Love at First Bite (1979)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Stan Dragoti

Writers:

Robert Kaufman (screenplay)
Robert Kaufman (story)

Release Date:

27 April 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Your favorite pain in the neck is about to bite your funny bone!

Plot:

This vampire spoof has Count Dracula moving to New York to find his Bride, after being forced to move out of his Transylvanian castle...

Plot Keywords:

Dracula | New York | Vampire | Castle | Spoof

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

George Hamilton	...	Count Vladimir Dracula
Susan Saint James	...	Cindy Sondheim
Richard Benjamin	...	Dr. Jeffery Rosenberg / Van Helsing
Dick Shawn	...	Lieutenant Ferguson NYPD
Arte Johnson	...	Mr. Renfield
Sherman Hemsley	...	Reverend Mike
Isabel Sanford	...	Judge R. Thomas
Barry Gordon	...	Flashlight Vendor
Ronnie Schell	...	Guy in Elevator
Bob Basso	...	T.V. Repairman in Elevator
Bryan O'Byrne	...	Priest in Elevator
Michael Pataki	...	Mobster in Elevator
Hazel Shermet	...	Mrs. Knockwurst (Lady in Elevator)
Stanley Brock	...	Erwin Newman (Cab Driver)
Danny Dayton	...	Billy, first bellboy

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | West Germany:12 | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | UK:15 | USA:PG | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Melvin Simon Productions

Trivia:

For his role as Renfield, Arte Johnson is doing an impersonation of Dwight Frye's performance, especially the laugh, from the classic Universal version of Dracula (1931).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Count Dracula: Children of the night, shut up!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook (1991)

Soundtrack:

I Love The Night Life (Disco 'Round)

A rarity...a film with nary a distasteful moment!

Quite incredible this was made the same year as ALIEN. Seems a couple of generations earlier - a real throwback to 50's and 60's "family" movies.

Totally watchable and entertaining flick (which is somewhat MORE than can be said for Hamilton's follow-up, ZORRO THE GAY BLADE). The strength of the film lies in its principals. Hamilton as suave and out-of-the-20th-century-loop Count Vladimir Dracula, Susan St James in what was inarguably her best screen role as NY super model Cindy Sondheim, and ever-funny Richard Benjamin as Dr Jeffrey Rosenberg..a distant relation of Dr Van Helsing no less!

Both are in love with Cindy who is torn every which way emotionally, even allowing for her understandable concern as to the restrictive life of a bat in general. The interplay between Hamilton and Benjamin is often priceless. The film never really aims to be anything more than what it is - a lightweight romantic comedy with bite, and this becomes it well. Particularly cheerful little ending which adds pep!

Always to be remembered for the disco sequence and I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE which still conjures up for me so vividly those dance-floor scenes. No way a masterpiece - simply a film which holds very pleasant memories for many people I imagine!