The Black Room | 1982 | USA | Elly Kenner & Norman Thaddeus Vane

Very rarely seen and vastly underrated, The Black Room is a post-modern take on the vampire myth, following two siblings Jason and Bridget who lure wealthy philanderers to rent their opulent ‘Black Room’ as a base to carry out their infidelity. Unbeknownst to their clientele however, the brother and sister seek to sedate them and drain their blood using a machine, to transfuse it into the critically ill Jason. It’s only when problem-ridden married couple Larry and Robin cross their paths that their sanguine games come under threat. With a gleefully dark humour, European weirdness and refreshing approach to many mature themes of fidelity and sexuality, the DPP clearly took issue with some of the deeper-rooted eroticised elements of the bloody violence.