Shadow of the Vampire [2000] John Malkovich

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0189998/


Shadow of the Vampire (2000) is an American horror film directed by E. Elias Merhige and written by Steven A. Katz, and starring John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe and Udo Kier. The film is a fictionalized account of the making of the classic vampire film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, directed by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, in which the film crew begin to suspect that their lead actor is not all that he seems. The film borrows the techniques of silent films, including the use of intertitles to explain elided action and iris lenses. The scenes of Nosferatu being filmed are shot in black and white.


John Malkovich ... Murnau
Willem Dafoe ... Schreck
Udo Kier ... Grau
Cary Elwes ... Wagner
Catherine McCormack ... Greta
Eddie Izzard ... Gustav
Aden Gillett ... Galeen
Nicholas Elliott ... Paul (as Nicholas Elliot)
Ronan Vibert ... Muller
Sophie Langevin ... Elke
Myriam Muller ... Maria
Milos Hlavac ... Innkeeper (as Milos Hlavak)


The film was produced by Nicolas Cage's Saturn Films. Members of the online community "The HollyWood Stock Exchange" were able to donate a small sum towards the film's production, in exchange for listing their name on the DVD release of the film as "Virtual producers."

Critical reaction to Shadow of the Vampire has been mostly positive, with the film earning a rating of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert gave the film 3½ stars out of 4, writing that "director E. Elias Merhige and his writer, Steven Katz, do two things at the same time. They make a vampire movie of their own, and they tell a backstage story about the measures that a director will take to realize his vision", and that Dafoe "embodies the Schreck of Nosferatu so uncannily that when real scenes from the silent classic are slipped into the frame, we don't notice a difference." Ebert later placed the film on his list of "The Best 10 Movies of 2000", writing of Dafoe's "astonishing performance" and of the film, "Avoiding the pitfall of irony; it plays the material straight, which is truly scary."

Academy Awards, USA
2001 Nominated Oscar Best Actor in a Supporting Role Willem Dafoe
2001 Nominated Oscar Best Makeup Ann Buchanan Amber Sibley

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
2001 Won Saturn Award Best Supporting Actor Willem Dafoe
2001 Won Saturn Award Special Award For its behind-the-scenes take on director F.W. Murnau's classic vampire movie Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922).
2001 Nominated Saturn Award Best Costumes Caroline de Vivaise
2001 Nominated Saturn Award Best Make-Up Ann Buchanan Amber Sibley

Avignon Film Festival
2000 Won Prix Tournage USA E. Elias Merhige

Bram Stoker Awards
2001 Won Bram Stoker Award Screenplay Steven Katz

Camerimage
2001 Nominated Golden Frog Lou Bogue

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
2001 Nominated CFCA Award Best Supporting Actor Willem Dafoe

Chlotrudis Awards
2002 Nominated Chlotrudis Award Best Supporting Actor Willem Dafoe


Fantasporto
2001 Won International Fantasy Film Award Best Actor Willem Dafoe
2001 Nominated International Fantasy Film Award Best Film E. Elias Merhige

Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival
2000 Won President Award Outstanding Creative Performance Willem Dafoe

Golden Globes, USA
2001 Nominated Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Willem Dafoe

Independent Spirit Awards
2001 Won Independent Spirit Award Best Supporting Male Willem Dafoe
2001 Nominated Independent Spirit Award Best Cinematography Lou Bogue

International Horror Guild
2001 Nominated IHG Award Best Movie

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
2000 Won LAFCA Award Best Supporting Actor Willem Dafoe

Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA
2001 Nominated Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing - Foreign Feature Nigel Heath (supervising sound editor) Julian Slater (sound effects editor) Arthur Graley (foley editor)
James Feltham (adr editor/dialogue editor)

Online Film Critics Society Awards
2001 Nominated OFCS Award Best Supporting Actor Willem Dafoe

Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
2001 Won PFCS Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role Willem Dafoe
2001 Nominated PFCS Award Best Makeup Katja Reinert-Alexis

Satellite Awards
Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s)
2001 Won Golden Satellite Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical Willem Dafoe

Screen Actors Guild Awards
2001 Nominated Actor Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Willem Dafoe


Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival
2000 Won Gran Angular Award Best Actor Willem Dafoe
2000 Won Special Mention E. Elias Merhige
2000 Nominated Best Film E. Elias Merhige

Stockholm Film Festival
2000 Nominated Bronze Horse E. Elias Merhige