The
Fearless Vampire Killers
AKA: Dance of the Vampires, The Fearless Vampire Killers or: Pardon
Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck,
Vampire Ball, The Vampire Killers, Tanz der Vampire
GB,
USA 1966, colour, 107 min |
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Director |
Roman Polanski |
Screenplay |
Gerard
Brach, Roman Polanski |
Photography |
Douglas
Slocombe |
Musix |
Krysztof
Komeda |
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Jack
McGowran |
Prof.
Abronsius |
Roman
Polanski |
Alfred |
Sharon
Tate |
Sarah |
Ferdy
Mayne |
Count
Krolock |
Alfie
Bass |
Shagal |
Iain
Quarrier |
Herbert |
The
crotchety professor Abronsius, called "the old weirdo"
by his colleagues due to his thesis concerning vampirism, is on
his way to cold and frosty Transsylvania, in order to proof his
theories with the help of his assistant Alfred right on place. They
find accommodation at the inn of the Shagal-family, where Sarah,
the daughter of their host soon gets kidnapped from the bath tub
by the local vampire Count Krolock. Father Shagall, well-equipped
with garlic, follows them, but is found deep frozen and emptied
from his blood the next morning. Abronsius declares that Shagall
has turned into a vampire and has to be impaled and beheaded, a
procedure his widow does not really appreciate. The just-turned-into-vampire
Shagall can flee at dusk and shows the fearless vampire killers
the way to the vampire headquarters, Krolok Castle. On arrival they
are welcomed by the master of the house, who presents himself as
well-read man about town and invites them to stay at his castle.
Soon they also get to know his son, Herbert who quickly develops
a special interest for Alfred and was probably the first gay vampire
in movie history.
The
next day, when the vampires are sleeping peacefully in their coffins,
Abronsius and Alfred try to make an end to their foul work by means
of a wooden peg. But they can try as hard as they can - something
always goes wrong and the night of the ball - the dance of the vampires,
where Sarah and our two heros are supposed to be served as main
course of the menu - is getting closer. But with ruse and a good
disguise Abronsius and Albert manage to free Sarah - too late, as
we see after an adventurous pursuit where a coffin serves as a sleigh.
Sarah has already turned into a vampire and Alfred becomes her first
victim. And this is how the evil could be spread throughout the
whole world with the help of professor Abronsius.
With
"the fearless vampire Killers" Roman Polanski created
one of the great classics of the genre. Murnaus
"Nosferatu" probably is the most uncanny and Coppolas
"Dracula" the most
splendid movie of the genre; "The fearless vampire Killers"
is without doubt the funniest one. Polanski and his co-author Brach
built in so many ludicrous elements that we can nearly call it completely
crazy: hair-raising pursuits, gay vampires, Jewish vampires, where
crucifixes lose their effect, crotchety vampire hunters - there
is a sly idea in nearly every scene. Polanski does indeed know how
to make a horror movie, but here he makes fun of those details we
know only too well - requiring some basic knowledge of vampire movies
in general. If you didn't know and/or like movies as the Hammer-Vampire
movies, that were so popular at that time, you probably would not
have enjoyed this movie as much as fans of the vampire genre had
then, and hopefully still have today. Meanwhile "The fearless
vampire killers" has been shown on TV innumerable times, and
should be one of the most popular vampire movies ever. Nevertheless
- it's always great to watch this cult movie again.
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