're still looking at Miami interiors.
Also rewatched She-Devils on Wheels which is funnier and more outrageous than I remembered it.
― Josefa, Wednesday, 28 July 2021 14:09 (two years ago) link