"The Fearless Vampire Killers" (aka "Dance of the Vampires") is a silly but enjoyable parody of vampire films, especially the contemporaneous Hammer series, with which it shares visual style. Director Polanski co-stars as Alfred, the bumbling assistant to dotty vampire-hunter Professor Abronsius (Jack MacGowran), as they infiltrate the decaying castle of dreaded Count von Krolock to rescue a beautiful village girl (played by Sharon Tate) with whom Alfred has become smitten (fiction presaging fact, as Tate later married Polanski). The comedy is generally broad and physical (including some sped up sequences), humorously contrasting with Polanski's and MacGowran's dead-pan delivery of a script that could be straight out of a 'real' horror film. The direction and cinematography is top-notch, especially the classic ball-room scene (itself parodied in 2014's "What We Do in the Shadows" mockumentary). I recently rewatched "The Fearless Vampire Killers" on TCM and, having seen the film as a kid, was surprised when it did not open with a cartoon. The reason for this is discussed elsewhere (e.g. Wikipedia; you can see the incredibly dated animated opening on You-tube). All in all, a goofy but fun film from a talented director that relentlessly spoofs a sometimes pretentious horror genre.
Review of The Fearless Vampire Killers
