The Vampire Doll (also known in the U.S. as “The Night of the Vampire” or “Legacy of Dracula”) is one of only six feature films made by Yamamoto.
How scary is The Vampire Doll: Fans of John Carpenter’s atmospheric early work like Halloween and The Fog will find much to savor, as the films have a similar minimalist widescreen look and chilling electronic-tinged soundtrack.
Why The Vampire Doll rules: Throughout the 60’s many of the Japanese horror pictures that made their way to America took place during the feudal/Edo era, such as Kwaidan or Kuroneko.
The Vampire Doll, as well as its loose sequels Lake of Dracula (1971) and Evil of Dracula (1975), is brimming with pale women, thunderstorms and fiendish ghouls that make for some genuine scares.