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You won't be disappointed!

the audience applauded

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

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.

Uh-oh, truth in advertising - bait and switch - let the viewer beware! There are no dead vampires in this flick, and our fearless vampire killers are rather incompetent. Maybe that was the point, the film is supposed to be a horror comedy, but you really have to force yourself to come to that conclusion. At least for me, the story was sooooo long, with interminable scenes stretching the distance from one point to another the way horse chase scenes did in 'B' Westerns from the Thirties and Forties.Not that it was a total waste of time, I rather enjoyed the expertly choreographed minuet of the vampires, and Sharon Tate herself was lovely. In his introduction to the film on Turner Classics, host Robert Osborne stated that director Polanski had Jill St. John in mind for the role of Sarah, but when she wasn't available, was intrigued by the way Tate looked in the red wig. Good for him, he got a wife out of the deal, but tragically, she became a victim of the Manson gang just a couple of years later.Ferdy Mayne, cool name, had a great look as Count von Krolock; with his extensive list of film credits I'm surprised I haven't seen him before. Or maybe I have and just don't realize it. Seems to me he could have been right up there with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing with the right career breaks.Upon initial release, MGM chopped nineteen minutes out of the movie at which point Polanski demanded he be removed from the credits list. MGM refused, but fortunately for cable viewers, TCM aired it the other night in it's original version. For my part, I couldn't tell if that was good or bad.

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.

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.