The Fearless Vampire Killers

Subtitled "or pardon me, but your teeth are in my neck," this early effort from controversial filmmaker Roman Polanski (Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby, Tess) is an uneven mix of humor and horror which follows the misadventures of the vampire-hunting Professor Abronsius (Jack MacGowran) and his bumbling assistant Alfred (Polanski). Arriving in Transylvania at the film's opening, the somewhat fearful duo descend on a decidedly weird inn, where garlic hangs like chandeliers from most available rafters, and the town folk are mum and mysterious. When the innkeeper's daughter (Sharon Tate) is whisked away by the evil Count Von Krolock (Ferdy Mayne)--read, Man with the Overgrown Incisors--Abronsius and Alfred head for the Count's castle, armed with crucifixes and wooden stakes galore. Up until this point, the attempts at slapstick have been rather lame (with the exception of a funny bit in which a damsel-in-distress brandishes an ineffective crucifix in front of a Jewish vampire), but once the pair find themselves on the vampire's happy hunting ground, the action picks up a bit (particularly when Alfred encounters the Count's homosexual vampire son). Shot in the Italian Alps, the cinematography is uniformly beautiful, and though the film often drags under the weight of self-indulgent '60s brand humor, many will find Polanski's satire on Stoker's classic novel a pleasant diversion. (Note: the video version contains twenty extra minutes, cut from the film during its theatrical release.) Recommended, with the above reservations. (R. Pitman) [DVD Review--November 16, 2004--Warner, 107 min., not rated, $19.98--Making its debut on DVD, 1966's The Fearless Vampire Killers is presented in a solid (especially given the film's age) digital transfer with Dolby Digital mono sound and a weird original featurette promoting the film that offers up a primer on vampires as well as the film's trailer. Bottom line: a minor cult classic, this is still recommended.] [Blu-ray Review—Nov. 19, 2019—Warner, 107 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $21.99—Making its debut on Blu-ray, 1967’s The Fearless Vampire Killers features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack. Extras include the vintage 'making-of' featurette 'Vampires 101' (11 min.), and an alternate main title sequence (4 min.). Bottom line: Polanski’s minor cult classic sparkles on Blu-ray.]