The Countess has a problem. She is a 400-year-old vampire who will cease to look young unless she can feed on a virgin three times before the upcoming Halloween, a week away. She sends Sebastian, her servant and all of her lesser vampires out to find one although finding a virgin is difficult in 1980s Los Angeles. Mark has a problem. He wants to 'do it' with his girlfriend Robin, but she wants to wait. Jamie and Russ, Mark's goofy friends, convince him to go to a Hollywood pick-up spot where Mark meets the Countess, on the prowl. Once Bitten is a true 80s cult classic that featured legendary actor Jim Carrey long before his rise to popularity and is certainly the oldest film I've seen him in. I was quite surprised when I first saw his face on the poster considering it being an 80s movie with most of his well-known being during the 90s and onwards. It was also pretty cool being able to see a younger (and still energetic) Carrey from his infant years in the world of cinema. This comedic take on the vampire stories of the horror genre is truly hilarious and one that I thoroughly enjoyed, however, I can see why some people may not be keen for it. It is very sex-orientated being a teen story and yes it is full of that 80s cheese but being a fan of practically anything and everything of the 1980s era, I loved it. I have no shame for it as I had a whale of a time. I was instantly engaged thanks to the incredible soundtrack launched by the fabulous song of the same name, 'Once Bitten' by 3 Speed. It is that energetic synth-pop style you've come to expect from 80s flicks that I particularly adore and only continued to shine throughout with other notable tracks like 'Hands Off' by Maria Vidal (featured in the iconic dance-off scene) and 'Blue Night Shadow' by Two Of Us. There are many more, but those mentioned are some of my absolute favourites and the whole album is certainly worth a listen for 80s music enthusiasts. I really liked each of the actors in their respective roles and there are plenty of interesting and diverse characters. There is the sexy and conniving Countess vampire with her slightly revealing clothing who stops at nothing till she retains her youthful appearance through virgin Mark. Joining her is a menagerie of vampire servants who were too, once virgins. I love the variety of vampires they show from different decades and periods showing how long The Countess has been around and doing this. Seeing WWI and sailer outfit vamps was pretty cool, especially when matched with their coffins that represented their respective personalities, which was very amusing. Mark is also pretty funny although he makes some terrible choices such as going out in search of a one-night stand after his girlfriend wouldn't 'do it' with him, which is a very horrible thing to do and whilst things go right in the end, it still doesn't fully excuse it. Robin was great as Mark's girlfriend and I like how she endeavoured to help him, even after what he did. Mark's friends, Jamie and Russ, offer some brilliant comic relief with a highlight gag being their constant use of the same chat-up line on all the different women they meet, even to the vampires at the end, which had me laughing to the point of tears. Jim Carrey steals the show as always, with his expressive facial expressions and very lively moves, especially when it comes to my favourite segment, the Halloween dance. Robin and Mark's dance is interrupted by The Countess, who steals Mark, leading to a form of dance-off for control of him. It has to be the best part of the movie undoubtedly due to its impressive choreography making it appear like they are fighting over him whilst keeping it as part of the dance. We even got a phenomenal air/leg guitar from Mark that was very slick and I'd have to say that goes for all the moves from everyone involved. It is simply fantastic. Overall, Once Bitten is truly a cult classic that may not be to everyone's taste, but it was definitely to mine. I had a wonderful time full of laughs and delight from its witty humour in its general comedy as well as its jabs at vampires. I would recommend this flick to fans of anything 80s, but remember, it's no more than a teen-aimed sex story that at least is ideal Halloween viewing.
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