The first Tuesday's Overlooked Film during this year's Countdown to Halloween is the 1972 horror movie Grave of the Vampire.
Grave of the Vampire stars Michael Pataki as the titular vampire, who was originally of legend centuries ago, yet somehow becomes a rapist and murderer in 20th century America (stay with me). After he is seemingly killed in Boston and buried in California (???), he rises from his grave when disturbed by a couple getting romantic in the cemetery. The vampire kills the man and rapes the woman, who is impregnated by him and raises their son on her own blood.
Please continue to stay with me.
The boy grows into a man on a quest to find and kill his vampire father, who is masquerading as a professor of the occult at a college. The class takes part in a seance, at which Pataki is exposed for the bloodsucker he is and has a final showdown with his son.
This is a lot to take in, I know.
This is an odd story to be sure, but is actually slightly endearing because of it. File this as one of those movies where you can't look away for no other reason than to witness the strange story choices made. When I saw this movie last month, I was surprised to see the screenwriter's name--David Chase.
Yes, that David Chase.
Not only did he write the screenplay, he adapted it from his own novel The Still Life. Chase would later become a story editor on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, then The Rockford Files, and the rest is history.
If you're intrigued by Grave of the Vampire, here is the film in its entirety. Enjoy! For more Overlooked movies, TV series, and other finds, check out Todd Mason's blog Sweet Freedom!
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