Review: 'Nosferatu In Venice' a Fiendish Patchwork

Many tales have been told about the final years of Klaus Kinski, the volatile actor with an unmistakable presence. Some directors would be able to channel the chaotic, psychopathic energy Kinski gave off into something productive, while others failed. And as he progressed in age, he sank further into his own ego. One of the infamous productions Kinski was blamed for ruining was 1988's "Nosferatu in Venice," a slapdash Italian horror film that circulated as "Vampires in Venice," or "Vampire in Venice," depending on what territory you lived in at the time of its release.

Severin Films brings "Nosferatu in Venice" to Blu-ray with a generally pleasing 1080p presentation sourced from a 2K scan of the original camera negative. As you'll be able to clearly tell when you watch the film, there were multiple directors involved in the project because of Kinski driving the first director to quit. But even with the sometimes-uneven aesthetic, the visuals transfer over well. There are also some outtakes, and a full-length documentary on Kinski's final years, all of which makes for some fun viewing.

Professor Paris Catalano (Christopher Plummer) is driven into a battle with the undead when Nosferatu (Klaus Kinski) is awakened in modern-day Venice to find himself starving for blood and flesh. Oh, and the spitting image of Nosferatu's long-lost love, Letizia, is living in the house he wakes up in. Chaos naturally ensues.

At the point of "Nosferatu in Venice," Kinski had become repellent to any and all collaborators, even going as far as directing shots himself when he didn't like what the director was telling him to do. That certainly shows here, as Kinski is mugging so hard that you can barely call it a performance. It's all bloated swagger and presence, which might have been fine in a film that had conviction in its storytelling, but a lot of this is patchwork of what could have been. Unfortunately, much of that can be blamed on Kinski.

That being said, the film does have moments of genuine interest and it succeeds a bit in having good atmosphere. Plus, this is most likely the best the film will ever look at home, and the special features – especially the documentary on Kinski's final years – are worth your time. If you're a fan of Severin's release slate, I don't see you being disappointed by their efforts to make this mess of a film look its best.

Other special features include:
� Outtakes
� Trailer

"Nosferatu in Venice" is on Blu-ray from Severin Films on March 30th.