Dinner with a Vampire (1988)

I love this movie so much

Good concept, poorly executed.

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Dinner With a Vampire is a made for TV movie and it's directed by Lamberto Bava, so obviously you cant go into it expecting to see a film of the highest quality. While this is certainly not of the highest quality, for me the good ideas and interesting execution more than make up for that! I really can't say that I've seen every vampire film and read every bit of literature on the subject; and while I've seen similar ideas in other films, it really does have to be said that this is an original take on a subject that has been done to death - and you need at least credit the film with that. The film begins with a film crew that unwittingly unearths a one thousand year old vampire. Fast forward some years and the vampire is a successful horror film director who is holding auditions across the world for starring roles in his latest film. Four wannabe actors are chosen for the roles and make their way to his house - where they are informed that he is bored of his immortal life, and told that they have until dawn to kill him...or face a fate worse than death.The film is really more of a comedy than a horror film, and it has to be said that a lot of the comedy is misplaced - although it does have some amusing moments. The lead role is taken by George Hilton - an actor I'm more used to seeing playing suave leads in Giallo's. He's actually really good here - he's aged a bit since the seventies and really looks the part as the bored vampire. Naturally, the rest of the cast is barely worth a mention, but really this is Hilton's show anyway. Lamberto Bava is not as great a director as his father, but he does know how to build an atmosphere - and the setting here is really great; a lavish castle with a cobweb filled dungeon! It's well used too, which is a good job since the bulk of the film takes place in it. The best thing about Dinner With a Vampire for me is definitely the way it handles the vampire legend; parts of it are kept and other parts are lampooned, and overall Bava succeeds in creates a mythology all of his own. The story boils down to something of a predictable conclusion; although the way that the vampire is killed is really good and it's a lot of fun getting there. The film will not appeal to everyone, and indeed it doesn't exactly have a great reputation; but for me the style and execution more than outweighs the flaws, and I would recommend this film to any horror fan!

Dinner with a Vampire (1988) BOMB (out of 4) Italian horror film about some actors who goes to an old castle thinking they're going to be filming a horror movie but instead they meet a vampire who just happens to be hungry. I think Lamberto Bava has taken some unfair heat over the decades due to him not being as great as his father but I think he has managed some good films and a masterpiece in Demons. This here is certainly the worst film I've seen from him, the worst Italian horror film from this period and perhaps the worst vampire film. I really, really, really hated this movie from start to finish and was ready to claw my eyes out by the time we finally get to the ending. The entire film is just downright stupid and corny from start to finish and I'm sure this was meant as a horror/comedy but neither aspects work. The laughs are lame and the horror silly. There's a few minor gore scenes but nothing to get worked up over. The performances are all bad as is the direction for Bava doesn't show any of the style he usually brings to a film.

This is one hell of a Great movie. All of the characters are nice in some way and the actors does a OK but most certainly not a excellent job. In a Scooby Doo like style the movie is more a comedy than a real horror movie, and for a change it works well. Some minor gore is also in here, including torn out hearts and gory skeletons but those scenes are not much worse than the ones in any Indiana Jones movie. What i like so much about it is that it have this Hammer feeling into it but yet it stays fairly fresh and never gets boring with some typical 80s feeling mixed into the blend. i definitively recommend this to all those who like cheezy Italian movies and horror comedies.

The great master of horror movies from Europe, Lamberto Bava, really gets it going with this true-to-the-tone vampire NEW classic. The movie delivers it in great style with one of the most sexy vamps of all times, played by the beautiful Isabel Russinova, and classic vampire movies clichés, like the castle(a beautiful moorish/mediterranean one), the hunchback-like butler, the Christopher Lee alike main vampire. It sure ain't a movie that gets you scared, but if you're looking for fun and a Castlevania-like plot, this is the movie for you !