Once Bitten (1985 film)

Last updated

Once Bitten
Oncebittenposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Howard Storm
Screenplay by
Story byDimitri Villard
Produced by
  • Frank Hildebrand
  • Dimitri Villard
  • Robert Wald
Starring
Cinematography Adam Greenberg
Music by John Du Prez
Distributed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release date
  • November 15, 1985 (1985-11-15)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.2 million [1]
Box office$10 million (United States and Canada) [2]

Once Bitten is a 1985 American teen horror comedy film, starring Lauren Hutton, Jim Carrey, and Karen Kopins. [3] Carrey has his first major lead role playing Mark Kendall, an innocent and naive high school student who is seduced in a Hollywood nightclub by a sultry blonde countess (Hutton), who unknown to him is a centuries-old vampire. [4] While the film underperformed at the box office, it has since become a cult classic.

Contents

Plot

Being 400 years old, the Countess has collected a stable of young men and women who accompany her on her centuries-old journey through eternal life and youth. Though she is immortal, she is required to drink the blood of a young male virgin three times by Halloween each year to keep her immortality and her youthful appearance. She finds this task increasingly difficult, since attractive young male virgins are almost impossible to find in the 1980s, particularly in hedonistic cities, in this case, Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, virgin high school student Mark Kendall wants to have sex, but is being put off by his girlfriend Robin Pierce. One night, Mark and his best friends Jamie and Russ go into a singles bar in Hollywood. Mark meets the Countess, goes back to her mansion and after she seduces him, passes out when she bites his thigh. When he wakes up, she pretends they have had sex and tells him that he is now hers. Mark does not know what she means and, over the next few days, begins showing strange behaviors: having strange dreams, avoiding direct sunlight, and even drinking blood (from raw meat). After the Countess gets a second bite, Robin notices Mark's odd behavior and confronts the Countess during a dance-off at the high school's Halloween dance.

While it appears that Robin has won back Mark, this is only temporary. The Countess kidnaps Robin to lure Mark to her mansion for a final bite before her deadline expires, and it is up to Robin, Jamie, and Russ to stop her. Eventually, to save Mark from the Countess's clutches, Robin and Mark have sex in a coffin while being chased by the Countess's minions, thereby taking Mark's virginity, bringing him back to normal. This renders him useless to the Countess as she has to drink virgin blood. Defeated, the Countess then begins to grow old and decrepit before their eyes. The Countess's assistant, Sebastian, tells her not to worry as there are other virgins in the world despite the fact that the Countess doubts she will find another virgin. The movie ends with Mark and Robin continuing to have sex in the coffin.

Cast

The Countess's Vampires

Production

Once Bitten is the directorial debut of Howard Storm. [1] The movie was filmed over the course of 45 days in and around Los Angeles. [1]

Release

The film was released on November 15, 1985, on 1,095 screens, and opened at number one at the U.S. box office, grossing $4,025,657 for the weekend. [5] [2] It eventually earned around $10 million in the United States and Canada. [2]

Critical reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 10% based on 10 reviews, with an average score of 3.3/10. [6] On Metacritic, the film received a score of 64 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [7]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that it "has a lot more stylishness than wit." [8] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called it an "extreme rarity" for its subtle and hilarious sexual humor in a teen film. [9] Rita Kempley of The Washington Post described it as "a sappy, sophomoric sex farce" that uses dated humor. [10]

Home media

The film was first released on VHS in 1986 and on DVD on August 26, 2003. Scream Factory released the film on Blu-Ray on February 10, 2015. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Lee Curtis</span> American actress and author (born 1958)

Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress, producer, and children's author. Known for her performances in the horror and slasher genres, she is regarded as a scream queen, in addition to roles in comedies. Curtis has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as a nomination for a Grammy Award.

<i>Jagged Edge</i> (film) 1985 thriller film by Richard Marquand

Jagged Edge is a 1985 American neo-noir legal thriller film written by Joe Eszterhas, and directed by Richard Marquand, the last of his films to be released during his lifetime. The film stars Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Peter Coyote and Robert Loggia. A lawyer reluctantly takes the case of a man accused of killing his wife, but remains uncertain if he is guilty or not.

<i>Love at First Bite</i> 1979 American comedy horror film by Stan Dragoti

Love at First Bite is a 1979 American comedy horror film directed by Stan Dragoti and written by Robert Kaufman, using characters originally created by Bram Stoker. It stars George Hamilton, Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin, and Arte Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vampire film</span> Film genre

Vampire films have been a staple in world cinema since the era of silent films, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptation of vampire fiction has been from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, with over 170 versions to date. Running a distant second are adaptations of the 1872 novel Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.

John Du Prez is a British musician, conductor and composer. He was a member of the 1980s salsa-driven pop band Modern Romance and has since written several film scores including Oxford Blues (1984), Once Bitten, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), and the final Carry On film, Carry On Columbus (1992). He contributed to The Wild (2006) soundtrack.

<i>The Generals Daughter</i> (film) 1999 film by Simon West

The General's Daughter is a 1999 American mystery thriller film directed by Simon West from a screenplay co-written by Christopher Bertolini and William Goldman, based on the novel of the same name by Nelson DeMille. It stars John Travolta, Madeleine Stowe, James Cromwell, Timothy Hutton, Clarence Williams III, and James Woods. The plot concerns the mysterious death of the daughter of a prominent Army general. The General's Daughter received negative reviews from critics, but was a box-office success, grossing $149.7 million worldwide against an estimated budget of $60 to $95 million.

Jonathan Roberts is an American screenwriter, television producer and author. He is known for having co-written Disney's 1994 film The Lion King.

<i>Interview with the Vampire</i> (film) 1994 film directed by Neil Jordan

Interview with the Vampire is a 1994 American gothic horror film directed by Neil Jordan, based on Anne Rice's 1976 novel of the same name, and starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. It focuses on Lestat (Cruise) and Louis (Pitt), beginning with Louis's transformation into a vampire by Lestat in 1791. The film chronicles their time together, and their turning of young Claudia into a vampire. The narrative is framed by a present-day interview, in which Louis tells his story to a San Francisco reporter. The supporting cast features Antonio Banderas and Stephen Rea.

<i>Feds</i> (film) 1988 American comedy film by Daniel Goldberg

Feds is a 1988 American comedy film written and directed by Dan Goldberg, and starring Rebecca De Mornay and Mary Gross. The plot follows two women, the ex-Marine Ellie and Bryn Mawr graduate Janis, who aim to become FBI agents and enroll at the training center in Quantico. The ending credits stated the real FBI did not support the film or assist the production in any way.

<i>The Slumber Party Massacre</i> 1982 film by Amy Jones

The Slumber Party Massacre is a 1982 American slasher film produced and directed by Amy Jones and written by Rita Mae Brown. It is the first installment in the Slumber Party Massacre series, and stars Michelle Michaels, Robin Stille, and Michael Villella. The film follows a high school senior who gathers her friends for a slumber party, unaware that an escaped power drill-wielding killer is loose in the neighborhood.

Karen Kopins Shaw is an American beauty pageant winner, former actress and former model.

<i>18 Again!</i> 1988 film by Paul Flaherty

18 Again! is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy film directed by Paul Flaherty and starring George Burns and Charlie Schlatter. The plot involves a college student switching souls with his grandfather by means of an accident. The film is based on the song "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again" written by Sonny Throckmorton and recorded by Burns in 1979.

<i>Sweet Hearts Dance</i> 1988 film by Robert Greenwald

Sweet Hearts Dance is a 1988 American comedy drama film directed by Robert Greenwald. The screenplay by Ernest Thompson centers on two small town couples, one married for several years and the other at the beginning of their relationship.

<i>Worth Winning</i> 1989 film by Will Mackenzie

Worth Winning is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Will Mackenzie and starring Mark Harmon, Madeleine Stowe and Lesley Ann Warren. It was written by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott, based on the novel by Dan Lewandowski.

<i>Le frisson des vampires</i> 1971 French film

Le frisson des vampires is a 1971 film directed by Jean Rollin. It is his third vampire movie.

Howard Storm is an American film director, television director, and actor.

David Hines is an English writer, author and screenwriter. He is the author of the screenplay of the film Whore, directed by Ken Russell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Carrey filmography</span> Actor filmography

Jim Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian who has appeared in various feature films, television films/series, along with one video game appearance. He is one of the top-50 highest-grossing actors of all time at the North American box office, with over $2.5 billion total gross and an average of $94.3 million per film. He has been involved with thirteen films that grossed over $250 million at the worldwide box office; the highest-grossing film being Bruce Almighty. Carrey gained his first lead role on the short-lived television series The Duck Factory in 1984, playing a young cartoonist. His first starring role in film was the 1985 comedy horror Once Bitten, with Lauren Hutton as a vampire countess and Carrey playing her victim. He landed supporting roles in films, such as Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), The Dead Pool (1988) and Earth Girls Are Easy. In 1990, Carrey received his commercial breakthrough on Fox's In Living Color (1990–1994), where he displayed his character work.

<i>The Devils Wedding Night</i> 1973 Italian film

The Devil's Wedding Night is a 1973 Italian horror film directed by Luigi Batzella and Joe D'Amato and starring Mark Damon, Rosalba Neri, Esmeralda Barros, Francesca Romana Davila, and Ciro Papa

<i>Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?</i> (2016 film) 2016 US television thriller film by Melanie Aitkenhead

Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? is a 2016 American television thriller film directed by Melanie Aitkenhead, written by Amber Coney, and starring James Franco, Emily Meade, Tori Spelling, Leila George, Ivan Sergei, Nick Eversman, Emma Rigby, Amber Coney and Christie Lynn Smith. It is a remake of the 1996 film Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?, but with a vampire theme as well as original actors Tori Spelling and Ivan Sergei in different roles. The film premiered on Lifetime on June 18, 2016.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Shapiro, Marc (January 1989). "Once Bitten". Cinefantastique . Fourth Castle Micromedia. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Once Bitten". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  3. ↑ Maslin, Janet (November 15, 1985). "Once Bitten (1985) FILM: 'ONCE BITTEN,' VAMPIRE HUMOR". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ "B-Sides: Hands Off Jim Carrey, He Belongs to Me". Dread Central . 10 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Greenberg, James (November 20, 1985). "B.O. Starves; 'Once' Bows In 1st Place". Variety . p. 3.
  6. ↑ "Once Bitten (1985)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "Once Bitten Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  8. ↑ Maslin, Janet (1985-11-15). "FILM: 'ONCE BITTEN,' VAMPIRE HUMOR". The New York Times . Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  9. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (1985-11-15). "Movie Review : 'Once Bitten': Vampire Puts On Vamp". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  10. ↑ Kempley, Rita (1985-11-15). "'Once Bitten'? No Fangs". The Washington Post . Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  11. ↑ Scream Factory: Spirits, Vamps and New Year’s Classics On Blu-ray!
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.