Well, since I'm reviewing films set in Romania(in preparation for my trip) that do not feature Dracula it was inevitable I would wind up reviewing this infamous Roman Polanski-directed horror-comedy, but with Polanski in the news as of late I felt I may as well cut to the chase, plus it would be nice to review something intentionally funny for a change. Granted, Polanski has made scarier films than this('The Tenant')and funnier ones(I shamelessly admit I've always had a soft-spot for 'Pirates'), and truth be told, the film itself is something of a mixed bag and certainly doesn't deserve Ken Hanke's description as 'Polanski's greatest film', heck, as a parody of Hammer films, I'd say that the 'Family Matters' Halloween special with Urkel as a vampire hunter was more successful than this film! But it's definitely something no fan of either Polanski or genre films should avoid, regardless of your personal feelings about Polanski.
The plot is fairly simple stuff; two vampire hunters named Abronsius(Jack MacGowran)& Alfred(Polanski himself) investigate kidnappings in a snowbound Transylvanian village(Abaraham Van Helsing & Simon Belmont must have been on vacation) and then decide to infiltrate the castle of the sinister Count Von Krolock(Ferdy Mayne)after a village girl(Sharon Tate, looking so lovely you almost feel like crying knowing what would happen to her in real life)is kidnapped by him. Being that this is a comedy, it goes without saying that our two heroes are a few transfusions short of a blood vessel(I'm going to kill myself for that joke), and after ending up in the castle and losing their weapons 'hilarity' ensues.
Truth be told, as typically excellent as this work is from a younger Polanski, he pretty much fails at creating an effective comedy so much as he succeeds at creating a light-hearted horror film. The jokes fall as flat as the characters do when they trip over coffins, and much of the "Senile old professor who has lost his mind but rambles on anyway" humor that comprises Abronsius's shtick(besides getting frozen, stuck and berating Alfred) is obviously too subtle for MacGowran to handle. That said, the film still manages to be quite amusing, with three laugh-out-loud hilarious sequences, such as when a Jewish vampire is confronted with a cross(That's where my heading quote for this review comes from), a later sequence where Alfred drops his weapons bag and it rolls down hill and keeps rolling for several minutes till it's out of frame(Matt Groening clearly was inspired by this gag for a 'Simpsons' episode where Homer falls down a gorge in a similar manner). Then there's the scene where Alfred almost falls victim to Krolock's gay son Herbert(Ian Quarrier). It may be a very homophobic sequence, but it's funny as hell, so much so that one wishes Quarrier was given an expanded role(He may well have had one, the film is supposedly extensively cut).
Polanski has shown himself to be a talented actor as well as director, but he falls flat in this, he's just too distant to come off as the goofy nebbish his character was intended to be(Roger Corman regulars Jonathan Haze or Dick Miller would have been better). As Abronsius; MacGowran clearly isn't suited to 'dialogue humor', but he's excellent when it comes to physical comedy, ranging from subtle body language(watch him cut up his food)to outrageous slapstick. He would have made an excellent silent comedian. Sharon Tate has little to do but look pretty, but she does that well. Alfie Bass is great as Shagal, a lecherous innkeeper turned vampire. It's clear that he was patterned after 'Groper' from Reeve's 'The She Beast' that I reviewed a few days ago. Ferdy Mayne gives an excellent performance as Krolock, he is genuinely menacing, but also, in his supreme confidence and surface politeness; quite a likable villain, certainly much more compelling than the heroes. His performance is good enough that it could carry a serious horror film. Ian Quarrier, as I said, steals the show in his small role. Clearly, Alucard from the Castlevania games(notably 'Symphony of the Night')was modeled after him appearance-wise.
If certainly not Polanski's best film, I must say that it is definitely one of his best-looking films. The sets and cinematography are breathtaking. I sure hope Transylvania is this scenic when I visit. Also for a comedy, the film has a genuinely eerie atmosphere. The creepy chanting music that plays when evil is lurking about is certainly more effective than the bombastic scores of Hammer films. The many scenes of silence help give the film a creepy, surreal feel. Perhaps had this film been made in the 'dialogueless but not silent' style of Dreyer's 'Vampyr' it would have worked better, both as horror and as comedy. The highlight of the scares is a 'vampire ball' where even the slapstick scenes cannot kill the ominous vibe of seeing walking corpses dancing elegantly, the breeze blowing in from the ocean as I watched this from my back porch certainly enhanced the mood. It's one of the most disturbing parodies of aristocracy I have ever seen. The ending is also surprisingly downbeat. The influence of 1961's 'Blood & Roses' and Hammer's 'Kiss of the Vampire' can clearly be felt. The relationship of Alfred & Abronsius seems to have been patterned after that of Hans & Baron Frankenstein from 'Evil of Frankenstein'(1964).
I may not have enjoyed this as much as the other films I've reviewed this month, but I still enjoyed the hell out of it. Don't miss it, You will find yourself transfixed by the snowy atmosphere and faux elegance.~
The plot is fairly simple stuff; two vampire hunters named Abronsius(Jack MacGowran)& Alfred(Polanski himself) investigate kidnappings in a snowbound Transylvanian village(Abaraham Van Helsing & Simon Belmont must have been on vacation) and then decide to infiltrate the castle of the sinister Count Von Krolock(Ferdy Mayne)after a village girl(Sharon Tate, looking so lovely you almost feel like crying knowing what would happen to her in real life)is kidnapped by him. Being that this is a comedy, it goes without saying that our two heroes are a few transfusions short of a blood vessel(I'm going to kill myself for that joke), and after ending up in the castle and losing their weapons 'hilarity' ensues.
Truth be told, as typically excellent as this work is from a younger Polanski, he pretty much fails at creating an effective comedy so much as he succeeds at creating a light-hearted horror film. The jokes fall as flat as the characters do when they trip over coffins, and much of the "Senile old professor who has lost his mind but rambles on anyway" humor that comprises Abronsius's shtick(besides getting frozen, stuck and berating Alfred) is obviously too subtle for MacGowran to handle. That said, the film still manages to be quite amusing, with three laugh-out-loud hilarious sequences, such as when a Jewish vampire is confronted with a cross(That's where my heading quote for this review comes from), a later sequence where Alfred drops his weapons bag and it rolls down hill and keeps rolling for several minutes till it's out of frame(Matt Groening clearly was inspired by this gag for a 'Simpsons' episode where Homer falls down a gorge in a similar manner). Then there's the scene where Alfred almost falls victim to Krolock's gay son Herbert(Ian Quarrier). It may be a very homophobic sequence, but it's funny as hell, so much so that one wishes Quarrier was given an expanded role(He may well have had one, the film is supposedly extensively cut).
Polanski has shown himself to be a talented actor as well as director, but he falls flat in this, he's just too distant to come off as the goofy nebbish his character was intended to be(Roger Corman regulars Jonathan Haze or Dick Miller would have been better). As Abronsius; MacGowran clearly isn't suited to 'dialogue humor', but he's excellent when it comes to physical comedy, ranging from subtle body language(watch him cut up his food)to outrageous slapstick. He would have made an excellent silent comedian. Sharon Tate has little to do but look pretty, but she does that well. Alfie Bass is great as Shagal, a lecherous innkeeper turned vampire. It's clear that he was patterned after 'Groper' from Reeve's 'The She Beast' that I reviewed a few days ago. Ferdy Mayne gives an excellent performance as Krolock, he is genuinely menacing, but also, in his supreme confidence and surface politeness; quite a likable villain, certainly much more compelling than the heroes. His performance is good enough that it could carry a serious horror film. Ian Quarrier, as I said, steals the show in his small role. Clearly, Alucard from the Castlevania games(notably 'Symphony of the Night')was modeled after him appearance-wise.
If certainly not Polanski's best film, I must say that it is definitely one of his best-looking films. The sets and cinematography are breathtaking. I sure hope Transylvania is this scenic when I visit. Also for a comedy, the film has a genuinely eerie atmosphere. The creepy chanting music that plays when evil is lurking about is certainly more effective than the bombastic scores of Hammer films. The many scenes of silence help give the film a creepy, surreal feel. Perhaps had this film been made in the 'dialogueless but not silent' style of Dreyer's 'Vampyr' it would have worked better, both as horror and as comedy. The highlight of the scares is a 'vampire ball' where even the slapstick scenes cannot kill the ominous vibe of seeing walking corpses dancing elegantly, the breeze blowing in from the ocean as I watched this from my back porch certainly enhanced the mood. It's one of the most disturbing parodies of aristocracy I have ever seen. The ending is also surprisingly downbeat. The influence of 1961's 'Blood & Roses' and Hammer's 'Kiss of the Vampire' can clearly be felt. The relationship of Alfred & Abronsius seems to have been patterned after that of Hans & Baron Frankenstein from 'Evil of Frankenstein'(1964).
I may not have enjoyed this as much as the other films I've reviewed this month, but I still enjoyed the hell out of it. Don't miss it, You will find yourself transfixed by the snowy atmosphere and faux elegance.~