The Fearless Vampire Killers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Fearless Vampire Killers Blu-ray Movie Review

Extra cheese, hold the garlic.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 18, 2019

Roman Polanski's first Panavision film, The Fearless Vampire Killers (released in the UK as Dance of the Vampires), was also his first big-budget international production. It was later butchered for American release by MGM, who marketed the horror-comedy as a farce and trimmed nearly 20 minutes while adding in a playful animated introduction. (Even the trailer, included on this Blu-ray as an extra, plays like a Three Stooges short.) Not surprisingly, it floundered at the domestic box office in 1967 and Polanski's original cut would not appear in America until 1979, just one year after the actor/director fled America...and a full decade after the death of his then-wife, supporting actress Sharon Tate.

Things get lighter from here on out, mostly. This original cut of The Fearless Vampire Killers is still a largely enjoyable affair, mostly due to its successful balance of horror and comedy. Our adventure follows eccentric Professor Abronsius (Jack MacGowran) and his dim-witted assistant Alfred (Polanski) after our titular characters take refuge at a modest Transylvanian tavern, where innkeeper Yoyneh Shagal (Alfie Bass) is highly protective of his ravishing daughter Sarah (Tate)....but it's not enough to stop her from being abducted by Count von Krolock (Ferdy Mayne). Our two heroes follow Krolock's hunchbacked servant Koukol (Terry Downes) to his lavish castle nearby, where Sarah is imprisoned with a peculiar bite mark on her neck. Unexpectedly, the Count invites them to stay the night...but like any good guests, they instead plan on breaking in to his crypt and killing him while he's resting in his coffin the next morning.

The Fearless Vampire Killers was first released on domestic home video by way of Warner Bros.' 2004 DVD, a terrific disc with decent A/V specs, a few interesting extras and, most importantly, the original Polanski cut...which, again, was sporadically seen well before that. It's a decently entertaining production that gets much more interesting in its second and third acts, once our heroes finally set out for the Count's castle. The film makes great use of elaborate studio sets, excellent location footage, and Panavision framing (a last-minute switch that occurred in the early stages of shooting) to maintain a great atmosphere, with solid performances from top to bottom. Polanski has more to say than the film's "rescue operation" plot implies, yet The Fearless Vampire Killers can still be enjoyed for its surface-level strengths. It's playful without devolving into complete silliness, even serving up a few well-earned scares along the way, and mostly works just fine as a successful combination of both genres. While newcomers may still want to approach Warner Archive's new Blu-ray with a bit of caution, die-hard Polanski fans should be thrilled with this package.

The Fearless Vampire Killers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As is the case with most Warner Archive Blu-rays, The Fearless Vampire Killers' new 1080p transfer is sourced from a new 2K scan of the film's interpositive, which has clearly been granted additional cleanup as well. While there are still a few trouble spots (the bookending sleigh rides, for example, as well as a few establishing and exterior shots such as the one in screenshot #12), these have always looked rough; more than likely, these were among the earliest-shot scenes before Polanski changed formats to Panavision during production and were optically zoomed to fit the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Either way, the majority of this film appears clean and quite impressive, with an edge going to the lavish castle sets rather than those shot at the dingy, underlit tavern featured prominently during the first act. Color and texture are very strong, especially in regards to costume design, while skin tones appear suitably flushed or pale depending on frostbite, drunkenness, or death. Film grain is very prominent but not intrusive, while no obvious signs of banding, noise reduction, or compression artifacts were spotted along the way. Overall, another top-tier job from WAC.

The Fearless Vampire Killers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Like the video, this Blu-ray's DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio starts off a little rough but, as a whole, cleanly replicates The Fearless Vampire Killers' original one-channel roots. Dialogue and background noises are well-balanced with very few instances of hissing, pops, or other signs of age-related wear and no obvious sync issues. Several scenes are a bit on the muffled side, but this is likely a source material issue. Overall, this is a solid lossless track that easily outpaces Warner Bros.' 2004 DVD, and that's really as good as it gets for die-hard fans of the film.

Optional English SDH subtitles are included during the main feature only. Like most recent WAC releases, these are formatted in ugly ALL CAPS but sit nicely inside the 2.35:1 frame and likewise display no obvious sync issues.

The Fearless Vampire Killers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Fearless Vampire Killers is packaged in a standard keepcase with attractive poster-themed cover artwork; no slipcover or inserts are included. Two of its three extras are carried over from Warner Bros.' 2004 DVD edition.

• Vampires 101 (10:21) - This cheeky 1967 vintage featurette, hosted by "technical adviser" Professor Cecil Havelock-Montague, Ph.D., LL.D., B.A.T. (Max Wall) and likewise presented in 2.35:1 widescreen, offers a brief overview of vampire lore along with hunting tips and comedic scenes from the film.

• Alternate Main Title (4:01) - This colorful animated opening sequence, which wouldn't feel out of place in an episode of Schoolhouse Rock, was originally created for the film's American theatrical run. Part of this alternate opening is also available on Warner Archive's official YouTube channel if you haven't seen it.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:14) - This trailer is presented in 2.35:1 format and is in rough but watchable condition. MGM's ridiculous decision to market the film as a farce in America is on full display here, complete with non-stop slapstick and badly re-dubbed cartoon sound effects -- no wonder it tanked at the box office. Like the animated intro above, this trailer is also available on Warner Archive's official YouTube channel.

The Fearless Vampire Killers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Fearless Vampire Killers is a fun little horror/comedy exercise that stays above water once our titular duo finally arrives at the Transylvanian castle. The tone stays light without deviating into total goofiness, a balance completely ruined in MGM's American theatrical release. Luckily, the two most recent domestic home video editions of the film -- Warner Bros.' 2004 DVD, and this Warner Archive Blu-ray -- feature director Roman Polanski's original cut; although still not perfect entertainment, it fits the bill for a brisk October matinee. This Blu-ray also serves up a a terrific A/V presentation and carries over the vintage DVD extras, making it a no-brainer for die-hard fans of the film.