Less Stake Through the Heart' and more 'steak and chips!' (Shadow Of The Vampire (DVD))

Member Name: Crombie

Product:	Shadow Of The Vampire (DVD)
Date:	23/07/01 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Peculiar, Original, Superb Acting

Disadvantages: Ultimately unsatisfying, Failed to deliver what the hype promised

First things first. I missed this at the cinema so this review comes after a 'lights off' huddled on the sofa, video viewing.

Basically, this film is about a filmaker making the real-life 1922 classic silent horror film, Nosferatu'. Only, what we learn is that in order to make the film as real as possible, the director has enlisted a real, live, ageing vampire to play the role. The vampire has been promised the neck of the leading lady in return for 'behaving' during the rest of the shoot.

Of course, he can't behave can he? People disappear. People die.

Which should have made for something either funny, scary or thrilling. But failed to manage any of the above. The tape box described the film thus: 'Compelling, Clever, Jet-Black Comedy. A Lot of Fun' and had a 'horror' category sticker applied by the video shop. So, someone had to be wrong. As it happens, they both were.

The best thing about the film is the superb acting. Dafoe, as the Vampire is extraordinary, and Malcovich is as open-mouthed and frightening as ever as the driven director searching for perfection. Eddie Izzard is superb as the leading man, but anyone who has seen his live stand up shows will recognise too much from there to believe him in this! But, as always, he's funny and good value for money.

But the problem stems from the fact that film didn't know what it wanted to be. Dafoe is both grusome and funny. The cast seem to play some bits for laughs, other bits are dead straight. In the end the film has decided to be a comment on the lengths the film industry will go to in order to make movies. Which, after everything that was promised from the start, is a fairly lame theme to be left with.

Just for the record, it's maybe worth mentioning that it's a short film too. 91 minutes.

It will achieve cult status, almost certainly, and could well be a more enjoyable ride second time around
, when you won't be disappointed because you now know what to expect.

It promised a lot and didn't deliver.

Summary: