The Little Vampire (2000)

Director:

Uli Edel

Writers (WGA):

Angela Sommer-Bodenburg (novel)
Karey Kirkpatrick (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 October 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

They're not just best friends. They're blood brothers.

Plot:

A lonely boy becomes best friends with a vampire.

Plot Keywords:

Horror For Kids | Boy Pretending To Be A Vampire | Reverse Footage | Child Vampire | Children

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Jonathan Lipnicki	...	Tony Thompson
Richard E. Grant	...	Frederick Sackville-Bagg
Jim Carter	...	Rookery
Alice Krige	...	Freda Sackville-Bagg
Pamela Gidley	...	Dottie Thompson
Tommy Hinkley	...	Bob Thompson
Anna Popplewell	...	Anna Sackville-Bagg
Dean Cook	...	Gregory Sackville-Bagg
Rollo Weeks	...	Rudolph Sackville-Bagg
John Wood	...	Lord McAshton
Ed Stoppard	...	Von Sackville-Bagg
Jake D'Arcy	...	Farmer McClaughlin
Iain De Caestecker	...	Nigel
Scott Fletcher	...	Flint
Johnny Meres	...	Teacher

Also Known As:

Kleine Vampir, Der (Germany)
Kleine vampier, De (Netherlands)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild peril.

Runtime:

95 min | Spain:91 min

Country:

Germany | Netherlands | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #37513) | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Malaysia:18SG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Netherlands:AL | Peru:PT | Spain:T | UK:U | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Culross, Fife, Scotland, UK

Company:

Avrora Media

Trivia:

The family name "Sackville-Bagg" in this film is a reference to J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit", as Bilbo and Frodo Baggins are related to the "Sackville Bagginses".

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the initial scene where Tony and Rudolph are searching for the amulet in Tony's room, almost every line has been dubbed over. Their mouths remain closed.

Quotes:

Rudolph Sackville-Bagg: We want to become humans, not eat them for dinner.

Movie Connections:

Version of "The Little Vampire" (1986)

Soundtrack:

Trisch-Trasch Polka

Charming, slightly silly, slightly serious, good fun

The Little Vampire is a delightful film about a little boy from America, Tony, who is teased and picked on at his new school in Scotland by the local laird's obnoxiously arrogant grandsons. He meets and befriends Rudolph, the youngest son of a family of charming vampires, who are trying to save themselves from Rookery, a vicious and unscrupulous vampire killer. It is rated PG for some mild peril, to which I would add that very young children would need to have some of the life and death issues explained. Both my sons, ages 11 and 6, just loved the movie -- enough that my six year old wanted to see it again, and I didn't mind taking him. The lessons my kids learned were mostly about friends coming in a variety of shapes and sizes, and the value of loyalty and dedication to a cause. There are enough plot twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat (at least the first viewing!), and although some of the dialogue is banal and predictable, some of it is deliciously witty. Last but not least, the costuming and special effects are wonderfully well done, and go a long way to making even some of the silly scenes very impressive. All in all, I would recommend it highly (to anyone who doesn't have trouble with the notion that vampires are not minions of Satan) as good, clean, amusing fun.