JLRVancouver "The Fearless Vampire Killers" (aka "Dance of the Vampires") is a silly but enjoyable parody of vampire films, especially the contemporary Hammer series, with which it shares visual style. Director Polanski co-stars as Alfred, the bumbling assistant to dotty vampire-hunter Professor Abronsius (Jack MacGowran), as they infiltrate the decaying castle of dreaded Count von Krolock to rescue a beautiful village girl (played by Sharon Tate) with whom Alfred has become smitten (fiction presaging fact, as Tate later married Polanski). The comedy is generally broad and physical (including some sped up sequences), humorously contrasting with Polanski's and MacGowran's dead-pan delivery of a script that could be straight out of a 'real' horror film. The direction and cinematography is top-notch, especially the classic ball-room scene (itself parodied in 2014's "What We Do in the Shadows" mockumentary). I recently rewatched "The Fearless Vampire Killers" on TCM and, having seen the film as a kid, was surprised when it did not open with a cartoon. The reason for this is discussed elsewhere (e.g. Wikipedia; you can see the incredibly dated animated opening on You-tube). All in all, a goofy but fun film from a talented director that relentlessly spoofs a sometimes pretentious horror genre.

Soroush M I prefer to begin this review by referring to a particular scene so that we can better understand what this movie really is. In this scene, as it is the case with every other vampire movie, there exists a vampire, a female victim and the moments filled with romance right before the victim's neck gets bitten, all of which preceded by the chase scene between the vampire and his lover. However, this very scene in Polanski's parody of vampire movies involves a vampire that is homosexual, a male victim (who happens to be the protagonist as well) and the chase scene taking place on polished, slippery floors with the characters sliding! This was Polanski's directorial debut in Hollywood after "repulsion" was critically acclaimed. The movie makes you laugh and frightens you simultaneously and one could argue that it is the viewer's decision whether to laugh or be scared. The solitude of the protagonist, which is one of Polanski's most recurrent motifs in his movies, is superbly depicted here which of course is masterfully taken to the extreme in the dance of the vampires scene. "The Fearless Vampire Killers" is the epitome of comedy-horror genre which sadly didn't receive the kind of appreciation it really deserved.

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.

Dalbert Pringle Garlic here. Garlic there. Garlic, garlic everywhere! Meet Herbert Von Krolock, cinema's first openly-gay vampire.Do you suppose that director Roman Polanski was trying to communicate something about his own character to us by having a gay vampire, like Herbert, wantonly lust after Albert (played by Polanski, himself) in one of this film's climatic moments? I certainly think that he was trying to tell us something, but, at this point, I think it's best to keep what that is to myself. (Tee-hee!) As far as Comedy/Horror films go - Yes. I do realize that this picture was, indeed, made in 1966 - But, all the same, here are 4 strikes against it - (1) It was way too tame in the horror department. (2) It was lacking in enough satisfactory vampire attacks. (3) It was only marginally entertaining. (4) It was in dire need of some more, much-needed laughs. One of the main reasons why this vampire parody fell so short of my expectations was due to the fact that its screenplay was a collaboration between Polanski and Gerard Bach.Let's face it - The forte of these 2 men was scripting dead-serious drama, so, I guess, it really should have been no surprise that an attempt at Comedy/Horror would miss its mark more often than it hit it.For me - The big highlight of this somewhat mediocre production was, of course, the vampires' ball which was held at Count Von Krolock's eerie, cobweb-enshrouded castle in good, old Transylvania.