Transylvania Twist

Dexter Ward (Steve Altman) goes to his uncle Ephram's funeral- and is told about "The Book of Ulthar"- an ancient book which has the power to raise an ancient evil demon. (Uncle Ephram, it turns out, isn't really dead!) He tells Dexter that he had lent the book to a man named Marinus Orlock some years ago, and had never got it back. So, Dexter goes to Transylvania with Marinus' daughter, Marissa (Teri Copley), and a vampire hunter, Victor van Helsing (Ace Mask). They end up in a spooky castle, in which Marissa's uncle Byron Orlock, now stays. The Book of Ulthar is hidden in the castle somewhere, and Dexter must find it before Byron does.

Surprisingly, this is a very funny and entertaining movie. It even includes footage of Boris Karloff from the movie "The Terror". The music score for Transylvania Twist was composed by Chuck Cirino, and it's very good. There are also some nice songs on the soundtrack. Writer R. J. Robertson appears as "Hans Phull". Watch the end credits too.

If you liked "Hot Shots!" or "The Naked Gun" or similar films, you'll like this one.

People always automatically think about "Scary Movie" and "Young Frankenstein" when mentioning the only successful horror spoofs, but the surprisingly enough the 80's brought forward a handful of worthwhile comedies that have been long forgotten by now, like "Student Bodies", Pandemonium" (both covering the territory of teen-slashers) and "Transylvania 6-5000" (similar to this movie). "Transylvania Twist" is easily the best of them all. Oh, and please note that "Saturday the 14th" is NOT part of this list.

This spoof reasonably succeeds well where others – especially the nowadays ones – fail embarrassingly: a witty script and a wide selection of gags and parody elements that are both clever and laugh-out-loud funny. The story (something about a librarian traveling to Transylvania to find a book that belongs to the evil Count Orlok) is unimportant but that actually doesn't bother you, as the velocity of the jokes is incredibly high and most of them are truly imaginative and spot-on. The comedy highlights include, for example, a randomly pointless interlude song about … a randomly pointless interlude song! You really have to listen carefully to the lyrics on that one; I swear you'll hurt your stomach laughing. There's also a downright fantastic collage of bit and pieces of Boris Karloff lines out of "The Terror" cut and edited into a conversation with this film's lead hero. Robert Vaughn receives top billing, and probably also a pay check that used up 50% of the film's budget, only to appear after more than an hour into the film. Horror cult icon Angus Scrimm has a delightful supportive role as Orlok's spontaneously vaporizing butler and, yes, there is a silly "Phantasm" tribute towards the infamous flying spheres. Sweet movie! Admittedly certain gags (like the game show of death, to name just one) feel a little overwrought and outstay their welcome, but those little flaws are easily forgiven.

I remembered a long time ago that I did enjoy Transylvanis Twist, and after re-watching it I still do. True, the characters are rather clichéd and while not awful to look at the low budget does show at times. However, the soundtrack is cool, the film is smartly written with amusing nods to recognisable horror figures/films and some very funny jokes. The stock footage may be too much occasionally, but still well-used and interesting and the story is always fun and rarely dull. The acting I thought was good also, Angus Schrimm and especially Ace Mask are hoots in their roles and Terri Copley is very sexy without being too vapid. Steve Altman does a good job making sure his character isn't too tiresome and Robert Vaughn while he's been better is still good value. All in all, a very entertaining movie. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This film is a huge valentine (in a nice, blood-red heart) for fans of 80's horror movies. The pre-credits sequence alone is great if you've seen (and enjoyed) Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The rest of the movie is wonderful too, the perfect film for those of us who have, alas, seen way too many horror movies and still think the world ought to work that way. Teri Copley and Monique Gabrielle are gorgeous, sexy and funny, and Angus Scrimm, "Ace Mask" (uh, okay, Mr. Mask) and Robert Vaughn acquit themselves well with the material. Male lead Steve Altman doesn't make himself too tiresome, which is better than I expected, and there's a nice out-take from the late great Boris Karloff. The plot? It's all over the place, yet familiar at the same time, and makes all the right moves. See it if you love horror movies, and if you don't love horror movies...well, what are you doing here anyway?

My review was written in March 1990 after a Times Square screening.

In regional release sans fanfare since October, "Transylvania Twist" is an occasionally hilarious horror spoof notable for the range of its comical targets. It has definite potential as a cult favorite in upcoming ancillary exposure.

Filmmaker Jim Wynorski and scripter R. J. Robertson normally take a tongue-in-cheek approach but here let all the stops out in silliness worthy of Mel Brooks (whose regular Howard Morris pops up in an effective supporting role). Their batting average on jokes is low; yet there're enough direct hits to carry the film.

Immediately with the teaser opening of perennial Wynorski starlet Monique Gabrielle (uncredited though in a big role) being stalked through the woods by Jason, Freddy Krueger and Leatherface, pic applies a scattershot approach delving into other genres as well. For example, a Transy cab driver launches into Robert De Niro's classic "You talkin' to me?" bit and a videotaped last will and testament turns into "The Newly Dead Game" spoof on tv.

Robert Vaughn, who got his start starring for producer Roger Corman in "Teenage Caveman" (1958), is delightful as a Dracula-styled vampire pronouncing the end of his last name Orlock with relish. His beautiful niece Teri Copley is an American singing star who travels to his castle in Transylvania upon the death of her father, accompanied by wise-cracking sidekick Steve Altman.

Mixed into the comic stew are many delightful reflexive bits: tracking camera that gets sidetracked on bodacious women passing by; a black & white sequence when stars visit a set that looks left over from "The Honeymooners" replete with a visit from an actor doing Art Carney as Ed Norton; and a terrifically editged appearance by the late Boris Karloff who interacts with Altman in the manner of Carl Reiner/Steve Martin's "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid".

Copley is a most alluring, dizzy blonde heroine, Altman makes the most of his turn doing impressions and intentionally bad jokes. Hip script makes numerous references to legendary horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. Angus Scrimm of "Phantasm" is cast as Vaughn's butler and effectively spoofs his previous films.

Tech credits are modest, with appropriate emphasis on stock footage taken from earlier Corman efforts.