Fearless Killers

... or to put it plainly: vampire movies!!!

"Exactly one year ago tonight, we stood right here in this very room.
I was your pastor, and you were my devoted congregation. With a sense of optimism in my soul,
I promised you then that, with the help of Lucifer, we could anticipate an even more decadent gathering.
Recall that moment. We sat there, huddled together in gloom and despair,
circling that solitary, pathetic woodcutter..."

Seriously, this is one of my absolute favorite movies ever!

That whole vibe... honestly, only Polanski could pull that off. And yeah, it’s based on what happened to his wife—that whole Helter Skelter madness...

It is a REAL vampire movie!
I mean, I don't have a single complaint, except maybe that music... oh man, it gets to me!

I just love it!👍

I’ve watched this movie a handful of times now, and I still haven't actually figured out its original title... how embarrassing. Though, if I had to guess, I think the English title is Dance of the Vampires.

I have to say—I absolutely love this movie. Every single bit of it. But that one scene where they’re dancing? The whole room is packed with vampires, yet when you look in the mirror, you only see three people reflected there. It’s such a brilliant touch, isn't it?
I can't quite put my finger on why it left such a lasting impression on me, but I have to say, I really loved it.

And that old guy—was he some kind of professor or something?—he looks like what Einstein would probably look like if he decided to go out hunting vampires.

And yeah... his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate—who was actually that blonde actress from the movies—was murdered by the Manson crew.

The movie’s got this subtitle: 'Sorry, but your teeth are in my neck.'

Honestly, this flick is just solid. Great vibes, killer cast, top-tier directing... everything about it just hits right👍. Definitely one of those modern classics you can't skip...👍

Movies are everything... 👍

analogseal39 said:... or translated: vampire horror!!!

"Exactly one year ago tonight, we gathered in this very room.
I, your pastor, before you, my beloved flock. With hope in my heart,
I told you then that with Lucifer's help, we might look forward to an even juicier occasion.
Think back. There we were, huddled together, gloomy and depressed,
circling that one pathetic little woodcutter..."

Solid early Polanski.
Doesn't work for me, though. Not that Polanski ever intended to make a legit, terrifying vampiric flick. The whole thing is a parody, but not like those modern, bottom-of-the-barrel Goal parodies (you know, Ishtar, or Airplane!, or that absolute trash like Darkness—just endless, mindless Scary Movie clones).

The guy basically takes every single frame and adds some subtle, intricate layer of parody.
Everything from the visual vibe and that creepy little village to the hero’s face and look, all the way down to mocking vampire tropes (the balls, the whole "leaving the coffin" nonsense);

Then there's the satire of latent homosexuality—God, isn't that the favorite topic on these forums?—with young Polanski being into that fledgling vampire kid. Plus the satire about how much the Bible helps (you shove it in his teeth and his fangs get stuck in the pages);

And it’s no coincidence that Professor Ambrosius, the Fearless Killers (only he’s fearless, while Polanski's protégé is too scared to even look at them), looks just like Einstein...

There are hundreds of tiny, brilliant details to find if you actually bother to look.
And don't get me started on that message at the end, claiming evil can't be stopped (while they blindly charge into the night and Sharon prepares to take Polanski's innocence in some jail cell?) ???

Maybe it's just his issues with young girls, that fresh meat,
stemming from Tessa or maybe Sharon.

Emily Torres2 said:Nice, early Polanski.
Look, it just doesn't work for me. I don't think Polanski ever actually intended for this to be some terrifying, vampiric flick. It’s more like a parody, but not even the good kind. It's nowhere near the level of those early Goal movies, or that "Is there a pilot on this plane?" type of stuff. Honestly, it's just bad. It reminds me of those bottom-of-the-barrel, cringe-worthy spoofs like Darkness—you know, those "scary scary scary movie movie movie" disasters that just loop endlessly in your head. Just total trash.

I mean, look at him. He’s just in this weirdly frantic headspace where he’s basically turning every single frame into some hyper-detailed little parody. It's constant.
From the first glance at the visuals—everything from that weirdly quiet little town to how the hero actually looks—to the way they poke fun at all those classic vampire tropes... you know, the whole ballroom scene thing and those ridiculous habits where they just crawl out of their graves like nothing happened. It’s basically a parody of all that old-school stuff.

Then you've got this whole bit parodying latent homosexuality—god, is that everyone's favorite topic on these forums lately? Like, we can't talk about anything else. Then there’s the part where young Polanski gets a thing for some rookie vampire kid; it's all just satire, I guess. It even mocks how the Bible is supposedly the ultimate fix, like if you just shove it down his throat, he'll get stuck mid-bite. Pure ridiculousness.

It’s no coincidence that Professor Ambrosius is a Fearless Killer. I mean, the guy is actually brave—unlike Polanski, who probably wouldn't even dare look them in the eye. He’s basically the living embodiment of Einstein.

There are just hundreds of these tiny, brilliant little details waiting to be found if you actually bother to look.
And that final message at the end of the movie... basically saying evil can't be stopped? Real smooth. Especially while they're all charging blindly into the night, and you've got Sharon getting ready to lose her innocence with Polanski in some soap factory? Give me a break.

Maybe he’s just got some deep-seated issues with younger girls—you know, that whole fixation on fresh meat.
Maybe from Tessa, or maybe from Sharon.

I'm with you on that. Honestly, that movie creeps me out way more than most of the "horror" garbage they pump out these days.😢

Emily Torres2 said:It's a solid, early Polanski flick,
but honestly? It just doesn't click for me. I don't think Polanski ever actually intended for it to be a terrifying, vampiric horror movie. It’s more of a parody—not like those cheap, modern spoofs like those ridiculous Goal movies (oops, sorry, meant to say shooting stars!), or those "Is there a pilot in this plane?" types, or even the absolute worst kind of mindless parody, like that Darkness (actually, total darkness) movie, you know, the "scary scary scary movie movie movie lalala" kind of stuff.

I mean, in every single frame, he's doing some tiny, intricate parodying.
Everything from the visual vibes, like that quiet little village, to the faces, the hero's look, all the way down to poking fun at vampire habits and tropes (you know, the balls, the whole "leaving the coffin for a night out" thing);

And then there's the subtle parody of latent homosexuality—oh boy, favorite topic on the forums, right?—where young Polanski seems totally into the older fledgling vampire; plus that satirical bit about how the Bible is the best defense (shoving it in his teeth so the fangs get stuck in the pages)!

And it's totally no accident that Professor Ambrosius is a Fearless Killer (he's the only one brave enough, since Polanski's protege is too scared to even look at them)—he's basically the spitting image of Einstein...

There are hundreds of these tiny, genius details just waiting to be found and enjoyed!
And don't even get me started on that message at the end, suggesting evil can't be stopped (while they're all charging blindly into the night, and Sharon is getting ready to take Polanski's innocence in some jail cell???) ???

Maybe his hang-ups with younger girls, that whole "young meat" thing,
come from Tessa, or maybe from Sharon.

Those are the kinds of parodies that don't advertise themselves as parodies, even though they totally are.
It's like Polanski just followed the blueprint to make a VAMPIRIC film—like a pure stereotype. Like, if you want to know who vampires are supposed to be, just watch this movie... man, it's classic. 👍

William Castillo19 said:Those are just those parodies that don't realize they're parodies, even though they totally are.
It's like Polanski followed a literal blueprint for making a vampiric film—total stereotype territory. Like, if you want to know what vampires are supposed to be, you watch this flick... it's gold.👍

Personally, I dig the original title better, maybe alongside Carpenter's Vampires.
(And honestly, that's a better 'vampiric' movie anyway)—you've got Indians as the vampires, and then Vatican hitmen acting like cowboys.

Interview with a Vampire—now those are my protagonists. Almost the only actual 'people' in the bunch, with their own ethics, morals, social circles, etc. It's the kind of character Ch.Slater makes you actually respect and want to emulate (definitely Cruise's best role).

Terrifying vampiric (and still a genius romance)—Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Modern vampiric (Dracula 2000)

Action-vampiric Blade
etc., etc.

As for Polanski—it's satire, a slick parody. Nothing scary, but everything is executed perfectly.

I am merely bumping this thread to bring it back to the surface...
Furthermore, I would like to inquire if anyone happens to own this film on 🙂DVD
(preferably in decent quality) so that I might request a rip.

Man, Polanski. It’s brilliant—basically a slightly more satanic version of a Burton flick. It feels like a high-end graphic novel come to life. I’ve been catching it on TCM quite a bit lately, probably three times in the last three months, just picking up bits and pieces each time. Honestly, I think it’s the greatest horror spoof ever made; it’s so cohesive and stylistically distinct that it stands perfectly on its own, regardless of the genre. In fact, you could almost use the movie itself as a blueprint for how to do a spoof right.

Unfortunately, I don't own it on DVD. Because of that, I can't tell if the version airing on TCM is the one the Americans butchered and Polanski walked away from, or if it actually stays true to the original cut. I can't really recall any other versions...

I have a deep appreciation for this film....😍
I watched it countless times as a child, yet it would be only right to see it broadcast again, just to revisit those memories...

Sharon was just so hot. Damn you, Mancini!!!

Btw, does anyone have a link for the mp3 soundtrack from the opening credits? That music is so twisted...

Oh, right! Krzysztof Trzcinski! He actually composed the score for "Rosemary's Baby" too—basically the American Henry Mancini. I’m pretty sure there's a 2-in-1 soundtrack album out there featuring both scores. You could probably find it online in just about any format you're looking for...

As for Sharon, well, Polanski definitely learned the hard way that playing with fire comes with a price. I guess it's true what they say: if you dance with the devil, you might actually get burned.

I appreciate it. I really do. Well, maybe not entirely, but I'm getting there.
It’s a universally watchable piece that manages to be quite likable, even when the satire takes a turn toward the almost malicious. And honestly, it delivers a fantastic little payoff right at the end—a genuine touch of horror. Not the organic kind, mind you, but more of an atmospheric dread, essentially setting the mood….

The best Dracula ever made 😍 ...you'll see it popping up on TCM all the time...

-He completely lost it. Did you push his buttons or something?
-Nah, he just flew off the handle on his own.

Or that scene where the woman confronts the Jewish vampire: "Ay, you got the wrong vampire."

This movie is absolutely fantastic! Honestly, the last time I sat down to watch it was ages ago.

Chloe Reed37 said:I absolutely adore that movie...😍
I watched it countless times when I was a kid, but it really ought to be broadcast again just so I can revisit those memories...

Well, it finally happened—they actually aired it on AMC last night...

It truly is a fairy-tale fantasy of a film... such an incredibly strange yet brilliant piece of cinema...

The scene featuring the vampire ball and dance is nothing short of genius 🙂

"see you later gentlemen. Meditate while awaiting your turn, for it would be extremely difficult for you to get away from me, unless of course you have wings... LIKE A BAT. 😈 "

PS — did anyone happen to record this on a DVD?