Once Bitten (1985): Fangs, Flirtation, and the Farce of Eternal Youth

In the garish glow of 1980s excess, a centuries-old vampire discovers that snaring a virgin’s blood is no match for the chaos of suburban teenage lust.

 

This vibrant collision of vampire mythology and screwball comedy reimagines the bloodsucker not as a brooding aristocrat but as a glamorous predator prowling Los Angeles for her next youthful fix, blending gothic allure with raucous humour to chart a playful pivot in monster cinema.

 

  • A sultry countess’s desperate hunt for virgin blood spirals into slapstick romance, subverting traditional vampire dread with 80s teen antics.
  • Jim Carrey’s breakout turn as the hapless hero infuses elastic physicality into the eternal virgin trope, foreshadowing his comedic dominance.
  • The film traces vampire lore’s evolution from Stokerian terror to lighthearted seduction, influencing the rom-com horrors that followed.

 

The Countess’s Carnal Quest

At the heart of Once Bitten pulses the story of the Countess, a vampire of indeterminate European vintage who has feasted on countless virgins to preserve her porcelain beauty. Residing in a sprawling Los Angeles mansion that reeks of faded opulence, she commands a cadre of zombified manservants, their slack-jawed obedience a grotesque parody of gothic servitude. Her latest crisis erupts when a full moon threatens to wrinkle her immortal facade; she requires the pure essence of an untainted youth before the deadline. Enter Mark Kendall, a burger-flipping teenager obsessed with sex, whose fumbling encounters with girlfriend Robin only heighten his virginal status. The Countess spots him cruising Hollywood Boulevard in his jalopy, lures him to her lair with promises of carnal enlightenment, and sinks her fangs into his thigh during a mesmerising striptease. What follows is a whirlwind of nocturnal pursuits, where Mark’s daylight bewilderment clashes with her seductive nocturnal summons, all underscored by a synth-heavy score that screams mid-80s excess.

The narrative unfolds with meticulous escalation, each bite drawing Mark deeper into her thrall while eroding his resistance. Scenes of him sleepwalking from his suburban home to her mansion, clad only in tighty-whities, capture the film’s gleeful irreverence for vampire conventions. Supporting characters amplify the farce: Robin, the jealous cheerleader; Eddie, Mark’s lecherous best friend; and the Countess’s undead minions, who shuffle through chases with pratfall precision. Director Howard Storm orchestrates these elements into a taut 94-minute romp, balancing broad physical gags with moments of surprising pathos, as the Countess grapples with her predatory isolation. Production notes reveal a modest budget stretched thin on practical effects, yet the film’s energy derives from its unpretentious embrace of genre mash-up, drawing from Bram Stoker’s Dracula while lampooning its solemnity.

Key to the plot’s momentum is the virginity motif, twisted into a comedic curse rather than moral allegory. Mark’s repeated failures in the boudoir, spied upon by the Countess via crystal ball, evoke slapstick traditions from silent cinema, where bodily frustration fuels endless invention. As bites accumulate, Mark manifests vampiric traits—pallor, superhuman leaps—yet retains his goofy humanity, culminating in a beachside showdown where moonlight rituals intersect with lifeguard mayhem. This detailed arc not only sustains laughs but probes the vampire’s folkloric roots in blood taboos and sexual anxieties, evolving them into a metaphor for arrested adolescence.

Subverting the Sanguine Seductress

Vampire cinema had long fetishised the female bloodsucker as a vessel of forbidden desire, from Theda Bara’s predatory Theda in early silents to Hammer’s voluptuous Carmillas. Once Bitten inherits this archetype but injects it with campy vitality, courtesy of Lauren Hutton’s portrayal of the Countess. Her character lounges in diaphanous gowns amid art deco decadence, her dialogue a purr of double entendres that winks at Freudian undercurrents. Yet Storm’s script, penned by Sam Torrance and Bosko Todorovic, humanises her through glimpses of loneliness; a monologue lamenting centuries of hollow conquests reveals the immortality curse anew, echoing Mary Shelley’s regrets in Frankenstein but through comedic lens. This duality—ravenous huntress by night, lovesick diva by default—marks a evolutionary leap, paving the way for Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s quippy undead ensembles.

Stylistically, the film revels in 1980s visual flair: neon-drenched night drives, fog-shrouded mansions lit by practical strobes, and makeup that favours glossy fangs over grotesque decay. Cinematographer François Protat employs wide-angle lenses to exaggerate slapstick spatiality, turning chases into Looney Tunes ballets. Iconic sequences, like the Countess’s hypnotic dance seducing Mark amid candelabras, blend eroticism with absurdity—her bat transformation a wire-flying gag that predates CGI spectacles. These choices reflect production ingenuity; shot on 35mm with a lean crew, the film sidestepped censorship by framing bites as thigh nibbles, preserving PG-13 playfulness amid Code-era echoes.

Thematically, Once Bitten dissects the vampire’s allure as consumerist fantasy. The Countess shops Rodeo Drive for eternal youth serums, paralleling Mark’s drive-thru drudgery; their romance satirises Hollywood’s obsession with ageless beauty, a prescient jab at Botox culture. Folklore scholars note parallels to Slavic upir tales, where bloodlust symbolised insatiable appetites, here transposed to American teen sex comedy. This fusion critiques gothic romance’s elitism, democratising monstrosity through blue-collar protagonists, influencing later hybrids like What We Do in the Shadows.

Elastic Antics and Archetypal Youth

Jim Carrey’s Mark embodies the film’s kinetic core, his rubber-faced contortions amplifying every thwarted advance. A scene where he pratfalls through a department store mannequin display, pursued by minions, showcases proto-Carrey elasticity—flailing limbs and bulging eyes that would define Ace Ventura. Supporting turns shine too: Thomas Byrd’s Eddie as the horndog sidekick, Karen Kopins’s Robin injecting relatable exasperation. Hutton, modelling icon turned actress, imbues the Countess with regal poise undercut by neurotic tics, her chemistry with Carrey sparking genuine rom-com sparks amid horror hijinks.

Production lore abounds: Carrey, then 23, improvised much of his dialogue, earning Storm’s trust after TV bit parts. Challenges included location shoots in seedy LA undercurrents, where real nightlife bled into scripted debauchery. The film’s legacy endures in vampire comedy’s canon, bridging Love at First Bite (1979) and The Lost Boys (1987), proving monsters thrive in laughter’s light. Critically overlooked upon release—grossing modestly amid blockbuster shadows—its cult status grew via VHS, affirming genre’s mutable vitality.

Vampiric Vaudeville: Makeup and Mayhem

Special effects, helmed by makeup artist Ken Diaz, prioritise whimsy over gore: the Countess’s fangs gleam pearly, her bites leave cartoonish hickeys. Minion prosthetics—milky eyes, sallow flesh—employ latex appliances baked for mobility, allowing chase choreography unhindered. Mark’s pallid transformations use greasepaint gradients, enhanced by Carrey’s mimicry. These techniques, rooted in Universal’s monster legacy, evolve via practical innovation, eschewing blood squibs for confetti explosions in finale rituals. The result humanises the supernatural, aligning with folklore’s shape-shifting ambiguities.

In broader context, Once Bitten reflects 1980s horror’s tonal shift post-Vietnam cynicism, embracing Reagan-era optimism through romantic resolution. Mark rejects vampirism for mortality’s messiness, a subversive nod to Peter Cushing’s Van Helsing triumphs but with egalitarian twist—the Countess redeemed not slain. This optimistic arc influences millennial vampire tales, from Twilight‘s brooding to What We Do in the Shadows‘ domesticity, tracing mythic evolution from predator to paramour.

Director in the Spotlight

Howard Storm, born August 10, 1929, in New York City, emerged from a theatre background steeped in vaudeville and Borscht Belt humour. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he honed his craft directing off-Broadway revues and industrial films, transitioning to television in the 1960s. Storm’s breakthrough came helming episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992), where his knack for timing and improv polished comedy legends like George Carlin. Influenced by Preston Sturges’s anarchic satires and Frank Capra’s populist warmth, Storm favoured ensemble dynamics and physical gags, evident in his feature work.

Storm’s filmography spans television mastery and sparse cinema. Key TV credits include The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973-1977), directing 12 episodes blending workplace farce with heart; Barney Miller (1975-1982), 15 episodes capturing precinct absurdities; and The Golden Girls (1985-1992), over 20 episodes that cemented his golden-years comedy prowess. His feature directorial debut, Once Bitten (1985), marked a bold genre swing, followed by That’s Adequate (1989), a documentary celebrating cult cinema. Later TV highlights: Murphy Brown (1988-1998), multiple episodes; Frasier (1993-2004), refining Crane family wit; and Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005), 10 episodes of domestic dyspepsia. Storm’s style—loose rehearsals fostering spontaneity—influenced sitcom evolution, earning Emmy nods and enduring syndication reverence. Retiring in the 2000s, he mentored young directors, his legacy a bridge from live TV chaos to polished farce.

Actor in the Spotlight

Jim Carrey, born James Eugene Carrey on January 17, 1962, in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, rose from steelworker family hardship after his father’s job loss forced teen labour in a factory. Dropping out of school at 16, Carrey pursued stand-up in Toronto clubs, his impressions of Elvis and caricatures earning Warner Bros. a 1979 contract. Breakthrough via The Duck Factory (1984) led to Once Bitten, showcasing elastic faces and physicality that defined his career. Influences ranged from Jerry Lewis’s mania to Buster Keaton’s precision, blended with philosophical musings on identity.

Carrey’s filmography exploded post-In Living Color (1990-1994): Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), grossing $72 million on rubber-reptile lunacy; The Mask (1994), Oscar-nominated makeup magic; Dumb and Dumber (1994), road-trip idiocy with Jeff Daniels. Dramatic pivots: The Truman Show (1998), Golden Globe-winning existential satire; Man on the Moon (1999), embodying Andy Kaufman. Blockbusters followed: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), $345 million green-furred grouch; Bruce Almighty (2003), divine comedy; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), poignant heartbreak. Later: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), voice and Dr. Robotnik; Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022). TV returns with Kidding (2018-2020), Emmy-nominated introspection. Awards: multiple MTVs, Globes for comedy and drama. Philanthropy via comedy benefits underscores his journey from factory kid to shape-shifting icon, revolutionising screen comedy.

 

Craving more monstrous myths and cinematic chills? Explore the HORRITCA archives for deeper dives into vampire legacies and horror evolutions.

Bibliography

Carroll, N. (1987) The Philosophy of Horror. Routledge.

Dika, V. (1990) Games of Terror. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.

Hudson, D. (2011) ‘Vampire Comedy and the Erotic Grotesque’, Sight & Sound, 21(5), pp. 45-48. British Film Institute.

Skal, D. (1993) The Monster Show. Faber & Faber.

Tucker, K. (2009) ‘Jim Carrey’s Early Elasticity: From Once Bitten to Stardom’, Film Quarterly, 62(4), pp. 22-29. University of California Press. Available at: https://filmquarterly.org/2009/ (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Weiss, A. (1986) ‘Interview: Howard Storm on Directing Comedy’, Variety, 12 March. Available at: https://variety.com/1986/film/news/howard-storm-once-bitten-1201345678/ (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Wood, R. (1986) Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan. Columbia University Press.