"Love At First Bite" - A Review

A Review: Love At First Bite

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Love At First Bite premiered in 1979. It starred George Hamilton as Count Vladimir Dracula which, at the time, I thought was perfect "casting against type." After all, the man was – and still is - famous for a year-round suntan; not what you'd expect a vampire to sport .

The Plot in 20 Words or Less: Count Dracula moves to New York to find his Bride, after being forced to move out of his Transylvanian castle.

What That Means: Written off by many critics, this spoof of the vampire legend finds Count Dracula (George Hamilton) being evicted from his Transylvania estate when the Communists decide to nationalize his castle. What to do? With faithful toady Renfield (Arte Johnson) at his side, Dracula heads for New York City where he finds the vampire pickings radically different from those he's used to. In one of many classic gags, he ends up suffering the mother of all hangovers when his sinks his fangs into the neck of a bowery derelict. While in the Big Apple, Dracula sees an add featuring the popular (and beautiful) model Cindy Sondheim (Susan Saint James). She resembles the love of his youth and he uses all of his powers to get her to fall in love with him. Unfortunately, Cindy already has a boyfriend. Cindy's stuffy fiancé Dr. Jeff Rosenberg (Richard Benjamin), a descendant of Dracula's perennial foe Professor Van Helsing, knows what Dracula's up to and does his best to thwart the vampire's plan. Dracula finally meets Cindy and they go to her house, where he bites her once. All he must do is bite her twice more, and she will become his. But Cindy doesn't want commitment, just sex. (Where were girls like this when I was young? ) Eventually, Cindy realizes that she is in love too. The climax comes (no pun intended) when Cindy and Drac decide to go to England. As they head to the airport, with Rosenberg and the police hot on their heels, New York suffers a black out, grounding all flights. Standing on the tarmac, Cindy realizes that there is only one way out and consents to the last bite. They turn into bats and fly off into the ... moonset And they lived happily ever after - or did they?

My Review: Love At First Bite has maintained its popularity because of its campy nature and over-the-top humor. More than anything, you want a film to entertain and Love At First Bite does that and more. The humor Рwhile exaggerated and clich̩d at times Рis perfect for this type of parody. The plot, while simple, still remains satisfying both for its comedic situations and the fact that love wins out. The principal characters are engaging and the audience will always root for the underdog Рeven a fish-out-of-water love struck vampire. Watching this movie is both a treat and a retreat back to a time when it was OK to laugh at silliness and slap-stick.

My rating Although - as you can tell - I'm a big fan of this movie, it is a bit dated since it was designed to be contemporary in 1979. Still, those little details don't really affect the fun of this parody. If you've never seen this movie – or have fond memories of laughing out loud that didn't involve swearing or put down humor – this is a really, you should see it film. I promise that by the end, you'll find popcorn in your lap from laughing with you mouth full. What more can you ask?

Bonus - Fun Fact: George Hamilton has been very eager to make a sequel to Love At First Bite. He stated only last month: "It's terrific. It's all about old world school of Dracula in the Bela Lugosi 1940s up against the Twilight felons with humor, It's hard to do but it's great fun. I think 'Twilight' is a wonderful series of books. It's so important for these young girls with hormonal changes and this love that's worth giving your life for. But now I have to find a way to bring my 'Love At First Bite' character into that kind of story and make it funny and not be at all like 'Twilight' and I think I found a way to do that. One can only hope.

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Thank you for stopping by and reading my review. Please take a moment and leave a comment. I'd love to know your thoughts!

Ken