Vampyr

(1932) ****

The classiest old vampire film there ever was. Done by Carl Theodor Dreyer this film is a work of art. Allan Grey is staying at a remote inn when he starts seeing strange things. A man's shadow moving about while the man sits still, a strange and very creepy old dude who instills so much fear into him that he locks himself in his room.



During the night another old dude breaks into his room and warns him that he must make sure the girl doesn't die. Allan asks who he is but the man doesn't answer just leaves a mysterious package marked, "open after my death" before leaving. The following day Allan hears dogs and children but is told by the inn keeper there are no dogs or children there. He follows the shadows of what appears to be children to a nearby home, it's the home of the guy who left the package. The man's daughter is very ill and shortly after Allan's arrival he see's the man himself killed by a shadow.

He opens the package left by the man and it is a book all about vampires. He makes a connection between the girl's illness and the information in the book. He knows what needs to be done it's just a matter of rooting out the vampire that is the source of it all and driving a metal spike through the heart staking it to the ground and killing it for eternity.

I can't say enough about the beauty of this film. With such limited resources in 1932 it is simply amazing what Carl Dreyer was able to do. His work with shadows is captivating and there is an eerie dream sequence where Allen is transparent and he experiences his own death. I don't know where he found that old man in the beginning of the film but he's the creepiest old person I've seen since the old lady in "Living Hell" I just wished he had a bigger role in the film. The dvd also contains a short stop action animated film after "Vampyr" it's like the original "Toy Story". Hey JPX where can I get a burglar doll that comes equipped with a set of lock picks and a knife.