Product Details

• Actors: Pia Degermark, Thomas Hunter, Yvor Murillo, Ingrid van Bergen, Joachim Kemmer
• Directors: Freddie Francis
• Writers: August Rieger, Karl-Heinz Hummel
• Producers: Pier A. Caminnecci
• Format: Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: German (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
• DVD Release Date: May 9, 2000
• Run Time: 102 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305808058
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,527 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Vampire Happening" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sexy American movie star Betty Williams (Pia Degermark from Elvira Madigan) flies to Transylvania to get a gander at her ancestral castle. While touring the torture chamber (which inspires kinky fantasies) and the family vault, she inadvertently unleashes her randy grandmother, Clairamonda, an ancient vampire and a brunette double to blonde Betty. A clumsy wig-swapping, door-slamming farce ensues, with Betty seducing a local schoolteacher, Clairamonda feasting on local lascivious monks, and a climactic vampire orgy at a bloodsuckers' ball where Betty finds herself the only fresh plasma in the building. Less a hippie vampire tale than a sexploitation knockoff of Roman Polanski's The Fearless Vampire Killers, this West German comedy features a spoofing performance from Ferdie Mayne, the vampire king from Polanski's film, as a groovy Dracula with an eye for female flesh. Former Hammer director and master cinematographer Freddie Francis shows little facility for comedy and exhibits none of his cinematographic skills in this crude but fitfully amusing farce. The leering performances make Benny Hill look subtle, the slapstick gags are undercut by indifferent execution, and the entire production lumbers under bad makeup and atrocious dubbing. Degermark, however, proves to be a good sport, giving a spirited performance while disrobing at almost every turn, and Mayne has a blast in an over-the-top turn as a deliciously decadent bloodsucker. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fangs for the Mammaries, May 8, 2006

By 

Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Vampire Happening (DVD)

A typical plot device has an American heiress arrive in Europe to look over an old castle she has inherited. The help is surprised when she arrives as she looks just like her grandmother who was supposedly a vampire. When trying to prove that vampires don't really exist, the new Countess accidently releases her vampire ancestor. Now with two look-alikes running around the confusion begins to build.

But with the vampire released, bodies begin to pile up. A monastery and a religious school offer up plenty of targets for the hungry vampire. Soon more vampires are running around. But attempts to eliminate the vampire seem to fail as no one can tell which is which. Eventually we get other vampires and even Count Dracula drops in for a visit. Soon it seems like the vampires are completely out of control but being a double does have its uses.

Slightly reminiscent of The Fearless Vampire Killers this film also uses a lot of humor and slapstick in its makeup. But unlike the Polanski film, these vampires are quite debauched. Living and undead seem to spend an awful lot of time running around topless. So much so that one wonders why this is not billed as some sort of nudie-cutie film. But whatever the reason, this film works. The blend of humor and horror is done just right. Both female leads are played by the same actress (the director's wife) so the deceptions work very well. I was expecting something a little less commendable but was pleasantly surprised. Check it out.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I Liked the picture on the box., September 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Vampire Happening (DVD)

Ok, I'll admit the picture on the dvd package made me buy this dvd. I must say, I didn't know what to expect. It was like a parody of a horror movie by Benny Hill. It was however, atmospheric, the scenery and music gave it a foreign feel. The story is a bit strange though, but if you don't take it too seriously, you'll have fun with it. This wouldn't win any awards, but I intend on keeping it in my collection just as a novelty.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Hip, Happening Vampires..., December 22, 2004

By 

Bindy Sue Frønkünschtein "bigfootsalienbaby" (under the rubble) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Vampire Happening (DVD)

Woo-hoo! Now, this is a classic! Yep, young, beautiful Betty Williams (Pia Degermark), international movie goddess has just returned to her ancestral home via Transylvania airlines. Upon arrival at the castle, Betty learns of the grim fate of her grandma, baroness Catali. It seems she was found in bed, naked, with two bitemarks on her neck. Luckily, granny is in the castle crypt, sealed in a coffin. Of course, she's a vampire, so the last few centuries have been VERY good to the old gal! The baroness (Pia Degermark again) gets up and starts hunting unsuspecting victims at the monastary next door. One particular monk ends up at the wrong end of her fangs and becomes one of the most annoying bloodsuckers ever filmed. He soon creeps (more like stumbles) into the nearby girl's school (on the other side of the castle) and feasts upon a sleeping, naked student. Soon, the vampires are all revved up and ready to party! Count Dracula himself shows up as guest of honor at the wild flesh-feast, where most of the babes are topless! Hot diggety! THE VAMPIRE HAPPENING is a goofy, inept monster comedy that has just enough nudity to (almost) make up for it's lack of a decent script. I recommend it as a triple feature with VAMPIRES NIGHT ORGY and INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS (GRAVEYARD TRAMPS)...