THE
FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS (1967)
Starring
Jack McGowran, Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate, Ferdy Mayne, Alfie Bass,
Terry Downes, Fiona Lewis. Directed by Roman Polanski.
ON
BLU-RAY FROM
Review
by Mr. PawsđŒ
The
Fearless Vampire Killers has a pretty sizable cult following and
fans will be happy to know this new Blu-ray from Warner Archive
features the original cut of the film, not the truncated version
first-released in the U.S., which was apparently a lot worse.
That
being said, I can’t count myself among Roman Polanski’s admirers.
He’s made some indisputably great films, while many others are
wildly overpraised. After finally viewing The Fearless Vampire
Killers for the first time, I would include it among the latter.
I
suppose the film deserves some kudos for being one of the earlier
horror-comedies to poke fun at vampire clichés.
From stakes through the heart to bloodsuckers’ aversion to garlic,
all the boxes are checked. But this isn’t mere parody. The
Fearless Vampire Killers also attempts to be a horror film in its
own right.
The
problem is that it’s neither funny nor scary. Not once. Jack
McGowren and Polanski himself ham-it-up as two bumbling vampire
hunters who stumble into a Transylvanian village where Count van
Krolock (Ferdy Mayne) has been having his way with the locals. Alfred
(Polanski) becomes enamored by Sarah (Sharon Tate), an innkeeper’s
daughter. When she’s snatched away by Krolock, they venture to the
count’s mountaintop castle to try and rescue her.
 |
| "Anyone can have bad breath. But you, my dear, could knock a buzzard off a shit wagon." |
McGowren
mugs and babbles – often incoherently – while Polanski overreacts to his surroundings and ogles his future wife.
Speaking of which, Tate is simply window dressing, required to do
little but look good in a bathtub (in that respect, mission
accomplished). In fact, there’s no real characterization of any
kind. Lethargically paced, the film is filled with long, dull,
dialogue-free stretches, occasionally punctuated by lame physical
gags straight out of a Benny Hill sketch.
Still,
The Fearless Vampire Killers has its share of fans and I have
to admit the film is beautifully shot. With an aesthetic similar to
Hammer’s horror output at the time, it’s handsomely produced and
atmospheric. Regardless of my personal assessment, this might be
one of the best looking vampire movies ever made up to that point.
All that beautiful imagery is nicely restored for this Blu-ray
release, which is accompanied by a few oddball bonus features. The
most interesting extra is the pre-credit animated intro that was originally tacked-onto the
film for its U.S. release. It’s fascinatingly terrible and
indicative of MGM’s bone-headed attempt to pass this off as a
wacky farce.
From
a historical perspective, The Fearless Vampire Killers is an
interesting artifact, mostly because of Polanski’s involvement with
both the production and Ms. Tate. But the film itself is dated, dull
and devoid of laughs or scares. In short, it sucks (pun intended).
EXTRA
KIBBLES
ALTERNATE
OPENING TITLES – There’s a compelling train-wreck quality to
this heavy-handed pre-credit sequence.
"VAMPIRES
101” - A vintage – and eye-rolling – promotional
featurette.
THEATRICAL
TRAILER – For the U.S.
version.
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEH...LIKE SHARING THE BED WITH THE DOG
(though fans of the film will love the transfer)
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