This very funny and engaging 22 minute short feature spoof was made by director/producer Richard Wenk right after he graduated from New York University Film School. He shot it in three nights for only $5,500. Moreover, this short film helped Wenk land the job of writing and directing the supremely cool 80's horror comedy blast "Vamp" (it's included as a nifty extra on the Region 1 Anchor Bay DVD for "Vamp"). Fed-up with the dried-up old blood in his dreary native Translyvannia, Dracula hops a plane to America so he can take a big bite out of the famous City That Never Sleeps, only to find out much to his horror and chagrin that Gotham is too tough a modern metropolis for even him to easily handle. Wenk makes especially witty and inspired use of music: the Count arrives in the Big Apple via plane while an instrumental version of "I Love New York" plays on the soundtrack, heartily sings a funky disco revamp (a bad pun I know, but I just couldn't resist using it) of "Dancing in the Moonlight" that's rudely interrupted by the director (!) halfway through the number, and stalks a lovely potential lady victim in Central Park to Bernard Herrmann's legendary ominous "Psycho" theme. The single funniest moment occurs when Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell refuses to let Dracula into his notorious swingin' night club because he can't dance. Yeah, it's admittedly quite dated and silly, but this amiably goofy spoof has a certain sweetly inane charm which makes it a perfectly amusing little hoot just the same.
8 Reviews
Throwaway stuff but with some curio value for sure
Red-Barracuda10 August 2013
This short film was made in New York in 1979 at a time when the city had a thriving underground film-making culture. A lot of the short movies made at that time and place are now classified under the No Wave movement. Lots of them were subversive and daring but a few were just silly. I'm not 100% certain if Dracula Bites the Big Apple qualifies as a No Wave movie but it certainly shares a similar aesthetic and it does fit into the sillier side of the bracket. It is best known now as the film that got director Richard Wenk noticed, leading him to make the 80's comedy-horror Vamp, a film with some cult value.
Its story is very simple - Dracula takes a plane to New York to sample new blood but finds the late 70's Big Apple too much for even him. The emphasis in this one is squarely on humour not horror. Early on the Count starts up a big musical number, singing the awful song 'Dancing in the Moonlight' with a variety of passing New Yorkers. He then stalks a woman in the underground and Central Park but it ends in a big joke. The last straw for him is being refused entry to the Studio 54 disco nightclub by its owner Steve Rubell on the basis of him not being able to dance.
Like most short films it simply has not enough time to make any real impression. I suppose it does at least try to keep things moving along and it has been made on an absolute shoestring but it's a film that is only of limited interest. Probably ultimately of most value as a snapshot of late 70's New York.
Its story is very simple - Dracula takes a plane to New York to sample new blood but finds the late 70's Big Apple too much for even him. The emphasis in this one is squarely on humour not horror. Early on the Count starts up a big musical number, singing the awful song 'Dancing in the Moonlight' with a variety of passing New Yorkers. He then stalks a woman in the underground and Central Park but it ends in a big joke. The last straw for him is being refused entry to the Studio 54 disco nightclub by its owner Steve Rubell on the basis of him not being able to dance.
Like most short films it simply has not enough time to make any real impression. I suppose it does at least try to keep things moving along and it has been made on an absolute shoestring but it's a film that is only of limited interest. Probably ultimately of most value as a snapshot of late 70's New York.
A Timeless Time Capsule of NYC in the Late 70's
caspian19789 September 2021
As a filmmaker and an open minded critic, I felt devoted to having to write this review in this movie's defense. Because of a single stupid user reviewers who has deemed this musical comedy short terrible, it has lost a much deserved audience. Not only is this short worth watching more than once, it is a great example of what all independent, low budget, shorts should be. Besides successfully telling a great story, Dracula Bites the Big Apple showcases what NYC in the late 70's was like. Including, showcasing several NYC landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Studio 54, and area of Central Park and Coney Island, this movie has fun with its musical and comedic numbers. Richard Wenk does a terrific job directing his talents -Peter Loewy and Barry Gomolka. Having a cameo from Steve Rubell alone makes this short a must see. This was filmed on film. That alone puts this gem into a category of its own. The production value, concept and acting adds to this fantastic find. Those who critic this as anything terrible has no authority in doing so. In fact, Dracula Bites the Big Apple is a perfect example of what all independent films should be. It is original, fresh, funny. Real, and in the end, a true labor of love from those involved.
Drac bites off more then he could chew.
lost-in-limbo26 May 2007
The blood is lacking in Transylvania, so Dracula gets on a plane and heads to the night city New York for new blood. However to this city seems harder to dominate. This wonderfully winning 22-minute comic spoof short film was the starting point for director/writer Richard Wenk and would get the producers interested in him for creating their film "Vamp (1986)". It was shot in 3 nights for just over $5,000 after he graduated film school, and he cooks up a funky and odd episodic story, which is broken up by it's random nature and funny sight gags within the authentic locations of New York. The vivid nightlife backdrop comes across as a character of its own. The light-hearted, silly humour seems to hit the right spots and the inventive script is bursting with often funny lines. There's even an out-of-nowhere musical number of "dancing in the moonlight" that's rather amusing! Also Studio 54 and its owner Steve Rubell make an enjoyable appearance. Wenk keeps it moving at a brisk pace and does a stylish job with what his got to work with, and a pulsating music score with some nice familiar cues give it much added energy. Peter Loewy's pulpy performance is picture-perfect and always compelling as Dracula, which you're just waiting to see what he does next.
Rather Humorous Short
gavin694212 October 2016
Dracula (Peter Loewy) travels to New York for a change of scenery.
In retrospect, this film is perhaps best known for opening the door to "Vamp". But, really, it is a fine film in its own right, and in some ways far funnier. Both Dracula and Renfield are fun, corny characters. This could have been a cheap-looking film,but actually ends up looking pretty darn good for a small project.
The real mystery, at least to me, is how they got away with the music rights. Presumably, the first time around, they just used music and didn't bother to pay anyone. But what about in future DVD and Blu-ray releases? Other films have been held up for music rights (heck, "Freaks and Geeks" was bogged down hard)... so how did they do it?
In retrospect, this film is perhaps best known for opening the door to "Vamp". But, really, it is a fine film in its own right, and in some ways far funnier. Both Dracula and Renfield are fun, corny characters. This could have been a cheap-looking film,but actually ends up looking pretty darn good for a small project.
The real mystery, at least to me, is how they got away with the music rights. Presumably, the first time around, they just used music and didn't bother to pay anyone. But what about in future DVD and Blu-ray releases? Other films have been held up for music rights (heck, "Freaks and Geeks" was bogged down hard)... so how did they do it?
Love at First Bite Minus the Love
Cineanalyst26 June 2018
Seeking out Dracula movies since reading Bram Stoker's novel, I've now seen five from 1979 alone. "Dracula Bites the Big Apple" is certainly the smallest of these pictures, both in production and runtime. Its parody is similar to "Love at First Bite," another Dracula parody from 1979. In both, Dracula extends his trip to the West farther than had Stoker's original character--all the way to New York. Both have his travels aided by Renfield. Moreover, they likewise find much of their humor in Dracula's adjustments in the New World, both fire the gags rapidly--some miss, some are dated, but most of them hit--and I think that both parodies are rather cathartic experiences after having also viewed the two disappointing major dramatic Dracula movies of 1979, Universal's Disco Dracula starring Frank Langella and Werner Herzog's dreary Nosferatu remake.
Neither comedy specifically parodies either of the dramatic Dracula films of the year (and they may've been made before one or both of them--I haven't checked production or release dates), but both contain bits that mock the kind of filmmaking done in the dramatic versions. In "Love at First Bite," the tanned George Hamilton seems no more ridiculous than Langella's boyishly-handsome vamp--fashioned as he is in the style of 1979 instead of the film's early-20th-century setting. Moreover, the mutual fun of the two leads in "Love at First Bite" is so much better than the dime-romance-novel misogyny of the Universal picture. "Dracula Bites the Big Apple," on the other hand, opens with images of corpses and a brooding Drac quoting Hamlet--the film's only scene photographed in black-and-white. It's the kind of ponderous, if not pretentious, filmmaking that bogged down Herzog's "Nosferatu," which also opens with images of corpses and features a dour vampire and drab cinematography.
Both comedies are silly fun without reference to the other films, though. Besides the twist on the location of Dracula's Western invasion, "Dracula Bites the Big Apple" doesn't have the heft or length to do much more of interest in regards to reworking Stoker's character as with "Love at First Bite" and other feature-length Dracula movies, but it gets quite a few laughs out of common Dracula elements: his fellow fliers all leave the plane rubbing their bitten necks, the bits regarding his lost coffin and his cape being spray painted by a graffitist. Others aren't specific to the Dracula persona. The best part might be when Dracula leads New Yorkers in a musical number of "Dancing in the Moonlight," including an interruption for Dracula to break the fourth wall.
(Mirror Note: No mirror shots, but Dracula's inability to be photographed is employed for a brief gag.)
Neither comedy specifically parodies either of the dramatic Dracula films of the year (and they may've been made before one or both of them--I haven't checked production or release dates), but both contain bits that mock the kind of filmmaking done in the dramatic versions. In "Love at First Bite," the tanned George Hamilton seems no more ridiculous than Langella's boyishly-handsome vamp--fashioned as he is in the style of 1979 instead of the film's early-20th-century setting. Moreover, the mutual fun of the two leads in "Love at First Bite" is so much better than the dime-romance-novel misogyny of the Universal picture. "Dracula Bites the Big Apple," on the other hand, opens with images of corpses and a brooding Drac quoting Hamlet--the film's only scene photographed in black-and-white. It's the kind of ponderous, if not pretentious, filmmaking that bogged down Herzog's "Nosferatu," which also opens with images of corpses and features a dour vampire and drab cinematography.
Both comedies are silly fun without reference to the other films, though. Besides the twist on the location of Dracula's Western invasion, "Dracula Bites the Big Apple" doesn't have the heft or length to do much more of interest in regards to reworking Stoker's character as with "Love at First Bite" and other feature-length Dracula movies, but it gets quite a few laughs out of common Dracula elements: his fellow fliers all leave the plane rubbing their bitten necks, the bits regarding his lost coffin and his cape being spray painted by a graffitist. Others aren't specific to the Dracula persona. The best part might be when Dracula leads New Yorkers in a musical number of "Dancing in the Moonlight," including an interruption for Dracula to break the fourth wall.
(Mirror Note: No mirror shots, but Dracula's inability to be photographed is employed for a brief gag.)
Uplifting, beautiful.....truly a cinematic gem
moose_malone5 October 2003
I'm baffled as to how this bonnefied masterpiece has gone unnoticed by movie goers and critics alike. It is one of those few films that will genuinley change your life and your outlook on the human condition. From the opening credits you know this is no mere movie, not just pictures on a screen. It's a poigniant tale of an outsider, a loner in a new and strange land. Dracula is missunderstood, that's what this film's all about, if we could just see beyond the teeth and the outragious accent, perhaps we'd see a man as frightened as the rest of us, just searching a big world for a little love. It's a message we'd all do well to take note of, don't just let this movie teach you to look beyond the assumptions you've made about undead counts, let it help you to do the same with all the creatures of the night, be it werewolves, zombies or just really big cats. So go, see Dracula Bites the Big Apple, and let it teach you, let it mesmerise you and let it be free..........please, just let it be free. Dracula bit the big apple, and in doing so, bit his way into our hearts. May you leave the cinema enlightened having experienced the beauty, the magic and the chins, this 'fish out of water' masterpiece has to offer. Go now! BE FREE! DRACULA HAS RELEASED HIS CHILDREN!!!
Awfully dreadful and hideously dated
movieman_kev18 October 2005
Located as an extra on the Special edition DVD of the movie "Vamp", this 22 minute short is what got Wenk the job doing that film in the first place. It has to do with Count Dracula leaving Thansyvania for New York for it's "pulsating night life". Watching it in 2005, it has dated well at all and is way too shrouded in the '70's a decade that any sane person wish didn't exist due to the crappy music, fashion, presidents, and narcissistic attitude. Yup, I loathe the "me decade" with a passion. What does this have to do with the film you ask? Well i'm stretching to meet the 10 minimum line requirement, which is hard to do when dealing with ultra-crappy short films.
My Grade: F
My Grade: F
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