E. Elias Mehrige's SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE explores the fictional premise that the star of director F.W. Murnau's 1922 German expressionist horror film, NOSFERATU, was an actual vampire. When the dictatorial Murnau (John Malkovich) sets about filming his monster masterpiece, he makes a Faustian deal and enlists the grotesque, .. Read more
| Starring | John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Cary Elwes, Eddie Izzard |
|---|---|
| Director | E. Elias Merhige |
| Genres | Horror |
loading...
E. Elias Mehrige's SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE explores the fictional premise that the star of director F.W. Murnau's 1922 German expressionist horror film, NOSFERATU, was an actual vampire. When the dictatorial Murnau (John Malkovich) sets about filming his monster masterpiece, he makes a Faustian deal and enlists the grotesque, reclusive Max Schreck (Willem Dafoe) to play the rodentlike Count Orlok. Schreck proceeds to both horrify and fascinate the unwitting cast and crew---including producer Albin Grau (Udo Kier), actor Gustav von Wangenheim (Eddie Izzard), and actress Greta Schroeder (Catherine McCormack)--who, at first, believe Schreck is merely an eccentric actor. As the production continues, however, mysterious accidents and deaths begin to reveal why Schreck never gets any makeup.
From its lavish opening sequence to Murnau's filming of the final scene, Mehrige's movie serves as a tribute not only to the original NOSFERATU but to the art of cinema itself. Because Murnau's project is a silent film, the overbearing director can coax and shout at his actors during the takes, making for some cleverly comical scenes. Although Malkovich, Izzard, and Kier are excellent in their roles, SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE could simply not exist without Dafoe's hideous and hilarious performance, which ranks among the finest of the versatile actor's career.
| Starring | John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Cary Elwes, Eddie Izzard, Udo Kier, Catherine McCormack, Aden Gillett |
|---|---|
| Director | E. Elias Merhige |
| Studio | I2FILM |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 31 mins |
| Certificate |  |
| Collections | 100 Horror Films |
| Genres | Horror |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | Production year: 2000 To Rent: DVD: 14 Oct 2002 |
An unusual and enjoyable fang-in-cheek twist on vampire and silent movie legend that also manages to be a critique of the film business: it is the director who emerges as the true monster.
- 13
- 1
Lets get something straight here OK?
This is not a horror film.
This is a docu-drama telling the story of F.W Murnau (Malkovich) making his famous film Nosferatu in the 1920s. Willem ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
- 0
- 1
Impersonation of a vampire
There have been successful films about the making of a movie. ‘Burden of Dreams’ about the making of ‘Fitzcaraldo’ comes to mind. ... read more »
- 0
- 2
utter garbage
if you value your credability as a film watcher dont i repeat DON'T WATCH THIS RUBBISH.bad acting from start to finish, what the hell were malchovic & ... read more »
- 0
- 1
What could have been....
Man tries to make Dracula film without Bram Stoker's consent, goes to eerie locations, gets oddball to play the vampire, things go wrong.
With a ... read more »
Nicolas Cage has settled his legal spat with a disgruntled producer pal. Paul Brooks sued the star for cash he claimed he was owed from 2000 movie Shadow of the Vampire, but Cage resolved the matter a day later. A representative for the actor, who was the executive producer of the Willem Dafoe film, tells TMZ.com, "Contrary to recent reports that a lawsuit was going forth by Paul Brooks and Early Bird Productions against Mr. Cage, this matter has been resolved privately and amicably between... Read more
Want to watch something right now?
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | EULA | Affiliates | Jobs | Inside LOVEFiLM Blog | About Us | Contact Us
International sites UK DK DE SE NO
LOVEFiLM, the LOVEFiLM logo and all other LOVEFiLM product or service names are trade marks of LOVEFiLM International Ltd. or its affiliates.
© 2012 LOVEFiLM UK Ltd. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
63.4% from 60 members
