#5 - Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
The premise of this film is brilliant - that F.W. Murnau used an actual vampire in the filming of Nosferatu - but I feel like it has huge potential that is never really met. Don't get me wrong though, I enjoy it a lot and have a huge soft spot for it. Willem Dafoe is amazing and hilarious as Count Orlok, and John Malkovich plays a great obsessed genius.
I think the flaw here is that the premise is totally absurd but is played straight for most of the movie. I like that the humor is subtle, and wouldn't want it to be wacky slapstick or anything, but it feels like the movie tries way too hard to stay serious when it would be better served by going along with the absurdity a little bit more.
Anyway, recommended for fans of Nosferatu and/or dark comedies. This is a good film that could have been a great one, but it is definitely worth seeing for Dafoe's performance alone.
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