Read more Photo Gallery Vampires Scary movies Shadow's revisionist conceit will prove irresistible to lovers of horror lore as well as to those who think overindulged auteurs take themselves way too seriously. Even the elaborate opening credits hypnotize the viewer into a state of otherworldliness. To make it all the more surreal, footage of the original Nosferatu is spliced in. John Malkovich initially monopolizes the goings-on as Murnau, as pretentious as he is dictatorial. He confounds his cast and crew even before he introduces them to his strange thespian find.
Matters grow weirder when the shoot moves to the gloomy Czech countryside.
At first all are impressed by Schreck's dedication as he always stays in character. But, unable to control his urges, he starts sniffing out on-set snacks. Director E. Elias Merhige, far better at setting a foreboding mood than at pacing, and writer Steven Katz suck the premise dry long before their grotesque fantasy concludes. Nor is Vampire scary, except maybe to manicurists when they get a gander at Schreck's talons. But individual moments do resonate, especially when Malkovich and Dafoe throw hissy fits and struggle over control of the production.