Dracula Bites the Big Apple (1979)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Richard Wenk

Writer:

Fred Olsen (writer)

Release Date:

1979 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Short | Musical

Plot Keywords:

Dracula | Surprise Party | Coffin | New York City | Vampire

Cast

Barry Gomolka	...	Renfield
Peter Loewy	...	Dracula
Steve Rubell	...	Himself
Karen Tull	...	The Girl
Whitey Wenk	...	Customs Official

Runtime:

USA:22 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Trivia:

After Donald P. Borchers saw this short, he gave producer/director Richard Wenk the opportunity to shoot 'Vamp (1986/I)'.

Drac bites off more then he could chew.

The blood is lacking in Transylvania, so Dracula gets on a plane and heads to the night city New York for new blood. However to this city seems harder to dominate. This wonderfully winning 22-minute comic spoof short film was the starting point for director/writer Richard Wenk and would get the producers interested in him for creating their film "Vamp (1986)". It was shot in 3 nights for just over $5,000 after he graduated film school, and he cooks up a funky and odd episodic story, which is broken up by it's random nature and funny sight gags within the authentic locations of New York. The vivid nightlife backdrop comes across as a character of its own. The light-hearted, silly humour seems to hit the right spots and the inventive script is bursting with often funny lines. There's even an out-of-nowhere musical number of "dancing in the moonlight" that's rather amusing! Also Studio 54 and its owner Steve Rubell make an enjoyable appearance. Wenk keeps it moving at a brisk pace and does a stylish job with what his got to work with, and a pulsating music score with some nice familiar cues give it much added energy. Peter Loewy's pulpy performance is picture-perfect and always compelling as Dracula, which you're just waiting to see what he does next.