BA_Harrison No matter what you might think about Roman Polanski as a person, it's hard to deny his brilliance as a director, particularly in the mid-to-late '60s, when he was firing on all cylinders. Sandwiched between the harrowing psychological drama Repulsion (1965) and the chilling Satanic classic Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Fearless Vampire Killers sees Polanski deftly combining comedy and horror, his film possessing a chilling, dark fairy-tale atmosphere, interspersed by expertly handled moments of low-key humour.Roman also stars in the film, playing Alfred, assistant to eccentric Professor Abronsius (Jack MacGowran), whose belief in the undead has led the pair to a remote European village that is under threat from Count von Krolock and his bloodsucking acolytes. Making their way to Krolock's castle, Alfred and Abronsius attempt to rescue pretty villager Sarah (tragic Manson Murder victim Sharon Tate) and prevent the vampires from spreading their evil around the world.With smart direction, an efficient script, superb cinematography and a truly haunting score, the film is a real treat for vampire film fans and delivers several outstanding scenes that easily rival the Euro-horror/Hammer movies that clearly provided Polanski with his inspiration. For me, the high point comes when our hapless heroes try to make their way to the Count's crypt via the snowy rooftops and perilous parapets of the castle— breath-taking stuff—but also memorable are Alfie Bass as a Jewish vampire sledding in a coffin, Iain Quarrier as the Count's gay vampire son Herbert von Krolock (his pursuit of Alfred being the film's funniest moment), and the eerie vampire ball in which Abronsius and his assistant dance with the undead.7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

Wuchak Released in 1967 and directed by Roman Polanski, "The Fearless Vampire Killers" stars Jack MacGowran and Polanski as an elderly bat researcher and his young assistant who go to Transylvania where the latter falls in love with an inn-keeper's daughter, Sarah (Sharon Tate). When she is suddenly taken captive by Count Krolock (Ferdy Mayne) the duo travel to his creepy castle to save her. Fiona Lewis plays a lovely blond maid while Iain Quarrier plays the Count's gay son. Terry Downes is on hand as the Count's hunchbacked assistant.Over a year before this movie was released the Gilligan's Island episode "Up at Bat" debuted where Gilligan thought he was turning into a vampire and had a dream about being a Dracula-like Count in Transylvania. That dream sequence is what "The Fearless Vampire Killers" is like, except that the movie naturally has better locations and sets; unfortunately, Gilligan's dream is way funnier and just overall more effective.Which isn't to say that "The Fearless Vampire Killers" doesn't have its points of interest. It's important for historical reasons as one of the famous director's early feature films, not to mention the inclusion of Sharon Tate, who became Polanski's wife not long after the movie was released (Sharon was, of course, murdered by the Manson wackos in California on August 9, 1969). But these points of interest can't make a dull horror comedy compelling. Don't get me wrong, there are several amusing moments (amusing, not laugh-out-loud funny), but I found it almost painfully soporific with Sharon and Fiona being the only two highlights, and they're unfortunately not in it that much. Similar horror comedies that came out later, like 1971's "The Vampire Happening" and especially 1974's "Young Frankenstein," far surpass it.The movie was originally butchered by the studio without Polanski's permission; they took out 19 minutes and added an animation sequence for the opening titles. The version I saw was the Polanski-approved longer version. But, seeing as how the movie plays so dull, they were wise to cut those 19 minutes.The long version of the film runs 108 minutes and was shot in the mountains of northern Italy (Veneto & Alto Adige) and in the studio in England (e.g. the ballroom).GRADE: C-

Anssi Vartiainen One of Roman Polanski's earlier films and a very good example of that earlier period. The Fearless Vampire Killers succeeds because of its hilarious characters, tongue in cheek tone, excellent fairytale-like locations and costumes and simply because its story is rather captivating.The first act intentionally mimics most of the clichéd vampire stories started by Dracula. Somewhere in rural Eastern Europe lays a castle under the shadow of which the locals live in absolutely terror, while still providing some good, honest laughs with their primal wacky hijinks. Well okay, perhaps that last point isn't exactly a staple of the vampire genre, but the film is a parody. But then, an absentminded professor and his somewhat slow assistant ride into town to look for vampires. Just as a beautiful young maiden goes missing.I especially love the characters in this film. Professor Abronsius (Jack MacGowran) is a hilarious combination of aged Van Helsing and Doc Brown from Back to the Future. Nuttier than fruitcake, but very knowledgeable about vampires, plus utterly unaware of his own mortality and age. The vampire (Ferdy Mayne) is also one of the best vampire lords I've seen in cinema. He has all the poise, the style, the creepy lines said with a thick European accent, the castle, the servants, the capes. Yet he's at all times utterly believable, even when the movie is hamming up the parody.The Fearless Vampire Killers is an excellent movie to check out if you're looking for a good vampire film, if you've liked other Polanski films or if you're merely looking for a smart comedy with great production values.

grantss Fun and funny vampire movie from acclaimed director Roman Polanski.Plot is reasonably basic, and not entirely watertight. However, this is more than made up for by the humour of the plot. While Polanski crafts a feeling of foreboding, dread and fear, your vampire staples, he balances this with some great comedy. The stark contrast between the usual vampire atmosphere and the humour makes the comedy even better.At the forefront of this comedy is Polanski himself, as the bumbling assistant. It is most physical comedy and often feels Chaplinesque. Polanksi enhances this by speeding up the frames during some of the sequences, giving a silent movie feel to these scenes.Jack MacGowran is also great as the Albert Einstein-lookalike Professor. Nice twist in the plot towards the end too.