Once Mel Brooks proved that horror could be lampooned while also paid tribute, Hollywood followed suit with a lot of horror comedies that were sometimes mild spoofs and other times very heavy (“Transylvania Twist”) to the point where it was literally nothing but winks and gags. In either case, “Love at First Bite” took advantage of George Hamilton’s star power and put him front and center in a full fledged Dracula spoof.
Count Dracula (George Hamilton) is dismayed when the local Transylvanian Communist politburo informs him and his daffy bug eating aide Renfield (Arte Johnson) that they’ve been evicted from Dracula’s castle to make room for a new gymnastics center. Dracula is free to pursue his latest obsession, fashion model Cindy Sondheim (Susan Saint James), whom Dracula believes is the latest reincarnation of his age old love (including former incarnation Mina Harker). That sends the Count and Renfield to New York City, where the Count’s suave persona must deal with the trials and tribulations of an urban environment.
Meanwhile, Cindy becomes the object of affection by the Count, while her fiancé psychiatrist, Jeffrey Rosenberg (Richard Benjamin), who just happens to be the grandson of one Van Helsing, rushes to rescue. “Love at First Bite” isn’t a classic horror comedy, but it is one of the more notable of the decade that sure does try to grab a few giggles from its audience. George Hamilton is very good in the role, even if he’s a bit hammy. Otherwise it’s a solid artifact of the decade. Featured is the original trailer and original radio spots for “Love at First Bite.”
Okay, I’ll admit I love “Once Bitten” mainly because of the sentimental value. It’s a childhood favorite that, while not very funny, is still clever in its way. It’s also a part of that weird trend in the eighties where teens were becoming horror characters. There was “Teen Witch,” “Once Bitten,” “Zombie High,” and “I Was a Teenage Zombie.” We also had the very similar in tone “My Best Friend, The Vampire” from 1987. In either case, “Once Bitten” is very, very early Jim Carrey where his transformation in to a vampire is clunky allegory for losing his virginity, and being groomed by an older woman for the sexy time.
Lauren Hutton is the sexy Countess who seduces Carrey’s Mark Kendall and bites him, prompting a slow transformation as Countess sets out to drink his blood before Halloween ends. All in all, it’s pretty solid teen comedy with some numerous sexual jokes, plays on words, and double entendres. There’s even a dance number shoe horned in to the film. All said, I still have fun with “Once Bitten” as a fun raunchy horror comedy, and Cleavon Little is ahead of his time as Countess’ gay vampire assistant. If you’re a Carrey fan that has to see everything he’s ever been in, this should be fun. Featured on the “Once Bitten” side is the original trailer for the film.