Fearless Vampire Killers | 
| Actors: Alfie Bass, Sydney Bromley, Otto Diamant, Terry Downes, Ronald Lacey
Studio: MGM (Warner)
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $2.19
You Save: $12.79 (85%)
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Rating:  87 reviews
Sales Rank: 1890
Format: Color, Ntsc
Languages: English (Unknown), English (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 6301967992
UPC: 027616013835
EAN: 9786301967990
ASIN: 6301967992
Theatrical Release Date: 1966
Release Date: April 27, 1995
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com essential video
One of Roman Polanski's more overt comedies, this 1966 monster spectacle stars Jack MacGowran and Polanski as a clunky but heroic pair of vampire killers. Called upon to rescue the beautiful and buxom daughter (Sharon Tate) of an innkeeper from a Draculalike bloodsucker, the duo muddle through all sorts of scrapes, the most intense being a scene in which a room full of dancing vampires realize the human interlopers are the only ones in the room who are reflected in a mirror. Scary and funny, the film has some unforgettable set pieces, a terrific score, one of the few records of Tate's extraordinary beauty, and vibrant performances. Not exactly Polanski in a relaxed mode, but clear evidence of his estimable skills as a director of both brilliance and polish. --Tom Keogh
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| Customer Reviews: Read 82 more reviews...
 "I'm no longer the age for this sort of activity." September 9, 2005
cookieman108 (Inside the jar...)
38 out of 45 found this review helpful
I haven't seen all of writer/director/actor/producer Roman Polanski's films, but the ones I have seen have kind of been hit or miss propositions for me. On the one hand I thought Rosemary's Baby (1968) to be a wonderfully creepy film, but on the other The Tenant (1976) while interesting, I thought to be slightly confusing and lacking a strong sense of direction. Chinatown (1974) is acknowledged by many to be a classic (to which I'd agree), while The Ninth Gate (1999) tended to annoy me with a pretentious ambiguity stemming from a European stylization of making a film obtuse and inaccessible to audiences...of course, these are all just my own, personal opinions, which really don't mean squat in the grand scheme of things...at the end of the day one should really draw their own conclusions based on their own, personal experiences. As far as the film The Fearless Vampire Killers or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (1967) goes, I enjoyed it as it served to reaffirmed something which I already knew...whether you like Polanski's films or not, his features are so very individualistic, rarely transgressing on each other, displaying his immeasurable talents, vision, and his ability to adapt to a wide range of material. Co-written by Gerard Brach (Repulsion) and Polanski (the latter also directed and starred), the film features performances by Jack MacGowran (Tom Jones, Doctor Zhivago), Alfie Bass (The Lavender Hill Mob), Ferdy Mayne (Where Eagles Dare, The Vampire Lovers), Iain Quarrier (Cul-de-sac), and Sharon Tate (Valley of the Dolls), who would later marry Polanski about a year prior to her murder (and that of their unborn child) at the hands of Charles Manson and his cult followers.
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
Villainous Vogue Vampires September 29, 2004
C. A. Luster (Burke, VA USA)
29 out of 34 found this review helpful
An excellent spoof of classic vampire movies. The style will remind you of some old or silent movie. The characters are almost cartoonish. Especially the Professor. Roman Polanski did a great job with Sharon Tate in this campy comedy. In parts it is spooky, and in others very comical. Sometimes it is even very sensual. A movie well worth seeing if you enjoy vampire movies, but especially if you like comedies. Since this was made in the Sixties it will seem a little low tech when it comes to special effects.
It makes up for it in being fun to watch with friends and lovers. The pace of the movie is good and the music is a good match with the action. The costumes are well done and some of the set pieces at the castle are excellent. The quality of the transfer is excellent. The colors are vibrant and the sound is clear. A pity the DVD does not include interviews of Polanski or Tate. It does include a featurette vintage making of "The Fearless Vampire Killers". I owned the VHS and I am glad to have it on DVD.
Polanski fearlessly takes a bite out of Hammer in satire October 8, 2004
Wayne Klein (My Little Blue Window, USA)
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
Hardtimes have hit the vampire community. Count Krolock (Ferdy Mayne) has had to resort to kidnapping to feed his flock. When traveling vampire hunter Professor Abronsius (the delightfully silly Jack MacGowran who also was in "The Exorcist" and "Doctor Zhivago") and his inept assistant Alfred (Polanski) stumble upon the village near Krolock's castle, they're forced into action to save the innkeeper's daughter Sarah (Sharon Tate). Since Alfred is smitten with the girl he braves the vampire's lair with the good doctor in tow. The good news...the know where the girl has been taken. The bad news...theres a lot of vampires between them and the girl.
A delightful satire of Hammer horror films, "The Fearless Vampire Killers" becomes a comedy of errors from the very first moment. While it's funny, it also has some genuinely chilling moments mixed in with the comedy. Filled with wonderful performances from a very funny script by Polanski Gerard Brach("Jean de Florette", "The Name of the Rose", "Tess")the wonderful cinematography of Douglas Slocombe ("Raiders of the Lost Ark")and artful direction of Polanski will keep you entertained.
The print looks pretty good overall although there clearly has been some fading of the original negative and a color shift as well. Warner didn't use any digital filters to eliminate the analog defects of the original negative/print used here. There not a huge problem but evident. The mono soundtrack doesn't have quite the presence it should although it doesn't sound bad by any means. It just sounds....tinny. Perhaps a bit more compression would have beefed up the sound a bit for modern systems. It's not all that big a deal. The animated menu is delightful incorporating the original poster art.
I first saw "The Fearless Vampire Killers" on a late night broadcast by CBS (the very same place I also got my first...taste..of "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" and other Hammer horrors). I don't recall any animated opening titles for the film when I first saw it (perhaps that was the British release)so including them would have been a nice extra. Although it would probably be too much to ask Polanski to do a commentary track (given Sharon Tate's brutal murder by the Manson clan almost three years later), there are members of the cast still around who could have done a commentary track. The short vintage featurette provides an interesting glimpse into the making of the movie. There's no booklet included.
All in all, I'm happy that the film is finally available on DVD after all these years. It was delightful then and still is after all these years. If you'd like to watch a very funny horror movie with a bit of slapstick added to the mix, I'd suggest fearlessly taking a bite out of this classic film.
First Class Entertainment May 19, 2000
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
I first watched this film on the television at Christmas in about 1982 (under the title "Dance Of The Vampires"), and even then, as a 12 year-old, was impressed by this superior vampire 'caper'. The film starts with a beautifully haunting score (by the late Christopher Komeda) and the arrival of a pair of intrepid vampire killers to a Transylvanian Inn. Throughout the film, the viewer is treated to a visual and musical feast, enhanced by brilliant acting from the likes of Ferdy Mayne, Jack MacGowran, Alfie Bass, and of course, Iain Quarrier as the token gay vampire! The enchanting qualities of Sharon Tate as the inn-keeper's young daughter, Sara, add to the overall enjoyment of the film; which, in my opinion, is easily the best vampire and/or Polanski movie to date.
A Comedic Rendition of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" April 10, 2003
Richard Ballard (United States)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
"The Fearless Vampire Killers" is producer/director/screenwriter/actor Roman Polanski's comedic rendition of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" legend. The bumbling Professor and his timid assistant Alfred (played by Roman Polanski) travel to Transylvania to study vampires. The Professor and Alfred rest at an inn festooned with garlic. That evening, the innkeeper's daughter (played by the *stunningly beautiful* Sharon Tate) is kidnapped by the Count (played with a characterization combining elements of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing). The distraught innkeeper (played with a Zero Mostel characterization) runs out into the night to rescue his kidnapped daughter and never returns alive. The Professor and Alfred seek the Count's castle. The Count invites the Professor and Alfred to stay at his castle and to study in his library. The Professor and Alfred agree, they learn that the Count and his flock are planning a formal dress ball, and the real fun begins ...This film's scenic vistas and its theatrical sets are impressive -- they are complex, ornate, and convey a somber atmosphere. And Sharon Tate's beauty is impressive -- previously an unknown actress, this film gave general public recognition to Sharon Tate. Roman Polanski was involved in *all* aspects of this film's production, and his quality touch is visible throughout the film. It is ironic that this film's plot revolves around Sharon Tate's kidnapping by the Count and his flock. After this film was released, Sharon Tate and her real life friends were murdered in their home by members of the Charles Manson family.
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