Love at First Bite
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Movie Reviews of Love at First Bite
Movie Review: Why Only 4 Stars, You Ask...?
Summary: 4 Stars
Well, as far as the movie itself goes, this movie deserves 10+ stars, because not since, Young Frankenstein, has a movie so poignantly and perfectly, captured the true feel of the original classic, of which it so lovingly satires.
George Hamilton plays Dracula, like no one else (except maybe, Jack Palance, but that's another review altogether :) doing Bela Lugosi, proud, whilst still putting his own stamp on the character.
And who can forget, Arte Johnson, as Dracula's , "Cockroach eating friend" (he-he-he... :) Renfield, and Richard Benjamin as their foil, Van Helsing ("Dracula's stolen my girlfriend, and I think he's better in bed with her, then I am...")
This movie is a hands down, no, if-ands-or-buts, classic, from, "Children of the night, shut up", to the end credits.
So why did I only give it 4 stars then?
Well, when this great homage to the classic Dracula films was first released to the big screen (I went to see it with my first girlfriend) there was this great show stopping dance sequence where Dracula seduces Cindy ("The only woman that I have ever loved") on the dance floor to the tune of the disco classic, I Love The Night Life, but then, years and years later, when the movie finally came out to video, I was dismayed to discover that this song had been replaced by some generic disco song.
Now don't get me wrong here, this new song is pretty good, and had it been the original choice for the dance sequence, then I would have had no complaints, but that's not the case here, I Love The Night Life, is the song that defined this movie for all of us who remember seeing it at the theater, and its apparent non-inclusion, on this highly awaited, DVD release, is just another slap in the face to the fans who have been waiting for over 20 years, to finally hear the right song, put back in the movie...
I mean, could you imagine if Star Wars had been released without the opening music, but instead, replaced by some stock music (in order to save a few bucks on the licensing rights) sure, it would still be Star Wars, but there would be something missing. I mean jeepers; it would almost be as bad as say, Greedo, getting off the first shot..., oh right... lol, never mind...
We the fans, should petition MGM, just to let them know that we are not happy with the omission of our beloved song, but alas, seeing as the DVD's have already been manufactured, and will be in stores in a couple of weeks, I'm afraid that the only way in which, I Love The Night Life, will ever be heard in this movie again, is if you sync up the CD of the song, and turn down the DVD's volume during the dance sequence.
It's a darn shame, if you ask me... :(
***NOTE: Just got my copy of this DVD, and as feared, "I Love The Night Life" is missing in action, on both the widescreen and full screen versions (as I had secretly hoped that it made it onto one of the two versions, but alas, no :(
But here's the rub, as there's a rather lengthy trailer for the movie, included on the DVD, and guess what song is used through out this trailer, yep, none other then, "I Love The Night Life".
What a slap in the face to the fans of this great film, to have to endure the generic disco song during the actual movie, only to have the original song, dangled in our face, over and over again in the trailer (there are even snippets of the dance sequence, with the proper music, in the trailer :(
FYI: you'll probably want to watch the movie in the full screen mode, because the widescreen mode it simply the full screen mode, matted to widescreen, and not the other way around, so there's more top and bottom info on the screen in the full screen mode, as opposed to less right and left screen info with movies cropped to fit full screen.
Movie Review: Love Bites!
Summary: 4 Stars
When the legendary Count Dracula is forced out of his Transylvanian castle home by the Romanian government to further its Olympian goals, the love-struck Count heads for New York City to pursue the woman of his dreams, fashion model Cindy Sondheim. Unfortunately, 1970's New York takes some getting used to for an ancient creature of the night and his bug-eating sidekick. With a little adapting, however, they find they can still keep things going their way, even when being hunted by Cindy's would-be boyfriend, Jeffrey Rosenberg, a descendent of the great vampire killer, Fritz Van Helsing. Ever the ultimate stalker, the mysterious, suave, and sophisticated count manages to win over Cindy, but bumbling Rosenberg manages to win over Lieutenant Ferguson of the NYPD. It all comes down to a chase through the streets of New York, as Count Dracula races against time, and Rosenberg, to make Cindy his eternal bride!
Ever since I was a kid, I have remembered "Love At First Bite" as a fun-filled comedy classic! In fact, I believe this movie is how I knew Dracula best as a child, and it's the role George Hamilton was born to play! Arte Johnson is also a perfect Renfield. His "Renfield laugh" lives in infamy! Susan Saint James give a very funny and real take on the celebrity crush, and ya have to wonder just how long Dracula will continue to see her as Miss Perfect from the pages of Cosmo. Richard Benjamin's over-the-top comedy is right at home in this screwball spoof, and when he joins forces with Dick Shawn, they make a fantastic duo. I'm always amazed when this film boasts "The Jeffersons'" Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford as co-stars, when their screen-time is probably less than a couple minutes put together! Made in 1979, this film is VERY `70s, but that's a huge part of the humor, of which there is plenty. This `70's humor was always greatly enforced by the fantastic "devil at the disco" dance scene set to the tune "I Love the Night Life." Tragically, in this DVD version (and on the old VHS too, so I hear) that perfectly chosen song has been replaced by a `70's love ballad that pales in comparison, especially since "I Love the Night Life" has forever been associated with the dance scene in this film by hardcore fans. Nevertheless, "Love At First Bite" on DVD remains a comedy must see, especially if you've enjoyed such films as "Young Frankenstein," "Transylvania 6-5000," and "Dracula, Dead and Loving It." The film is, thankfully, presented in widescreen and looks great, aside from the replaced song in the dance scene, and there is one extra feature: The theatrical trailer. It may not be the ideal "Love At First Bite" DVD, but if you can find it at a low price, it's a worthy buy that will provide plenty of laughs again and again. I've waited to own this movie on DVD for a long time! Now, I just wish they'd release "The Night Dracula Saved the World" (AKA "The Halloween That Almost Wasn't") and "The Monster Squad" on DVD!
Movie Review: Clever, Campy Spoof of Count Dracula & Pop Culture Circa 1979.
Summary: 4 Stars
Screenwriter Robert Kaufman's 1979 send-up of legend of Count Dracula doesn't stop at spoofing vampire lore. "Love at First Bite" lampoons religion, class, New York City's major ethnic groups, the blackout of 1977, and staples of 1970s culture like psychoanalysis, pill-popping, and the dilemmas of "liberated" women. And it's good-natured enough to avoid offending all but the most prickly viewers. Two different brands of decadence effectively send one another up as the aristocratic Old World Count finds himself among the swingers and hipsters of the 1970s. I don't know how "Love at First Bite" looks to someone who wasn't alive in the 1970s. Perhaps curiously eccentric. It might not strike the same chord as it did when it satirized contemporary American culture. But it's still fun, clever disco-era comedy.
A suave, inexplicably tan Count Vladimir Dracula (George Hamilton) is evicted from his ancestral home in Romania by the Communist party, which intends to turn his castle into a training camp for Olympic athletes. Faced with the prospect of life in a cramped, modern tenement, he chooses New York City instead, where he hopes to be reunited with the latest reincarnation of his beloved, a fashion model named Cindy Sondheim (Susan Saint James). So it's off to the big city with his comical zoophagous manservant Renfield (Arte Johnson) in tow. But Cindy's psychoanalyst sometimes-boyfriend, Jeffrey (Richard Benjamin), is the grandson of famous vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing and sees through Dracula's plans.
The DVD (MGM 2005): This is a 2-sided disc, with wide screen on one side and full screen on the other. The transfer is fine, but MGM was unable to obtain the rights to Alicia Bridges' song "I Love the Nightlife", so it has been replaced with a cover of "The Man That I Love" in the disco dancing scene. This is unfortunate, since "I Love the Nightlife" was the film's de facto theme song -although not its official theme song. The only bonus feature is a theatrical trailer (3 minutes). Subtitles are available in English, French, and Spanish.
Movie Review: Long awaited dvd release of a great spoof
Summary: 4 Stars
Plot synopsis: Dracula, ousted from Transylvania by the government, goes to New York to seek out his idol, fashion magazine model Cindy Sondheim. Arriving, his assistant (Renfeld) locates her and the Count meets her at last in a New York nightclub. Her (sometimes) boyfriend, Dr Rosenberg - a descendant of adversary Van Helsing - learns that Dracula is back and battles the Count for the affections and life of his Cindy with the aid of NY detective Lieutenant Ferguson.
Love at First Bite is a classic Dracula spoof starring George Hamilton as Dracula. His `dead pan' performance of the main character is perfectly offset by Arte Johnson's Renfeld and Benjamin's Rosenberg.
Recently released on dvd, this was a much waited for film to add to my collection. I was somewhat disappointed by the nightclub scene where Hamilton meets his object of affection, Cindy Sondheim. The original music (I Love the Nightlife) was perfect -- I mean PERFECT -- for the scene, but was replaced by a mellower tune. I'm not sure why the distributor did this, but it ruined that scene for me. Oddly enough, the trailer included on the disk has the orginal music. Go figure.
Still, this is a great film to watch. Richard Benjamin's portrayal of a Jewish descendant of Van Helsing will keep you in stitches as he matches wits (and witticisms) with Dracula in a running battle over Cindy.
The dvd itself is crisp and clear, the soundtrack of high quality. Too bad about the song.
By the way, if you search the Internet Movie Database for this film and look through the comments on it, you'll find someone who claims they are in the process of producing a version with the original song edited back in. I have written him, but received no response. Maybe you'll have more luck.
Recommended with some reservation.
~pjm~
Movie Review: Halloween Parody
Summary: 4 Stars
This 1979 film satirizes the original `Dracula' story by bringing it into a modern setting. The Romanian government has expropriated the Dracula to turn it into a training camp for youths, [Fresh blood?] Where can an old aristocrat find a political refuge? New York city is the answer. There is an amusing mix-up of caskets, and jokes, that might not be used today. Dracula's servant Renfield visits the modeling agency that owns Cindy Sondheim; Dracula has fallen in love with her and wants to meet her. The sight gags are funny. Modern CGI would improve the special effects from the dark ages of Hollywood.
Dracula visits a private club in the 1970s Disco era. He meets Cindy, and they dance under a spotlight. Back at her apartment Dracula does not drink wine or smoke. Cindy's analyst (and sometimes boyfriend) discovers the bites on her neck. He is a grandson of the famous Van Helsing and know what is going on. There is a funny scene in a restaurant, and another in a police station. Doctor Jeffrey's efforts are not appreciated in the today's world. His failed attempts recall `Inspector Clouseau' The modern world does not work well for vampire hunters. Doctor Jeffrey winds up in a padded cell. But Lt. Ferguson shows up to rescue him, and another rescue is attempted. There is a chase through New York streets to the airport. But Dracula and Cindy fly off into the night for an ending that is a letdown.
There are two problems in this ending. First, even at 50 MPH air speed these two bats won't arrive in England before sunrise. The sun's rays should cause them to crumble into dust. Second, their bodies don't have enough stored energy to allow for a 3,000 mile flight. They will crash in mid-ocean. [I calculated this on my slide rule.]