Review of The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) by Campbell W — 13 Oct 2009

With Halloween around the corner I wanted to start watching films to get me into the spirt of the season. All I can say is THANK YOU ROMAN POLANSKI FOR FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS!!! In a word- satire. This film takes all those cooky 60's vampire/monster movie themes and crafts them into very stimulating comedy.

Polanski writes, directs, and stars in The Fearless Vampire Killers, one of his first Hollywood endeavors prior to Rosemary's Baby. The great thing about Roman Polanski (which apparently escapes many people) is that his work is extremely original.

Maybe the concept or story isn't always unique, but the way his films are assembled is all together different from his contemporaries. Polanski's compositions are dynamic, calculated to accentuate the narrative to the most infinitesimal detail.

Even in this campy, fake blood ridiculous movie one can see an amazing artistry and sense the presence of a powerful auteur. Then of course there is Sharon Tate, who has to be one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the cinema screen.

All you fellas be sure to watch closely that Sharon Tate bath scene, major payoff! She really is amazing, even 40 years later Sharon is so hot, so intoxicating that it is a wonder anyone could have ever murdered so beautiful a human being.

Tate and Polanski are great together onscreen, mostly due to Polanski's clumsy bumbling whenever she's around. It is rewarding to watch them, particularly if you are familiar with their real-life torrent love affair and the tragedy of her death.

In all, The Fearless Vampire Killers may not be a masterpiece like other Polanski films, but it is fun campy horror satire that will resonate in your memory for sometime.