Dance of the Vampires 1967 Ultimate Guide Magazine

Product Description

In production for 10th September 2026 shipping.

Looking for something special? Upgrade to the signed softback edition, hand-numbered out of 250 and complete with an exclusive art print.

Wrap up warm: the mountain roads are thick with snow and the coffins are creaking open once again. Our 1967 Ultimate Guide is the ideal companion to Dance of the Vampires – the film re-edited for American cinemas as The Fearless Vampire Killers – and the perfect way to rediscover Roman Polanski’s warm-hearted spoof of the Gothic vampire picture. This full-colour softback magazine sets expertly written articles alongside a generous spread of beautifully restored stills, walking you through the film’s making, its cheerful corner of vampire cinema, and the reasons it still charms audiences today. From a huddled village inn to Count von Krolock’s candlelit castle and its ball for the undead, it draws you into a world where nothing is ever as harmless as it seems – and, produced to our usual exacting standard, it is an essential, endlessly re-readable pick-up for any classic horror shelf.

A vampire hunt, a snowbound castle – and a ball for the damned

Snowbound Transylvania is no place for the faint-hearted, yet it fails to deter Professor Abronsius and his hapless assistant Alfred, who arrive at a remote inn on the trail of the creatures of the night. When the landlord’s beautiful daughter, Sarah, vanishes into the castle of the silky Count von Krolock – already busy readying his yearly midnight ball for the dead – the two give chase, blundering through crypts, coffins and candlelight as they go. Directed by and starring Polanski on his first truly generous budget in the glow of Repulsion’s success, Dance of the Vampires is at once a tender parody of the Hammer vampire pictures of the day and a lavish Gothic treat in its own right. This guide follows how its fairytale mood, wintry splendour and gentle mischief earned the film the loyal following it still enjoys.

Compelling articles that explore the film’s development

Inside, a sequence of absorbing, professionally written articles unpacks how Dance of the Vampires grew into one of vampire cinema’s most likeable curiosities. You will read about the casting and the day-to-day practicalities of the shoot, the screenplay Polanski wrote with Gérard Brach, and the strange fate the film met at the hands of its American distributor. Our thorough approach lays out the challenges and choices behind the scenes – among them the lavish English sets and the gruelling location work in the Italian Dolomites, where so many coffins were knocked together for the ball scene that innkeepers had to post notices assuring nervous visitors that the valley was free of plague. Topped off with a wealth of trivia, the Dance of the Vampires Ultimate Guide is a must-have for anyone with a taste for Gothic horror and the macabre.

Meet the cast and crew who created the movie’s dark magic

The guide also steps beyond the film to celebrate the people who made it. A set of engaging biography features presents the leading names: Jack MacGowran as the dithering Professor Abronsius, Polanski as the smitten Alfred, Ferdy Mayne as the urbane Count von Krolock, Alfie Bass as the incorrigible innkeeper Shagal, and Sharon Tate as the luminous Sarah – the role that first brought her together with her future husband, the director. The talents working out of shot are honoured as well, not least composer Krzysztof Komeda, whose haunting themes many count as the film’s crowning touch, and the celebrated cinematographer Douglas Slocombe. It is an ideal way to appreciate the artistry behind the picture, and there are a few surprises waiting to be found.

First-class production values in every page

Printed in A4 format (210mm x 297mm), this magazine has a solid front cover with a glossy finish that reflects the trouble we take over it, while the inner pages sit on fine silk stock paper with a soft sheen that is kind to the eye. Just as opulent and colour-drenched as von Krolock’s ballroom, Dance of the Vampires revels in snowy panoramas, ornate costumes and a playful wit – and that fairytale spirit runs through the timeless, understated page layouts, which summon the film’s atmosphere while keeping everything easy and inviting to read.

Breathtakingly restored imagery

Pictures are central to the appeal of this Dance of the Vampires magazine. Faithful to our rule of choosing only the strongest stills, each one has been carefully restored to look its finest in print. Our full-colour process lends every snow-swept ridge, dank crypt and cobwebbed cranny of the Count’s castle a warmth and depth that ordinary reproduction cannot match, so that not a single frame is short-changed.

Snow is piling against the shutters, and the lamps along the gallery were lit hours ago. The Count is courtesy itself, naturally, though it pays not to meet his eye too often, and the couples drifting onto the floor barely trouble the mirrors. Why not find a sheltered nook with the Ultimate Guide to Dance of the Vampires? Only mind the time as the ball whirls on – the sleigh stands ready outside, and the way down the mountain is long and bitterly cold…

Complete your vampire movie collection

If shadowy castles and midnight visitors are your kind of thing, these companion guides make natural partners to this one:

• Dracula 1958 Ultimate Guide
• The Hammer Vampire Films

Also available in other editions

Fancy a different format? You can also pick this guide up as:

• Signed softback collector’s edition – hand-numbered out of 250 worldwide, includes free art print
• Signed hardback collector’s edition – limited to 50 worldwide, includes free art print different from softback edition

Specifications:

• 36 pages
• A4 (210mm x 297mm)
• Full colour throughout
• Luxury gloss laminated cover
• Printed on fine silk stock paper