release year: 2000
genre: vampire drama
viewing setting: theater, 2/1/2001
what I expected: no idea
what I got: one of the most interesting and eerie documentaries I'll ever see
synopsis: Remeber that groundbreaking silent horror movie from 1922, Nosferatu? Well, this is a fictional documentary of the making of it, with one twist: the director used a real vampire for his lead.
impressions: Entertaining. This wasn't a vampire movie, not really, but it had those elements. It was more of a movie about a clash of wills and the making of movies (in general and in 1922.) It had scary moments, but also some surprisingly deep ones.
acting: As many have stated, Willem Dafoe did indeed give the performance of a lifetime here; his Schreck/Orlok is both creepy and human. John Malkovich was the insanely obsessed director F.W. Murnau.
final word: Worth seeing, whether you're a vampire fan, a moviemaking fan, or only a little of both.
rating: C+