Review of Shadow of the Vampire (2000) by Nicky S — 10 Feb 2012
What happens when you have a real vampire star in a horror film? Shadow of the Vampire is the answer. The film takes place I think in 1922 where a German film studio is shooting a vampire film known as Nosferatu- Symphony of Horror.
Looking at the plot, the film is playing very awfully close to Dracula by Bram Stroker. Well, director FW Murnau (John Malkovich) is set and obsessed on creating the most realistic and scariest film of all time, so he takes the vampire legend very serious.
He insists that he has found the actor to play, but no one will see him until night time. The vampire is Count Orlock played by Max Schreck (William Dafoe), and this guy is sure to send shivers on your spine.
He is nasty, hideous, and very enigmatic in the style that you will be nervous standing next to him. Anyways, mysterious incident begin to occur as crew members begin to fall mysteriously ill or are attacked with Max being the prime suspect.
Things do not get better as FW must leave the set with Max to take care of business with financers. What is a vampire and film crew to do while their director is out? Shadow of the Vampire is a very satisfying film because it the takes rules of the vampire and strips them to the pure form of being evil.
I really enjoyed this film as it is a film within a film within a making of the film. The cast was really wonderful and likeable, but Dafoe steals the show with his hammy interpretation of Schreck. Huge props to director E.
Elias Merghige, he traumatized us with the Begotten.
This review of Shadow of the Vampire (2000) was written by Nicky S on 10 Feb 2012.
Shadow of the Vampire has generally received positive reviews.
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