Director: Roman Polanski
Cast: Jack MacGowran, Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate, Alfie Bass
Have I Seen it Before: Never. Everyone keeps muttering about it as a good example of the horror chops that Polanski would eventually bring to bear on Rosemary’s Baby (1968) with the absurdist comic instincts turned up. This doesn’t even cover it being the only film featuring Tate directed by her husband before her murder. It remains as a pop cultural curiosity for those reasons alone, and definitely stayed on the radar for me as a potential movie to recommend for Beyond the Cabin in the Woods.
Did I Like It: Not really, no. I’m resolutely of the opinion having now seen the film that it is a pop cultural curiosity not because of its place in Tate or Polanski’s career, but just because it is the one moment of intersection. I’ll admit that Polanski does create a visually interesting style and mood for his vampire comedy, and indeed more so than any other horror comedy of the era outside of Young Frankenstein (1974). The cold Transylvania night depicted here is merciless and frightening, perhaps even more so than a lot of straight horror films.
I think the problem is that for all his skills as a filmmaker (and despite his failings as a person) Polanski isn’t much of a leading man, and even less of a comedic one. He hasn’t done much acting beyond the stray cameo since this film, so I tend to believe that he would agree with me on that assessment.
A weak performance at the center of the film would be difficult to overcome, but I’m not finding hardly anyone else very funny as the film unfurls. Tate had been funny in other films, notably in The Wrecking Crew (1968), but she is an object to be simultaneously worshipped and feared here. The rest of the cast mumbles their way through the assignment, but I couldn’t find a truly comedic performance in the lot. The only time I chuckled was an extended bit in an atrium. If you find yourself watching the film, you’ll know the scene I’m talking about and can be reasonably confident you don’t need to watch much further.