Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Love at First Bite Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 9, 2015

Note: This film is currently available in the double feature Love at First Bite / Once Bitten.

There’s probably little doubt that the overwhelming critical and box office success of Mel Brooks’ lunatic Young Frankenstein made bean counters in Hollywood sit up and take notice. Hollywood is after all Ground Zero for imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, and so it’s no wonder that other creatives decided to take a stab at satirizing various horror outings. What’s a bit surprising is how long it took. Brooks’ send up of the most iconic man made “monster” of all time appeared in 1974, but it wasn’t until five years later in 1979 that another Universal horror legend got the same treatment, with Dracula being played for (supposed) laughs in Love at First Bite. There’s a bit less of a through line to 1985’s Once Bitten, a film that might be thought of as a quasi-parody of Dracula’s Daughter, since it revolves around a female vampire. Unfortunately neither of these films had what made Young Frankenstein so memorable—namely, Mel Brooks and an unparalleled cast of comedy heavyweights. Love at First Bite is the better of the two films in this Blu-ray double feature, but it hasn’t aged particularly well (unlike its subject blood sucker), seeming a bit more pointlessly manic now in hindsight than it probably did upon its original release, when it was unexpectedly popular with audiences and at least some critics. The less said about Once Bitten, the better, for it’s a tired, unfunny enterprise that has gained whatever small cachet it ultimately achieved due largely to the fact that it offered Jim Carrey one of the first major roles of his film career.

Count Dracula (George Hamilton) is dismayed when the local Transylvanian Communist politburo informs him and his daffy bug eating aide Renfield (Arte Johnson, chewing the scenery along with any available insect) that they’ve been evicted from Dracula’s castle to make room for a new gymnastics center. That at least leaves Dracula free to pursue his latest obsession, fashion model Cindy Sondheim (Susan Saint James), whom Dracula believes is the latest reincarnation of his age old love (including former incarnation Mina Harker).

That sends the Count and Renfield to New York City, where the Count’s suave but somewhat confounded personality learns to deal with the trials and tribulations of an urban environment. Meanwhile, Cindy, chased after by the lecherous Count, is (like any good fashion model) knee deep in analysis with her putative fiancé psychiatrist, Jeffrey Rosenberg (Richard Benjamin), who just happens to be the grandson of one Van Helsing.

Love at First Bite delivers a steady stream of fairly low level humor, but it never really erupts into the stratosphere the way Young Frankenstein did. Hamilton is obviously having fun as the eternally youthful Count, but Saint James, usually an actress of considerable charm, seems to be almost sleep walking through her role here. Benjamin and Johnson are the most colorful members of a large supporting cast, one which trades on a number of cameos (including at least a couple members of The Jeffersons television series) to provide quick, no frills punchlines.

Love at First Bite Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Love at First Bite is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory, an imprint of Shout! Factory, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. This is a solid if somewhat modest high definition presentation. The film's appropriately dark and dank ambience unfortunately doesn't always translate perfectly in this high definition rendering, with at times unnatural looking grain that exhibits a yellowish tint in some of the darkest scenes. Ironically the solid black levels only tend to exacerbate the situation, as grain is its splotchiest in these moments. The color space is just slightly variable, with some shots of Hamilton especially looking nicely saturated (could it have been that famous tan?), while other moments are surprisingly pallid. The elements have their fair share of age related wear and tear, with all of the "usual suspects" like dirt, scratches and minus density popping up with regularity, though never to any overly problematic degree. Things are rather soft throughout, and even some close-ups don't offer much in the way of detail or definition (see screenshot 3).

Love at First Bite Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Love at First Bite features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono mix that capably supports the dialogue and a music score firmly entrenched in its era. Alicia Bridges' disco anthem "I Love the Night Life," which was replaced in previous home video releases, is back intact here in the club scene. Fidelity is fine and there are no issues of any kind to report.

Love at First Bite Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer (480p; 3:03)


• Radio Spots (2:03)

Love at First Bite Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Love at First Bite simply doesn't have the snap of something like Young Frankenstein, but it coasts on the considerable charms of Hamilton as well as the incessant mugging of Arte Johnson. The humor is fairly juvenile and in fact kids and adults who have refused to grow up will probably enjoy this film best. Technical merits are acceptable if not mind blowing, and Love at First Bite comes Recommended.