The Fearless Vampire Killers (DVD)

A review of just the film. A DVD costs less than £5 on amazon at the moment. Made in 1967, this is a peculiar and not very successful Hammer horror parody made by Roman Polanski. Professor Abronsius and his timid assistant Alfred arrive at a small inn looking for vampires to kill. Alfred falls for the innkeeper's lovely daughter, Sarah, but the local vampire, Count von Krolock, also wants to get his fangs into her. This is a very odd film for Polanski to have made. At the time he was feted as one of the most promising young directors in the world. To have put so much effort into a rather gentle piss-take of Hammer is eccentric, to say the least. ...  Read the complete review

Most of Polanski's movies are comedies masquerading under a different genre, from the Theatre of the Absurd 'Cul-de-sac' to the recent supernatural thriller 'The Ninth Gate'. The few films which Polanski has deliberately posited as comedies suffer from one big problem: they simply aren't that funny. 'Pirates' sees Roman floundering, but 'The Fearless Vampire Killers' is sometimes staggering beautiful - it just doesn't have that many good jokes in it. The costumes are gorgeous, as is the set design and Christophe Komeda's score, but it's the look, the atmosphere of the film that really makes it. It has ...  Read the complete review

a.k.a. Dance of the Vampires (1967) (UK)While probably not everyone's cup of tea, Polanski's loving spoof (or was it a tribute?) to Hammer Film’s vampire movies of the 50’s and 60’s (specifically Brides of Dracula) is often hilarious and sometimes even suspenseful. The Fearless Vampire Killers is an excellent parody of a horror film. Like most successful spoofs of the horror genre (Young Frankenstein etc.), Fearless Vampire Killers maintains a high amount of reverence for its subject matter, treating it with a certain subtle amount of respect amidst all the pratfalls and laughs. The jokes don't always succeed and the film is more a ...  Read the complete review

Made in 1967, I first saw this film under the title "Dance of the Vampires". Written, directed, and starring Roman Polanski, it is one of the only films where you will see Polanski, and his wife of the time, Sharon Tate, acting together, (before she was brutally murdered by Charles Manson's gang in 1969). It also stars Alfie Bass as the jewish innkeeper, (hence the title of this opinion - he gets bitten, and upon turning into a vampire, is shown a crucifix). Dance of the Vampires is a spoof horror, and is extremely funny. Polanksi, better known for Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby, Repulsion, Frantic, etc, specialises in thillers, but this early film of his ...  Read the complete review

When i first saw this Movie, I was too young to remember it all, but certain images from it were in my memory and eventually after quite a few years, i managed to get a hold of it on VHS. When i watched it again for the first time on Video, it all came back to me. Right from the haunting title music through to the final chase scene, i was glued to my tv. I have since watched it many more times. Being a fan of Roman Polanski, maybe i am being a bit bias towards this movie, but i think it is as good as any film of the Genre that was out at that time, including the Hammer Horrors. It sort of takes a stab at them, but in a good way. It is funny, it is witty and it also ...  Read the complete review