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Satoshi Kon's animated feature based on this book was very memorable and had a BANGIN' soundtrack, so hopes were high when I noticed the original novel was available in translation. I wish I could tell you the book is better, but sadly there are some really antediluvian attitudes about women and sexuality in here that mar the action. And the action itself is kind of one-damn-thing-after-another. Dream narratives have the problem that logic can be violated at will, and that happens here every few pages. Thus, as with carelessly crafted CGI superhero films, everything can seem weightless and consequence-free after a while. My advice is to enjoy the movie, and if you're left wanting more, enjoy director Kon's other films.

CARMILLA: Five stars. Better than DRACULA, and not by a little.
VAMPYR screenplay: One and a half stars. Surrealism might make for arresting visual art, but it makes for terrible stories.