Killer Car Movies: ‘Ferat Vampire’ (1982)
Photo: Marcella via CC
When it comes to beloved movie monsters, it’s hard to top the vampire. The earliest existing film to feature one of these blood-sucking demons is 1922’s Nosferatu, a stylistic and nightmarish adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In 1931, Bela Lugosi played the Count in Universal’s take on the story. Since then, there have been dozens of Draculas and countless vampires on the silver screen. From Barnabas Collins in Dark Shadows to good ol’ Edward in Twilight, audiences can’t get enough of these creatures of the night. But has there ever been a vampire movie… where the vampire is a car? Indeed there has, and its name is Ferat Vampire.
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A look at “Ferat Vampire”
This might be the oddest addition to The News Wheel’s “Killer Car Movies” review series yet. Not only is it a movie about a vampire race car, but it’s also Czechoslovakian and rather illusive in the West. As it turns out, Czechoslovakia produced a number of stylish horror films during the Cold War. Ferat Vampire was one of them, but also included elements of sci-fi and black comedy.
The 1982 film tells the story of a nurse who is hired by a car manufacturer to test drive a most unusual vehicle. This Rally car quickly begins winning races, and the nurse’s former employer, Dr. Marek, soon begins to suspect that something isn’t right. He couldn’t be more correct: as it turns out, the vehicle has been designed to run on human blood! It soon becomes a race against time to evade the bad guys and not fall victim to a vehicle that’s more organic than mechanical…
Why it’s scary
While a touch on the cheesy side for modern sensibilities, Ferat Vampire still packs a few shocking punches. The concept of a car with human-like innards and a need for blood is, among other things, incredibly disturbing. The film plays the concept straight, but also uses it as the basis for some excellent dark humor. The dream sequence involving the car eating someone is a gory highlight.
The film also makes homage to the classic vampire films that inspired it. The automaker’s name is Ferat, which is an obvious reference to Nosferatu. Nos-Ferat-U? Yeah, that’s subtle. They might as well have named themselves the Dracula Motor Company. Perhaps the already-extant DMC protested…
Another interesting aspect of the movie is its choice of vehicle. The car used in the film was a prototype race car called the Skoda 110 Super Sport Type 724. This vehicle never made it to market, but its use in the film made it a recognizable icon in Czechoslovakia. Today, the Skoda 110 is frequently referred to as the Super Sport “Ferat Vampir RSR” as a tribute to the film that made it famous.
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If you’re in the mood for something unusual this Halloween season, give this odd vampire flick a try. Just don’t eat while you’re watching it. Trust me on this one.
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.