The Fearless Vampire Killers

Roman Polanski's The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) is an extremely fun screwball horror satire. Known as Dance of the Vampires in Europe, the film features Irish stage legend Jack MacGowran as the goofily Einstein-esque Professor Abronsius, scholar and hunter of vampires. Apprenticed to Abronsius is the naive and cowardly Alfred, played by Polanski himself. Joining MacGowran and Polanski is a young and beautiful up-and-comer by the name of Sharon Tate as the damsel in distress and Alfred's love interest.

Tate had acted here and there in small bits on TV and film, including a recurring role on "The Beverly Hillbillies". Later in 1967, she would go on to critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Jennifer North in Valley of the Dolls, Mark Robson's look inside the world of women in showbiz. Tate met and fell in love with Roman Polanski on the set of FVK. Within a year, they would be married. Within two, she would be dead, murdered at the hands of the Manson Family in Beverly Hills, CA.

But back to the movie. We follow Professor Abronsius and Alfred on the trail of a coven of vampires in the heart of Transylvania. While holed up in the local inn, the vampire hunters come under attack from fiends of the night, led by Count von Krolock. While Abronsius and Alfred manage to repel the attack, the innkeeper is bitten and his beautiful daughter is dragged away to the Count's castle to take part in an arcane ceremony of the undead. Unfortunately for her, it's up to tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum to rescue her. Abronsius and Alfred head to the castle to meet up with a heady mix of menace and hilarity, including a shuffling hunchback, the Count's gay vampire son (or a "sensitive boy," as he puts it), and an expertly choreographed ballroom dance of the undead.

The Fearless Vampire Killers is high-energy, hilarious horror adventure. The original score by Krysztof Komeda is a beautiful and haunting mix of chants and arias. Costume designer Wilfred Shingleton shows off his skills at the undead ball, outfitting close to a hundred vampires in period dress, complete with the wear and tear of the grave. The extended ball scene is masterfully choreographed by Tutte Lemkow, incorporating Alfred and Abronsius's clumsy attempts to clandestinely infiltrate the dance while never losing a beat on the complex dance moves.

I highly recommend this one. It's classic, it's funny, and it'll keep you entertained from the very first. Watch it in a group or by yourself. Grab a bag of popcorn, turn out the lights, and pop it in the player. Have fun.

Storyline & plot: 7/10
Cinematography & effects: 6/10
Music & mood: 9/10
Performances: 8/10

The Reverend says: 8/10