In the early 1920s, genius director F.W. Murnau (John Malkovich) dreams of making a terrifying vampire film inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Meeting Max Shreck (Willem Dafoe), he is in no doubt that he has met his perfect leading man. But as Shreck’s behaviour becomes more and more bizarre, Murnau begins to suspect that all is not as it seems, and that his star may be a real-life vampire. But he will stop at nothing in pursuit of his vision, putting everyone on the shoot in danger.
A brilliant upending of moviemaking myths and the silent era from director E. Elias Merhige (Begotten), Shadow of the Vampire tells an alternative story of the making of a horror classic. Led by phenomenal turns from Malkovich as the mad scientist-like director and Dafoe as the monstrous, bloodthirsty Schreck, it would earn Dafoe an Oscar nomination. Ripe for rediscovery and rarely seen on the big screen, we present Shadow of the Vampire from the producer’s own 35mm print.
With thanks to producer Richard Johns for facilitating this screening.