Nosferatu the Vampire Year: 1979 Director: Werner Herzog Written by: Werner Herzog Threat: Vampire Weapon of Choice: Teeth Language: English version IMDb page:

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Rish's Reviews
Nosferatu the Vampire, or Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht is a 1979 remake of the famous silent classic. The original film was an adaptation of "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, but an unauthorised one and the character names were changed (Dracula to Count Orlock, etc.). This version has the Stoker characters, but storywise, is a combination of that original film and the book (as well as some unique elements).
Klaus Kinski is revoltingly grotesque as Count Dracula. His performance is actually quite good, with an alien way of looking and moving, not to mention his already peculiar accent. He's a sad, almost pathetic creature. Isabelle Adjani as Lucy (this was another of those "Dracula" adaptations where Mina and Lucy are switched from the novel. Why does that happen?) is as pale and unearthly as any vampire. Renfield is completely nuts, but not endearingly so.
I remember tyranist saying the original was dull. I wonder what he'd say about this one. Shot concurrently in both German and English, this was the longer English version, but it was English like old Jackie Chan movies, if you know what I mean by that. There was odd folk music throughout the film, seemingly at odds with the visuals on the screen. I have to believe this was intentional. The film is so surreal, a lot of it gives the impression of a fever dream. And I laughed sometimes at the absurdity of it. The whole movie is very odd, parts seem almost like a silent film, with big, exaggerated gestures and actions. There was a very silly, surreal ending, but in theory, it's quite unique and clever.
There was a nice subplot about the plague coming to town, with coffins and dead horses lining the streets. The hundreds of plague-carrying rats are nice. There is a really great scene where the villagers, knowing they are doomed to die, frolick amid the rats. A last supper, they call it.
Another interesting addition is that Lucy's character takes on a much more proactive role in the film, acting as the Van Helsing character would (or Jonathan Harker himself) in other adaptations.
I can't imagine the South Pole being as cold as this movie looks. In this environment, why in the world would you sleep with your window open?
The film is visually interesting--even brilliant--but narratively awful. I'm usually the first to jeer at those who proclaim movies boring, especially when they're from the Armageddon and Fast and the Furious generation. But this film did have a languid, leisurely pace, using long, evocative takes of architecture and countryside, and has very little real dialogue (perhaps owing to the problem of making a secondary English audio version with German and French actors). And it was very difficult for me to keep my attention on the film, and just as hard to keep my eyes open.
Line To Remember: "The absence of love is the most abject pain."
I'd Recommend It To: Well, it's not really entertaining, but it is artistic and lovely. Parts of it are a nod to German Expressionism and parts are wholly Werner Herzog's. If you're a fan of those to, check it out.
Posted: July 3, 2006

Total Skulls: 7

Sequel
Sequel setup
Rips off earlier film
Horror film showing on TV/in theater in movie
Future celebrity appears
Former celebrity appears
Bad title
Bad premise
Bad acting
Bad dialogue
Bad execution
MTV Editing
OTS
Girl unnecessarily gets naked
Wanton sex
Death associated with sex
Unfulfilled promise of nudity
Characters forget about threat
Secluded location
Power is cut
Phone lines are cut
Someone investigates a strange noise
Someone runs up stairs instead of going out front door
Camera is the killer
Victims cower in front of a window/door
Victim locks self in with killer
Victim running from killer inexplicably falls
Toilet stall scene
Shower/bath scene
Car stalls or won't start
Cat jumps out
Fake scare
Laughable scare
Stupid discovery of corpse
Dream sequence
Hallucination/Vision
No one believes only witness
Crazy, drunk, old man knows the truth
Warning goes unheeded
Music detracts from scene
Death in first five minutes
x years before/later
Flashback sequence
Dark and stormy night
Killer doesn't stay dead
Killer wears a mask
Killer is in closet
Killer is in car with victim
Villain is more sympathetic than heroes
Unscary villain/monster
Beheading
Blood fountain
Blood spatters - camera, wall, etc.
Poor death effect
Excessive gore
No one dies at all
Virgin survives
Geek/Nerd survives
Little kid lamely survives
Dog/Pet miraculously survives
Unresolved subplots
"It was all a dream" ending
Unbelievably happy ending
Unbelievably crappy ending
What the hell?