Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A noted professor and his dim-witted apprentice fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress.
Polanski's horror-comedy parody is a singular achievement in blending Gothic atmosphere with slapstick absurdism. The Panavision widescreen cinematography by Douglas Slocombe is genuinely sumptuous, rendering the snowbound Transylvanian landscapes and castle interiors with painterly beauty that rivals straight horror films of the era. The film's novelty is high — it occupies a unique tonal space, neither fully comedic nor frightening, with a distinctly European sensibility that no Hollywood studio could have manufactured. The plot is thin and episodic, more a series of comedic set pieces than a structured narrative, which limits its dramatic weight. Acting is charming if uneven, with Polanski himself delivering a memorable physical performance as Alfred. The ending, while memorably bleak in its ironic punchline, feels abrupt rather than fully earned.