Artivels Undescribable Perfection

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Cineanalyst I've been seeking out Dracula movies since reading Bram Stoker's novel, and I've now seen five from 1979 alone. "Dracula Bites the Big Apple" is certainly the smallest of these pictures, both in production and runtime. Its parody is similar to "Love at First Bite," another Dracula parody from 1979. In both films, Dracula extends his trip to the West farther than had Stoker's original character--all the way to New York. In both films, his travels are aided by Renfield. Moreover, both films find much of their humor in Dracula's adjustments in the New World, both fire the gags with rapid fire--some miss, some are dated, but most of them hit--and I think that both parodies are rather cathartic experiences after having also viewed the two disappointing major dramatic Dracula movies of 1979, Universal's Disco Dracula starring Frank Langella and Werner Herzog's dreary Nosferatu remake.Neither comedy specifically parodies either of the dramatic Dracula films of the year (and they may've been made before one or both of them--I haven't checked production or release dates), but both contain bits that mock the kind of filmmaking done in the dramatic versions. In "Love at First Bite," the tanned George Hamilton seems no more ridiculous than Langella's boyishly-handsome vamp--fashioned as he is in the style of 1979 instead of the film's early-20th-Century setting. Moreover, the mutual fun of the two leads in "Love at First Bite" is so much better than the dime-romance-novel misogyny of the Universal film. "Dracula Bites the Big Apple," on the other hand, opens with images of corpses and a brooding Drac quoting Hamlet--the film's only scene photographed in black-and-white. It's the kind of ponderous, if not pretentious, filmmaking that bogged down Herzog's "Nosferatu," which also opens with images of corpses and features a dour vampire and drab cinematography.Both comedies are silly fun without reference to the other films, though. Besides the twist on the location of Dracula's Western invasion, "Dracula Bites the Big Apple" doesn't have the heft or length to do much more of interest in regards to reworking Stoker's character as with "Love at First Bite" and other feature-length Dracula movies, but it gets quite a few laughs out of common Dracula elements: his fellow fliers all leave the plane rubbing their bitten necks, the bits regarding his lost coffin and his cape being spray painted by a graffitist. Other bits aren't specific to the Dracula persona. The best part might be when Dracula leads New Yorkers in a musical number of "Dancing in the Moonlight," including an interruption for Dracula to break the fourth wall.(Mirror Note: No mirror shots, but Dracula's inability to be photographed is employed for a brief gag.)

gavin6942 Dracula (Peter Loewy) travels to New York for a change of scenery.In retrospect, this film is perhaps best known for opening the door to "Vamp". But, really, it is a fine film in its own right, and in some ways far funnier. Both Dracula and Renfield are fun, corny characters. This could have been a cheap-looking film,but actually ends up looking pretty darn good for a small project.The real mystery, at least to me, is how they got away with the music rights. Presumably, the first time around, they just used music and didn't bother to pay anyone. But what about in future DVD and Blu-ray releases? Other films have been held up for music rights (heck, "Freaks and Geeks" was bogged down hard)... so how did they do it?

movieman_kev Located as an extra on the Special edition DVD of the movie "Vamp", this 22 minute short is what got Wenk the job doing that film in the first place. It has to do with Count Dracula leaving Thansyvania for New York for it's "pulsating night life". Watching it in 2005, it has dated well at all and is way too shrouded in the '70's a decade that any sane person wish didn't exist due to the crappy music, fashion, presidents, and narcissistic attitude. Yup, I loathe the "me decade" with a passion. What does this have to do with the film you ask? Well i'm stretching to meet the 10 minimum line requirement, which is hard to do when dealing with ultra-crappy short films.My Grade: F

moose_malone I'm baffled as to how this bonnefied masterpiece has gone unnoticed by movie goers and critics alike. It is one of those few films that will genuinley change your life and your outlook on the human condition. From the opening credits you know this is no mere movie, not just pictures on a screen. It's a poigniant tale of an outsider, a loner in a new and strange land. Dracula is missunderstood, that's what this film's all about, if we could just see beyond the teeth and the outragious accent, perhaps we'd see a man as frightened as the rest of us, just searching a big world for a little love. It's a message we'd all do well to take note of, don't just let this movie teach you to look beyond the assumptions you've made about undead counts, let it help you to do the same with all the creatures of the night, be it werewolves, zombies or just really big cats. So go, see Dracula Bites the Big Apple, and let it teach you, let it mesmerise you and let it be free..........please, just let it be free. Dracula bit the big apple, and in doing so, bit his way into our hearts. May you leave the cinema enlightened having experienced the beauty, the magic and the chins, this 'fish out of water' masterpiece has to offer. Go now! BE FREE! DRACULA HAS RELEASED HIS CHILDREN!!!