The Fearless Vampire Killers

As most of my regular readers know, thanks to you both, is that I love to revisit movies that I haven't seen in a long time. Tonight I did just that and watched one that I haven't seen in roughly twenty years, 1967's The Fearless Vampire Killers.

A year before he would make the huge horror hit Rosemary's Baby, Roman Polanski directed, cowrote, and costarred in this very funny vampire spoof. After becoming a laughing stock by his peers for his belief in vampire's, Professor Abronsius, Jack MacGowran, and his apprentice Alfred, Polanski, travel to the snowbound Transylvania to prove his theories. And the two do just that when they cross paths with a Count, Ferdy Mayne, who just happens to be a creature of the night.

This movie is a lot of fun. Even though it is quite stylish, it doesn't have the feel of a Polanski film. At times I felt like I was watching a Richard Lester movie. This is by no means an insult. If anything, I don't think that I've seen Polanski this loose before. I'm a big fan, but it is a refreshing change of pace. It might have to do with the fact that he met his future wife, Sharon Tate, on the set. He's also a lot of fun in front of the camera as well. He and MacGowran make a great comedy team.

There's a lot of laughs and thrills in this clever vampire spoof.

It's available on dvd and blu ray.