Shadow of the Vampire

Pros: Didn't cost much. One nude scene.
Cons: Slow and plodding. Drags.Did nothing for me.

I’ll get right to the point. I like to sink my teeth into vampire movies, be they old , new , funny ,campy , scary , sexy , and even satirical . Bloody, violent, long, dark, spooky, humorous, quirky, low budget, extravagant, I‘ve liked...

Pros: one great vampire!
Cons: none, refuse to acknowledge this section

This is creepingly great John Malkovich in a truly demented role as film maker F. W. Murnau.

Things I really liked about this movie: the stark black and white scenes; the use of the old camera and our ability to view thru the...

Pros: Willem Dafoe, Willem Dafoe, Willem Dafoe ...
Cons: Can never quite hold it's pace ...

Schreck: German, meaning terror

Shadow of the Vampire takes place in 1921 (a year before the release of Nosferatu). The film opens with German director F.W. Murnau (played beautifully by John Malkovich from...

Pros: Good reconstructions of the original NOSFERATU; approximation of Expressionistic photography in color.
Cons: Poor writing and direction overwhelm the actors.

SHADOW OF A VAMPIRE has received considerable hype on the strength of Willem Dafoe's performance as Count Orlock, the unforgettable fiend in F.W. Murnau's classic 1922 *NOSFERATU. Ecstatic comparisons have also been made with Director Bill Condon's GODS...

Pros: Dafoe, Malkovich, fun look at "Nosferatu" that combines fact and fiction
Cons: May send wrong message about obsessed performers

Over the course of the last eighty years, many a person has come to regard the German silent classic "Nosferatu" as one of the best vampire films of all. Some give credit to director F.W. Murnau for giving his picture a documentary feel. Credit is also...

Pros: Willem Dafoe and John Malkovich.
Cons: Difficulties with narrative cohesion. Heavy handed symbolism.

Today being the Fourth of July, Norman has a day off from shooting his new film, Waterworld II: The Gills Have Eyes. Therefore, I headed down to the San Diego location in order to spend a little quality time with him. We had a lovely little...

Pros: Good idea, and proof that Hollywood is capable of invention
Cons: Slow, and not sure of its own genre.

This here review is part of the I Love You Write-Off Write/Off, hosted by (who else?) Lynus. It's not actually supposed to be posted until May 24th, but I'll be in Dublin city centre by then, so it's best I post it early. The general gist is, we...

Pros: John Malkovich and Catherine McCormack give lovely performances.
Cons: The rest of the picture.

Shadow Of The Vampire is a clever idea for a movie, but it doesn't pay off at all. So much more could have been done with this film. Instead, it comes off being nothing more than a cheap vampire film.

I knew I was in for a...

Pros: Malkovich and Izzard steal their scenes by injecting humor into the horror.
Cons: The ending was wrapped up so fast I almost missed it.

Ladies and gentlemen you might want to take note of this review, for I will now use the name Nicholas Cage and the words independent film in one sentence. Other than the sentence I just wrote.

"Shadow of the Vampire" pays pseudo homage to...

Pros: Truly original, enjoyable to watch.
Cons: The accents were a bit fake.

I'll admit, I've never seen Nosferatu, the silent German vampire film that Shadow of the Vampire portrays. I now want to see the film. This was one of the more original films I've seen in a while. (Really, since Being John...

Pros: the acting is generally very good, interesting idea and beautifully filmed
Cons: it's a little slow in places and there are things that aren't explained very well

I have to say I was quite intrigued by Shadow of the Vampire, even before I got my hands on an advance DVD. I like Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich, Eddie Izzard and Udo Kier so this film seemed like it would be heaven. While I did enjoy it, it moves a...

Pros: Willem Dafoe, great humor, interesting tale
Cons: none for me

You might find me odd for saying this, but Shadow of the Vampire is one of the most delightful and funny movies I’ve seen in a long time. Sure, it’s a definitely black humor, but the image of a vampire pretending to be an actor and really...

Pros: Willem Dafoe single-handedly elevates this movie with fantastic acting.
Cons: Disjointed, thematically jumbled -- the director cannot decide on truth or fantasy.

Shadow of the Vampire is an interesting experiment that never quite reaches its true potential. Instead, it comes off the screen as an uneven, flighty story with no distinct vision to sustain it.

This is a shame, really, because...

Pros: Willem Dafoe is fabulous as Nosferatu.
Cons: Literally everything else about the film.

I brought home Shadow of the Vampire with few expectations. It was my viewing companion’s choice, and I didn’t have any particular interest in it. But despite my lack of interest, I would expect that a film featuring such great actors as Willem...

Pros: Wonderful acting by Dafoe & Malkovich: nice "feel"
Cons: not enough substance or plot development

I can’t help but feel as though I didn’t really “get” E. Elias Merhige’s “Shadow of the Vampire”. Sure, I could follow the plot, but throughout the film, I had a very strong feeling that I was on the outside of some sort of cinematic inside joke, or not...