Nosferatu in Venice

Director(s) - Augusto Caminito (Grandi Cacciatori, Maschi e Femmine), Klaus Kinski, Maurizio Lucidi (Street People, Hot Blooded Boarding School), and Luigi Cozzi (Hercules, Devil Fish)

Starring - Klaus Kinski (Nosferatu the Vampire, Jack the Ripper), Barbara De Rossi (Stay as You Are, The Cricket), and Yorgo Voyagis (The Odyssey, Killer Kid)

Release Date - 1988

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Klaus Kinski is a name that many genre fans know but have chose to forget in recent years after the sexual abuse claims from his daughter.  A despicable as they are I can't help but wonder how a film like Nosferatu in Venice came to be released.  Don't get me wrong, I've very much grateful for the hard work that Severin put into their release but the film itself is extremely controversial for a number of reasons so it's no wonder that I'm shocked Severin was able to give this film an amazing blu release.  I want to thank Severin for sending this one my way to review.

     The film follows an educated man who is searching for Nosferatu who was last seen at a carnival in the late 1700s.  His search is successful and he learns that Nosferatu has awakened and is yearning for true death which can only come at the hands of his true love.

     Nosferatu in Venice was controversial at the time of it's release and even more so now with recent claims of Kinski's incestuous relationship with his daughter.  The film was originally meant to be an unofficial sequel to Kinski's Nosferatu the Vampyre.  The filming was plagued with issues from Kinski butting heads with the director, the original director being fired after filming a few scenes, and Kinski sexually abusing actresses during their scenes.  Issues aside, it was a very eerie and well put together late 80s horror film.  The acting in this one is pretty solid but some of the cast was a bit underwhelming while Kinski feels extremely distant.  The supporting cast does a solid enough job but some of the cast is a little inconsistent.  The characters are still fun but some of the scenes, especially the controversial sex scenes, are awkward or uncomfortable to watch.  Kinksi, on the other hand, does not deliver the performance many fans of Vampyre would expect.  It's as if his heart wasn't in the role.  He feels distant and not in it for the right reasons.  The story for this one is stretched extremely thin and a little hectic at times but if you stick with it you will find something worth your time in the end.  The horror aspect just isn't what you would expect.  It flows more like a dark drama or thriller with extremely long and uncomfortable sex scenes.  I liked the supernatural aspect and the way the vampire can be killed but the story is stretched longer than it should be.  It's roughly and hour and a half but if you remove the long, drawn out scenes you would get a solid hour film.  It would have been so much more enjoyable if those scenes were cut.  Finally, the film has some blood but if you are looking for gore you will be disappointed.  Kinski looks great as Nosferatu but he doesn't look as menacing as Vampyre.  The make-up effects look great but it does look like a quicker make-up job than the original film.  Overall, Nosferatu in Venice is not the quintessential Kinski film but it does have it's moments.  I enjoyed it but viewers should still note the films controversial history.  The blu looks great with Severin doing a phenomenal job.  Check it out.