Another episode that is pretty silly but again it manages to be somewhat entertaining based off of the performances. It's far from the best the show has offered but there is a lot worse out there too. I'd give it a shot especially if you are into vampires.
Tales from the Darkside (TV Series)
My Ghostwriter - The Vampire (1987)
User Reviews
Review this title7 Reviews
A good vampire episode.
TOMNEL2 August 2006
A struggling writer is approached by a vampire who wants him to write this vampire's life story. Inreturn he will make him immortal. Once the book is written and this man is popular again, the vampire returns and wants a share. I can't say that this is a particularly memorable episode, but it had me thoroughly entertained by the nice gore makeup and the fine acting. This season has a bit too many vampire episodes for this one to work, but it's still a fun episode and is well directed. This can be found on Tales from the Darkside volume 4 on VHS!!
My rating: Good episode. 23 mins. TV PG V
My rating: Good episode. 23 mins. TV PG V
Tales from the Darkside: My Ghostwriter - The Vampire
Scarecrow-8829 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Clever satire on the Dracula legend, the familiar tropes are slightly updated to the 80s sensibility. A no-good, no-account writer of horror novels (Jeff Conaway), pretty much a thief of ideas from everyone but his own, is actually visited by a genuine vampire, Count Draco (Ray Dotrice, of the television show, Beauty and the Beast). Draco has a proposition: he'll share 900 years of his life as a member of the undead if Conaway's Peter Prentice provides him a hideout during the daylight hours. Well, sure enough, Peter wants the vampire out of his life after depriving Draco of "12 novels worth of material", but ending this association won't be easy. With Jillie Mack as Peter's assistant, she basically supplied him most of the material that was featured in at least four novels prior to Draco's involvement. She wants her royalties and will be suing him. However, she might just have another partner when all is said and done.
Conaway is fun as a hack horror novelist with no scruples, only interested in the dollars from book sales and the fame that comes with them, willing to steal from any source until he is through with whoever provides him the goods. Dotrice fulfills the requirements of a European Gothic Count, complete with the décor, stance, and mannered speech, not mincing words, only dictating to Conaway the bare essentials the two share in their partnership. Perturbed that Peter is profiting so extensively off of his life, with nothing but a hidden room for sleep as a reward, Draco makes demands well someone so self-centered and self-absorbed as Peter isn't about to share. Hence, the battle between the two after the partnership dissolves in an ugly confrontation. Peter will attempt to use the very weapons against the vampire Draco supplied him for novels! How Draco turns the tables on him thanks in part to Mack's Jayne's timely arrival (and a small cut) is a satisfying "change in partnership", mainly in part due to Conaway's heel. Conaway was always gifted with this energy in his acting and that is also the case in this episode. It was nice to still see him in his prime, too. The comedy tone is perfect for Conaway, and his awareness of how to play the part made this an entertaining experience to me. I don't mind using icons of horror literature to satirize our culture (in this case a fraud leeching off others and claiming the fame for himself). I think this episode of Tales from the Darkside does that well. The daylight and silver danger to the vampire and the casket being corrupted by Conaway are expected (a vampire no longer needed is bound to face destruction due to the methods were are used to), as is the body turned to ash (and blood resurrecting a vampire, for that matter), but how the episode is wrapped up is something more modern. Another solid episode that seemed to rebound from a rather shaky start.
Conaway is fun as a hack horror novelist with no scruples, only interested in the dollars from book sales and the fame that comes with them, willing to steal from any source until he is through with whoever provides him the goods. Dotrice fulfills the requirements of a European Gothic Count, complete with the décor, stance, and mannered speech, not mincing words, only dictating to Conaway the bare essentials the two share in their partnership. Perturbed that Peter is profiting so extensively off of his life, with nothing but a hidden room for sleep as a reward, Draco makes demands well someone so self-centered and self-absorbed as Peter isn't about to share. Hence, the battle between the two after the partnership dissolves in an ugly confrontation. Peter will attempt to use the very weapons against the vampire Draco supplied him for novels! How Draco turns the tables on him thanks in part to Mack's Jayne's timely arrival (and a small cut) is a satisfying "change in partnership", mainly in part due to Conaway's heel. Conaway was always gifted with this energy in his acting and that is also the case in this episode. It was nice to still see him in his prime, too. The comedy tone is perfect for Conaway, and his awareness of how to play the part made this an entertaining experience to me. I don't mind using icons of horror literature to satirize our culture (in this case a fraud leeching off others and claiming the fame for himself). I think this episode of Tales from the Darkside does that well. The daylight and silver danger to the vampire and the casket being corrupted by Conaway are expected (a vampire no longer needed is bound to face destruction due to the methods were are used to), as is the body turned to ash (and blood resurrecting a vampire, for that matter), but how the episode is wrapped up is something more modern. Another solid episode that seemed to rebound from a rather shaky start.
Learn how to write a novel from hands on experience!
blanbrn25 July 2008
This "TFTD" episode titled "My Ghostwriter-The Vampire" was one of the better ones for it's spooky yet campy feel as the episode would take a twist in the end and prove that those who seek greed will pay dearly with the price of blood! Jeff Conaway is Peter a struggling vampire horror novelist writer who's running out of ideas and stories he really needs to make it seem real where the readers will believe more of his stories. His only other hobby is his sleeping around with his tramp and slut type of a girlfriend Jayne(Jillie Mack). Then one night appears an actual Vampire named Draco(Roy Dotrice)who starts to tell him actual stories and tales of the real life vampire way. Soon these details go into his next novel work, and you guessed it bloody success only the greed sets in as the profits don't want to be shared and in the end it proves greed doesn't work. Overall good episode despite it's camp and humor.
Entertaining episode
Woodyanders17 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Frustrated hack horror writer Peter Prentice (a solid and energetic performance by Jeff Conaway) strikes a deal with vampire Count Jeffrey Draco (splendidly played with plummy aplomb by Roy Dotrice), who lets Prentice use his real-life exploits as fodder for a novel. However, Prentice eventually discovers that there's a heavy price to pay for this dangerous collaboration. Director Frank De Palma relates the highly enjoyable story at a quick pace, maintains an engaging tongue-in-cheek campy tone throughout, and gets several big laughs from the amusing sense of inspired quirky humor. Peter O'Keefe's clever script pokes witty fun at both standard vampire lore and the literary creative process (since he's bereft of any creativity, Prentice always steals ideas from other sources). Dotrice brings real class and elegant presence to his colorful bloodsucker character. Jillie Mack contributes a lively turn as Prentice's sassy and opinionated assistant Jayne. The special effects are pretty simple, yet still do the trick. Nice ending, too. A neat show.
Another nonsensical Dracula story
Leofwine_draca17 June 2015
Dracula's name was really dragged through the mud in the 1980s by American producers, wasn't it? Here's another silly story that does a massive disservice to the ferocious creature of the Bram Stoker novel, instead presenting him as a lovable, blood-drinking grandfather figure. They could have picked worse actors to play him than Roy Dotrice, but the way the character is written is still a disappointment.
The tale involves an obnoxious writer who finds himself stuck for inspiration, so he strikes a deal with the Count: he'll give the vampire bed and board in return for access to the vampire's 900 year-old stories. Inevitably things go wrong, with various characters double crossing one another, and there's a woman with an annoying Cockney accent thrown into the mix. As usual, the spoofery makes this a silly and trivial effort.
The tale involves an obnoxious writer who finds himself stuck for inspiration, so he strikes a deal with the Count: he'll give the vampire bed and board in return for access to the vampire's 900 year-old stories. Inevitably things go wrong, with various characters double crossing one another, and there's a woman with an annoying Cockney accent thrown into the mix. As usual, the spoofery makes this a silly and trivial effort.
Another average Tales from the Darkside episode.
poolandrews26 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Tales from the Darkside: My Ghostwriter - The Vampire starts as horror book author Peter Prentiss (Jeff Conaway) gets a visit by the real life 900 year old Vampire Count Draco (Roy Dotrice) who needs a place to sleep during the day. In exchange for safe sanctuary Count Draco agrees to give Peter plenty of stories from his 900 year existence with which to write his book around. When the book becomes a big success both Count Draco & Peter decide to alter the deal...
Episode 14 from season 3 this Tales from the Darkside story originally aired in the US during February 1987, directed by Frank De Palma this is an OK episode but nothing amazing. The script by Peter O'Keefe is a fairly blatant rip-off of Anne Rice's novel Interview with a Vampire which itself was turned into a sumptuous film in 1994. Obviously Tales from the Darkside didn't have any sort of budget so there's no elaborate flashbacks or anything & since it was made during the 80's there's the cold hard cynical subplot & twist about greed. There's nothing overly wrong with My Ghostwriter - The Vampire but there's not much to it & although it's watchable it's ultimately forgettable with another predictable & flat ending.
Set entirely in the same apartment there's a bit of blood but nothing too graphic. The acting is alright with TV regular Jeff Conaway playing the lead.
My Ghostwriter - The Vampire is yet another strictly average Tales from the Darkside episode, I really don't see why this series has so many fans since so many episodes were either just poor or average.
Episode 14 from season 3 this Tales from the Darkside story originally aired in the US during February 1987, directed by Frank De Palma this is an OK episode but nothing amazing. The script by Peter O'Keefe is a fairly blatant rip-off of Anne Rice's novel Interview with a Vampire which itself was turned into a sumptuous film in 1994. Obviously Tales from the Darkside didn't have any sort of budget so there's no elaborate flashbacks or anything & since it was made during the 80's there's the cold hard cynical subplot & twist about greed. There's nothing overly wrong with My Ghostwriter - The Vampire but there's not much to it & although it's watchable it's ultimately forgettable with another predictable & flat ending.
Set entirely in the same apartment there's a bit of blood but nothing too graphic. The acting is alright with TV regular Jeff Conaway playing the lead.
My Ghostwriter - The Vampire is yet another strictly average Tales from the Darkside episode, I really don't see why this series has so many fans since so many episodes were either just poor or average.
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