LOVE AT FIRST BITE

US, 1979, 94 minutes, Colour.
George Hamilton, Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin, Dick Shawn, Arte Johnson.
Directed by Stan Dragoti.

Love at First Bite was very successful on its first release – even obtaining a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a comedy for George Hamilton (not a likely contender for best actor awards). However, George Hamilton is suave and enjoys himself as a contemporary Count Dracula who has to move out of his castle in Transylvania and finds himself in 1970s New York. He is infatuated with a model, played by Susan Saint James. However, she is also attached to Doctor Jeffery Rosenberg, a distant relation of Van Helsing. He is played by Richard Benjamin. Arte Johnson plays Mr Renfield, mimicking the performance by Dwight Frye in the Dracula film of 1930 with Bela Lugosi.

The film is a variation on the Dracula story as well as a spoof. It is very amusing – and the stars work well. It has a famous scene of the 1970s New York disco life, ‘I Love the Night Life’.

The film was directed by Stan Dragoti who made half a dozen films in the 1970s and 1980s. He wrote the revisionist look at Billy the Kid, Dirty Little Billy, with Michael J. Pollard as well as directing Mr Mom and The Man with the One Red Shoe.

1. The humour of the title? The popularity of Dracula and Dracula films? The aura of the character and the film tradition? The background of the living dead, evil, sex and violence and popular myth?

2. The compliment of a spoof? The quality of this parody, how funny, clever, topical? The main ingredients of the parody and satire?

3. The background of Transylvania and the overtones of the Dracula myth? The humour of romance and remoteness and the expulsion of Dracula by the Communists? The Gothic tones? The contrast with the 20th century, the United States, New York, the disco modern atmosphere? The score and the songs?

4. George Hamilton's impact as Dracula? His appearance, accent, style? Renfeld and the tradition of Dracula's servant? The conventions of the horror characters?

5. How well did the film establish Dracula and his appearance. clothes, aura, castle and coffin, his memories and reminiscences, jokes about his age, allusions to the tradition? The humour of his having to leave, the confrontation of his enemies and the overtones of the early horror films?

6. The transition to the United States and Dracula adapting, looking up colloquial American? The humorous mix-up of the coffin and the black funeral service and Dracula rising? The hotel? His walking in Harlem and encountering the blacks? The humorous points being made about the old world and the new?

7. Dracula's fascination with Cindy? The girl of his dreams and memories? The seeing of her posing and his wanting to look, the urinating dog and his changing into the dog? His presentation of himself at the restaurant, dancing, fascinating her, conversation? Her taking him home, her changing her appearance? The love and the bite? The sexual overtones of the bite? Cindy's character, her appearance, beauty or not?

8. Ordinariness? The contrast of her relationship with Jeff and her psychiatry sessions? The visits of Dracula and her falling in love with him? Her being kidnapped by Jefft the sequence in the lift, the taxi ride to Kennedy Airport, her having to make the choice and going off with him as a bat into the moonlight? An appropriate spoof heroine for this kind of film?

8. Jeff and his background of psychiatry? His session, fascination with Cindy, her owing him money? His going to the restaurant and the various threats and attempts to expose Dracula? His going to Ferguson and persuading him to let Russell go, telling his story? The incredibility of his telling the story? His finding ways to kill a vampire? His decision to kidnap Cindy and the incident in the lift? The pursuit with Ferguson on the bike? The choice at the end and his thinking that he loved her, yet being satisfied with the cloak? His Jewish background and the comments of the lady in the lift? The points being made about psychology and myths and American interest in psychology? The humour of Jeff being Van Helsing's grandson?

9. The character of Renfeld and his jokes, eating the animals, watching the movie on the plane, the T.V. ad against bugs, the snake and the confrontation of Cindy's boss, the corny and witty humour in his character and his participation in the plot and his helping of Dracula?

10. Ferguson, the picture of the police, his being persuaded by Jeff to let Russell go and changing his mind? His reaction to the blackout and people looting? His pursuit of Dracula on the bike? His wanting the cloak for his anniversary?

11. The film was built up with many humorous incidents ? the quality of the incidents and their humour, satire? The dialogue and its humour both witty and corny?

12. A glimpse of the United States and points being made about it via the parody of Dracula being there?

13. How much insight does a spoof provide while making an audience laugh?