{"id":33110,"date":"2015-03-11T02:09:39","date_gmt":"2015-03-11T06:09:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=33110"},"modified":"2020-04-19T02:14:24","modified_gmt":"2020-04-19T06:14:24","slug":"love-at-first-bite-1979-once-bitten-1985-blu-ray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2015\/03\/11\/love-at-first-bite-1979-once-bitten-1985-blu-ray\/","title":{"rendered":"Love at First Bite (1979)\/ Once Bitten (1985) [Blu-Ray]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>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 (\u201cTransylvania Twist\u201d) to the point where it was literally nothing but winks and gags. In either case, \u201cLove at First Bite\u201d took advantage of George Hamilton\u2019s star power and put him front and center in a full fledged Dracula spoof.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Cindy becomes the object of affection by the Count, while her fianc\u00e9 psychiatrist, Jeffrey Rosenberg (Richard Benjamin), who just happens to be the grandson of one Van Helsing, rushes to rescue. \u201cLove at First Bite\u201d isn\u2019t 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\u2019s a bit hammy. Otherwise it\u2019s a solid artifact of the decade. Featured is the original trailer and original radio spots for \u201cLove at First Bite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Okay, I\u2019ll admit I love \u201cOnce Bitten\u201d mainly because of the sentimental value. It\u2019s a childhood favorite that, while not very funny, is still clever in its way. It\u2019s also a part of that weird trend in the eighties where teens were becoming horror characters. There was \u201cTeen Witch,\u201d \u201cOnce Bitten,\u201d \u201cZombie High,\u201d and \u201cI Was a Teenage Zombie.\u201d We also had the very similar in tone \u201cMy Best Friend, The Vampire\u201d from 1987. In either case, \u201cOnce Bitten\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

Lauren Hutton is the sexy Countess who seduces Carrey\u2019s Mark Kendall and bites him, prompting a slow transformation as Countess sets out to drink his blood before Halloween ends. All in all, it\u2019s pretty solid teen comedy with some numerous sexual jokes, plays on words, and double entendres. There\u2019s even a dance number shoe horned in to the film. All said, I still have fun with \u201cOnce Bitten\u201d as a fun raunchy horror comedy, and Cleavon Little is ahead of his time as Countess\u2019 gay vampire assistant. If you\u2019re a Carrey fan that has to see everything he\u2019s ever been in, this should be fun. Featured on the \u201cOnce Bitten\u201d side is the original trailer for the film.<\/p>\n