The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)

A nutty professor and his dim assistant (Roman Polanski) travel to a small village looking for a vampire. When a pretty village woman (Sharon Tate) is captured, our heroes go on a rescue mission.

Originally titled Dance of the Vampires, it was renamed and reedited when it came to America. Actors were dubbed and an animated segment was added to help explain the parts that were edited out. I didn’t see an animated segment so I presume I saw the European edit under the US title.

Ronald Lacey, famous as the disturbing Nazi (the one with the fancy coat hanger) from Raiders of the Lost Ark, plays a village idiot. Polanski first met Tate during casting. Two months after the film's release, they would be married. Eighteen months more and she would be dead.

The Fearless Vampire Killers has a strange, satirical tone. Actors wear expressive makeup and move at a frenetic pace. It gives the film a distinct style, much like a cartoon. It's not going to work for everyone, and it didn't quite work for me, but it was always interesting, visually if nothing else. AMRU 3.