Review of Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) by Ian S — 16 May 2008

My, my, my...I remembered this movie being so much better when I saw it about five years ago. Still, it has some of the most unsettling images, most notably the intro with the mummies that has stuck with me ever since I saw it. But the visuals do not save some of the most wretched acting ever.

To be fair, Jonathon and Kinski did a wonderful job and the scenes with them alone are always enjoyable. But the character of Lucy makes me want to cry. All her dialouge is this philosophical bullshit that brings to mind an angry 13 year old goth kid who got turned down for a date. It doesn't help that she can't act worth beans. Also, Dr. Van Helsing is not only nasty look at, but he speaks in some raspy monotone that you can't even understand, whether you know German or not. Since Jonathon and Kinski are not as prominent characters towards the end of the film, that makes the last half hour arguous and painful at times. "I know the reason for this evil! I know the reason for this evil!" It is terrible actors outnumbering good actors.

Second, the very beginning reminds me of Fokus Deutsch and PBS. Ew. And the music is terrible. Why the hell are you using a theramin??

But the good things are present as well. Kinski is very creepy and exudes a presence like none of the other actors can in the film. The visuals for the film are at times very beautiful, though there are times that they are trying to hard to be creative with camera angles. Overall, an above decent film.