THE PLOT THUS FAR
LOVE AT FIRST BITE
George Hamilton is possibly the tannest vampire in screen history in 1979’s Love at First Bite. When Count Dracula (Hamilton) is forced out of his castle to make room for an Olympic training facility, he relocates to New York City in search of discos, blood banks, and the fashion model who just might be the girl of his dreams. Will the Count take a bite out of the big apple: or will its mean streets take a bite out of him? Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin, Arte Johnson, Dick Shawn and The Jeffersons’ Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford also star in this outrageous romance about a guy who really loves the nightlife.
ONCE BITTEN
Jim Carrey is necking with a vampire in Once Bitten, a 1985 teen comedy also starring Lauren Hutton, Karen Kopins, and Cleavon Little (Blazing Saddles). When a vampire Countess (Hutton) seeks virgin blood, she soon discovers that it’s not as easy to come by as it was in the good old days! When she crosses paths with the still-virginal Mark Kendall (Carrey in one of his earliest screen roles), it ’s a race against time to get to him before he gets it on. Once Bitten is a totally 80s teen vampire flick where the bloodsuckers don’t sparkle, but the comedy most certainly does.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Love at First Bite” is a George Hamilton vehicle that guest stars The Jeffersons. Let that one soak in for a bit. I can’t think of another movie that screams 1979 as loudly as this one. The feature had to have been dated about a month after its release, but I kinda dig Hamilton as a vampire. At its most primal level, Dracula is just a tale about people wanting to bone in a restricted society. That doesn’t excuse the fact that the Count gets tossed out of Romania because Communists want to turn his home into an Olympic training gym. A grain of salt is needed with this one.
“Once Bitten” is mid 80s teen sex comedy fare, but Lauren Hutton plays a gap toothed vampire. I guess she’s the first since Max Schreck, but she does the best she can with the vampiric cougar role. A young Jim Carrey works himself as a leading man and you can see a glimmer of what was to come. Still, it’s a fairly typical affair that doesn’t tug on the brain.
The Blu-Ray comes with radio spots and trailers as the special features. The A/V Quality is strong enough for horror comedies of their era. The 1080p transfers sport minimal noise. The DTS-HD mono tracks are appropriate for their era. But, I could’ve sworn that Once Bitten was a stereo mix. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: 02/10/2015