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The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me but Your Teeth Are in My Neck
Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
Watch Instantly with | Rent | Buy |
Genre | Horror, Comedy |
Format | Multiple Formats, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen |
Contributor | Matthew Walters, Roman Polanski, Jessie Robins, Ronald Lacey, Sharon Tate, Jack MacGowran, Fiona Lewis, Andreas Malandrinos, Iain Quarrier, Sydney Bromley, Ferdy Mayne, Alfie Bass See more |
Initial release date | 2005-09-13 |
Language | English |
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Product Description
Fearless Vampire Killers, The (DVD) Who says Vampires are no laughing matter? Director Roman Polanski hilariously spoofs the horror genre with this tale of bumbling vampire hunters and the beautiful young object of their rescue attempts--who is quite happy being undead.
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 2.4 Ounces
- Item model number : 198829921
- Director : Roman Polanski
- Media Format : Multiple Formats, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Run time : 1 hour and 47 minutes
- Release date : September 13, 2005
- Actors : Roman Polanski, Jack MacGowran, Sharon Tate, Alfie Bass, Fiona Lewis
- Dubbed: : French
- Subtitles: : French, Spanish, English
- Language : English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Unqualified, French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
- Studio : Studio Distribution Services
- ASIN : B0002KQNJU
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #8,156 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #1,094 in Comedy (Movies & TV)
- Customer Reviews:
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As the film opens, it's a moonlit night, and we see a horse drawn sled traveling down a snowy road, the occupant of the sled being the driver, Professor Abronsius (MacGowran), and the Professor's assistant Alfred (Polanski), who, on the surface, appear to be a pair of buffoons, but in such a way where the same buffoonery that gets them into trouble, also get them out, illustrated throughout the story. Seems the Professor, who has long since been labeled `a nut' by his once colleagues, is traveling the Transylvanian countryside in order to further his knowledge about vampires and their ilk. After arriving at a small village and availing themselves of the services of the local inn, telltale signs abound with regards to the presence of vampire activity within the area...the interiors of the inn are decorated with strings of garlic cloves, a hunchback arrives at the inn to collect supplies, and so on...and sure enough, not soon after their arrival, the innkeeper's daughter Sarah (Tate) is abducted, her father killed (and subsequently turned) while searching for her, and the boys are off to a nearby castle in order to find her, the Professor with an eye towards proving the theories which he's read, and Alfred more so because he's become smitten with the girl. They eventually do find the castle, along with its master, in that of Count von Krolock (Mayne), along with the Count's very effeminate son Herbert (Quarrier)...quite the aristocratic pair they are...the Professor and Alfred find themselves guests of the Count and learn of a grand gala approaching, one to be held within the castle, a sort of cadaverous celebration where the boys may not only be the guests of honor, but also the main course...
I've given some details about the plot, but there's really no way what I've written displays all the wonderful aspects inherent within the story and the film itself. There is just so much going on at any one point one could watch this film a number of times and still see something new each viewing. One of the aspects that impressed me the most, from the beginning and throughout the film, was the extensive amount of detail and attention to creating a complete sense of putting the viewer within the context of the story. It's like a fairy tale come to life. The period sets and pieces are exquisitely beautiful and intricate, featuring a serious eye towards detailing, as are the props, costumes, backdrops, etc. There's just such a pervasive feel to the entire film in terms of providing the appropriate gothic setting, something that used to be a common factor in both Hammer and Universal horror productions during their respective heydays...and keep in mind, this is supposed to a mixing of comedy and horror. And when I say comedy, I don't mean the laugh out kind (there is a good deal of slapstick, but that's not the specific humor I'm talking about here), but a slinky, subtle type of humor blended as well as I've ever seen in a cross genre film. A perfect example of this delicate melding comes in the sequence when Alfred, while searching the castle rooms for Sarah, accidentally walks in on the Count's dandy of a son Herbert. The comic touches in Herbert's coy advances soon erupt into an explosion of fanged violence that results in a Keystone Cops type chase through the castle. Another one of my favorite sequences is when the Count and his son are preparing to retire to their ornate coffins prior to the sun rising, aided by their hunchbacked manservant Koukol. After they get settled in (and boxed up), here comes Shagal (Bass), the once innkeeper now vampire, dragging his meager pine box into the crypts with the intent of also settling in for the day. Koukol, seeing this as an affront to his masters, proceeds to unceremoniously drag the coffin, which Shagal is now sitting in, down to the stables, as that's a seemingly more appropriate setting from someone of his class, with Shagal weakly protesting the entire way. The performances are strong all around, particularly that of Count von Krolock, played by Mayne. He embodies the aristocratic and sinister features one would expect from his character, along with including enough distinctions to separate his character from those of his cinematic ilk. Another wonderful aspect is the original music provided by regular Polanski collaborator and composer Krzysztof Komeda. It's suave, sophisticated, spooky, enchanting, oft times understated, and compliments film without actually drawing away from the visuals. All in all this is perhaps one of the best crafted films I've seen straddling two genres that normally don't play well together, and worth a look for those who can appreciate the expertise involved. In terms of contemporary artists, I might compare this to the better outings by individuals like Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton.
Presented on this DVD is the original version of the film, the one seen by European audiences. Apparently, prior to the film's American release, MGM had mangled it pretty well, removing about ten minutes, adding a new opening sequence, and hacking the soundtrack to pieces, which might explain why it didn't do as well here as it did overseas. The anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) does looks very good, but there does seem room for improvement. The Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio comes through clean. As far as extras, there's a theatrical trailer for the film (also presented in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, along with a comical vintage featurette titled The Fearless Vampire Killers: Vampires 101 (10:18) which appears to be a lengthy promotional piece created to help advertise the film back when it was originally released.
Cookieman108
"The Fearless Vampire Killers" is in my opinion, the first modern day horror/comedy, or should I say, comedy/horror? Sure, you had earlier films like "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein," "Ghost Breakers," "the Old Dark House (both versions)," even "the Munsters" & " The Adams Family" on TV. These films were geared more towards a younger audience, both in their horror & comedy, where" the Fearless Vampires Killers" is a much more adult & sophisticated in it's comedy & horror, but that is not to say it can't appeal to most age groups today in this environment.
"The Fearless Vampire Killers" is about the bumbling adventure of professor Abronsius (Jack MacGowran of, "The Exorcist" - "There's a alien pubic hair in my gin.") & his assistant, Alfred, played by director Roman Polanski, looking for Vampires in Transylvania. Professor Abronsius is a expert on the bat, & has wrote a paper on the existence of Vampires, but is the laughingstock of his peers, so off he & Alfred go to Transylvania to prove the existence of Vampires & exterminate their plague. These two are so hilariously inept, that they make Abbott & Costello look like Batman & Robin!
The movie starts out with a sleigh ride in the snowy forested mountains of Transylvania, with wild dogs chasing them. Alfred beats them off, while professor Abronsius sleeps, or at least we think he is sleeping, but when they get to their destination, a boarding house inn, the professor is frozen solid, something that happens quite easily to him. Once thawed out at the boarding house, they find garlic hung all over, as the professor smiles & points at all the cloves hung up & asks about the garlic, but to no avail, & our story starts.
(Spoilers)
"The Fearless Vampire Killers" is just filled with one hilarious scene after another. Especially funny is the scene stealing, Shagal, the innkeeper, played by Alfie Bass! When Shagal isn't ogling his female maid, Magda, or sneaking in to her room only to be rejected by her & hunted down by his 400 pound wife, Rebecca, he is kicking his beautiful daughter Sarah (Sharon Tate) out of the bath tub, as she takes two or three baths a day! Sarah taking her ritual bath is attacked & kidnapped by head Vampire, Count von Krolock, played with great tongue in fang by Ferdy Mayne. She's whisked off to the Counts Castle. Shagal goes out to rescue her, but is himself turned in to a Vampire, a Jewish Vampire, which leads to one of the funniest scenes in the movie, as Shagal goes up to his maids room, Magda, to bite her & she pulls out a cross, "Oiee, oiee! You got the wrong Vampire," Shagal giggles & feigns off the cross with a gesture of his hands.
All this eventual leads our dynamic duo, professor Abronsius & Alfred to the Counts castle to kill the Count & save Sarah. Here Alfred meets up with the Count's son, Herbert von Krolock, who takes a shine to Alfred. Yes, the first gay Vampire in movies! Alfred does not know if he is more horrified that the Counts son is a Vampire, or gay, that wants to put the bite on him, literally, LOL! There is a hilarious chase scene between Herbert & Alfred, that just has to be seen to believe! Later, Count von Krolock describes his son as," a sensitive youth," & as I said earlier, one hilarious scene after the other ensues! But, "The Fearless Vampire Killers" does have it's share of down right eerie scenes & a soundtrack that is truly eerie, & in turn, funny at all the right times. A soundtrack that is as original as the movie, & one that is memorable! The film would only work two thirds as well with out it.
True, "The Fearless Vampire Killers" could be construed as a comedy with sprinkles of horror, but the two work so seamlessly together, that the film is a part of both genres, as a whole, & truly the first of it's kind! Many films have copied it, followed it, but few have matched it, & none have surpassed it. "The Fearless Vampire Killers" is just a master work of acting, script, plot, & direction. All the cast members are perfectly cast. It's cinematography truly amazing! This is a film that is beautiful to watch! It's sets, magnificent! It's setting, lonely, eerie, cold, & beautiful! This film begs a top notch transfer to Blu-ray!
"The Fearless Vampire Killers winks at you, as it bites your neck, but you don't mind. If anything, it will be your tummy that hurts from laughter, & not your neck when you watch this film!
5 Stars = Masterpiece
Top reviews from other countries
DER INHALT (nur kurz): man muß den Film in der Originalfassung sehen, und auf jeden Fall in der englischen Sprache. Es gibt kleine Feinheiten, die man nicht übersetzen kann, besonders Polanski's Anspielungen an Werkzeug, das die Vampire verjagen kann. Nur bei Christen hilft der Kreuz, bei anderen Religionen nicht, das nur nebenbei.
Die Geschichte hat mehr als ALLE Merkmale eines guten Vampirfilm, eines Horror's.
Zwei Fremde, durchgefroren, fast erfroren kommen in ein Gasthaus. Es sind Professor Abronsius (Jack MacGowran), ein Forscher aus Königsberg, den seine Kollegen für meschugge halten. Ganz unrecht haben sie nicht, der Professor ist ein echter Original. Sein Gehilfe Alfred (Roman Polanski) ist ein ängstlicher junger Mann. Die Frage, was er für die Bekämpfung der Vampire tun kann, IST berechtigt.
In der Kneipe sieht der Professor überall ganze Kranze aus dem Knoblauch. Ein Zeichen, dass die Gestalten der Nacht nicht weit entfernt sind. Er trägt die ganze Ausrüstung mit sich, verschiedene Holzpflöcke und Hämmer, Kreuze, Sterne und und...In einer Tasche, die sehr wichtig ist.
Die Wissenschaftler bekommen ein Zimmer und wollen sich gemütlich machen. Im Badezimmer - uf, da badet eine Nixe, nein, es ist Sarah (Sharon Tate), die Tochter des Wirtes, wir müssen ihn vorstellen - Yoyneh Shagal (Alfie Bass) und seiner korpulenten und eifersüchtigen Ehefrau, Rebecca (Jessie Robins). In der Gaststätte hilft eine junge Magd, die zufällig Magda heißt (Fiona Lewis).
"Gibt es hier ein Schloss?, fragt der Professor, "Ein Schloss? Nein, hier gibt es keine Windmühle", antwortet der Wirt. Und andere Gäste bejahen dies. Auch ein Schloss haben sie NIE gesehen.
Als am nächsten Tag ein Mann (der etwas anders aussieht) viele Kerzen kauft, ist der Professor überzeugt, er ist auf dem rechten Wege. Koukol (Terry Downes), der Knecht (mit einem leichtem Buckel) macht keine gute Figur. Alfred verliert ihn, als er ihm folgen soll, doch der Professor ist überzeugt, man wird Vampir(e) treffen.
Derweil geschehen immer mehr unheimliche Sachen. In der Nacht bekommt Sarah Besuch (sie soll ja nicht so viel, so oft baden, das hat nun sie davon!), aber auch Magda ist nicht allein. Dem Wirt Chagal gefällt die Magd, obwohl ihn seine Frau beobachtet. Hätte sie besser auf ihre Tochter aufgepasst!
Sarah ist verschwunden. Wohin denn? Keine andere Möglichkeit - sie wird im Schloss sein. Und das Schloss muß man nun finden und dort für Ordnung sorgen. Professor und sein Adlatus sind zwar keine erprobten Skifahrer, aber es geht.
Sie kommen mehr schlecht als recht zu dem Schloss und sie von nun auch die Gäste vom Grafen. Er wohnt zusammen mit seinem Sohn Herbert (Iain Quarrier), einen blonden jungen Mann, der großen Appetit zeigt/hat - die Blutgefäße von Alfred sehen so frisch aus.
Unsere zwei Helden erleben einen denkwürdigen Tag mit viel Akrobatik, die sie eher unfreiwillig machen. Sie sind, das muß man schreiben, sowohl Gäste wie auch Gefangene von dem Grafen.
Aber, der Graf ist ein gerechter Mann. Er veranstaltet einen Ballabend mit allen Verwandten, die langsam aus den Grüften kommen. Bleich sind sie, dünn, hungrig, sie alle tragen Abendkleider verschiedener Epochen. Der Ball soll köstlich enden, gleich drei Menü's gibt es - zwar sind nicht alle so frisch, aber, man nimmt, was man bekommt.
Wie es dann bei dem Ball weitergeht, was unsere Helden alles machen und was sie NICHT tun, das werden Sie erfahren, wenn sie den Film sehen.
Und es lohnt sich die Einleitung zu sehen (aber erst nach dem Film).
Polanski bei den Dreharbeiten gerade 33-34 Jahre jung schuf nach "Ekel", nach "Wenn Katelbach kommt…" wieder einen grandiosen Film. Es ist ihm gelungen die Klischee's über Vampire so gut in die Szene zu setzen, dass man zwar lacht, aber die Story ist nie seicht, eigentlich auch nicht leicht. Er zeigt die "einfachen" Menschen, die in jedem Dorf/Stadt leben könnten, wo irgendwas ungewöhnliches geschieht. Der Aberglaube ist ein Teil des Lebens, das besonders im Winter schwierig ist. Das Dorf ist weit von der Zivilisation entfernt, das Leben bleibt dort schon mal für einige Jahrzehnte stehen...Und immer gab es schon schlimme Adlige, die ihre Bauer wie Sklaven behandeln. Und ein Mensch glaubt schnell, dass dunkle Mächte am Werke sind, wenn er etwas nicht verstehen kann.
Polanski spielt Albert, den Lehrling irgendwie doch nicht viel anders als Trelkovsky zehn Jahre später. Die Rollen sind verschieden, aber Trelkovsky ist genauso schüchtern wie Alfred und hat viel von Polanski...
Er nimmt beide Rollen ernst, was mir zusätzlich imponiert. Es ist nicht leicht eine "komische" Figur zu spielen, doch ihm gelingt das SUPERB.
Jack MacGowran spielte schon Albert in "Wenn der Katelbach kommt" und spielt auch hier überzeugend.
Sharon Tate, die wunderschöne Sarah, trug hier rote Perücke, ihre blonden Haaren versteckte sie (wie sagt man: "Rote Haare, Gott bewahre", eine Anspielung an die rothaarigen Frauen, die eine gewisse "Macht haben"???), ihr Spiel ist ordentlich. Mit Polanski würde sie noch vieles erreichen...
Der Film, teils in Dolomiten gedreht, hat eine wunderbare Kulisse. Die Musik von Krzysztof Komeda (er war Arzt und Musiker), ein Freund von Polanski passt perfekt zu dem Film (er schrieb auch die Musik für Rosemariess Baby, starb 1969 nach einem Sturz mit 38 Jahren). Gérard Brach, der zusammen mit Polanski das Drehbuch schrieb, IST der Drehbuchautor des Regisseurs. Man merkt, wie harmonisch sie arbeiten (ob das ohne Probleme ging, weiß man nicht).
WAS BEDEUTET MIR DER FILM? Eigentlich mehr als fast zwei Stunden "Spass", gute Dialogen, Kamerabilder, die man sich nur wünschen kann.
Heute Nacht nehme ich etwas Knoblauch...nicht zu viel, einen Kreuz, einige Steine wären auch nicht verkehrt. Wer weiß, wo sich der Graf von Krolock herumtreibt...
Danke an Roderich und Ray für die Besprechungen, natürlich auch allen anderen. Einige haben den Film mit dem Musical verwechselt, sie waren sicher überrascht, als sie etwas Anderes (für mich um Welten Besseres) bekommen haben.
Einfach toll.