Fearless Vampire Killers, The

Perhaps If you were a fan of Hammer horror films, then Roman Polanski’s spoof of such fare might have some appeal, not that the originals were very far off self-spoofing in any case.   

There are some pluses to The Fearless Vampire Killers, Polanski’s biggest budget film to that time. With the Italian Dolomites standing in for Transylvania, the production design is worthy of Tim Burton and is beautifully presented by the atmospheric cinematography by Douglas Slocombe.  There is an evocative score by regular Polanski collaborator, Krzysztof Komeda; Ferdy Mayne gives a winning performance as the No.1 vampire, Count von Krolock and one can see the appeal of Sharon Tate whom Polanski would marry.soon after this. But other than that, the film is more slapstick than satire, the script, by Polanski and Gérard Brach who had collaborated with the director on Repulsion and Cul-De-Sac being for the most part closer to Abbott and Costello than anything meriting attention.

Casting himself as Alfred, the assistant to Jack MacGowran’s vampire-hunter, Professor Abronsius, all he manages to do is show that he is no comic actor. MacGowran himself mugs his way through the entire film and Alfie Bass as a witless keeper is only the worst of a roster of inbreds whose antics, unless you are willing to equate inanity with absurdity (as the French were at the time champions of Jerry Lewis, from that perspective, this is entirely possible) are simply not funny. 

Executive producer Martin Ransohoff didn’t like the film and re-cut it for its American release although that didn’t stop it from flopping. For those interested in the director''s work, The Fearless Vampire Killers reflects many of Polanksi’s thematic, particularly sexual, concerns, and towards its final stages, notably in the vampire’s ball sequence, the film does achieve a certain stylishness but for the most part it is a laboured affair that will only appeal to the easily-pleased.

 

Want something different?