Ferat Vampire – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Czechoslovakia, 1982
Director: Juraj Herz
Writers: Jan Fleischer, Juraj Herz
Cast: Jiří Menzel, Dagmar Havlová, Jana Břežková, Petr Cepek, Jan Schmid, Zdenka Procházková, Blanka Waleská, Zdenek Ornest, Ilja Racek, Vít Olmer 

Release Date: October 14th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 55 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Czech
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $32.95

"When Ferat Motors introduces a new high-performance sports car, a trauma doctor investigates a bizarre theory that the vehicle is a biological machine fueled by human blood." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "restored from the best existing 35mm elements by Národní Filmový Archiv."

Ferat Vampire comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.2 GB

Feature: 27.1 GB

Outside of some very minor debris, the source has been cleaned up. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with compression. However, there seem to be some problems with digital noise reduction that are easier to see at certain times, especially in scenes with a lot of contrast or quick movement, where the noise reduction might have made some details too smooth.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Czech with removable English. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an archival interview with director Juraj Herz, actress Jana Brezková and actor Vít Olmer (19 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Czech with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with auto/prototype engineer Stanislav Cinkl titled The Iron Vampire (10 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Czech with removable English subtitles), an interview with Jana Brezková titled A Person Undergoing a Strange Sequence of Events (14 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Czech with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Jan Fleischer titled Vampires Ltd. (12 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about the Škoda prototype that was used for the Ferat in the film titled Ferat Vampire: Close-Up (2 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with music from the film playing in the background), a video essay by filmmaker Stephen Broomer titled Eat Up the Road: UPĺR Z FERATU and the Legend of the Blood Car (19 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Strange Airlines, a 1992 Czech TV movie based on Vampire Ltd. author Josef Nesvadba's 1966 Short Story Mordair, starring Czech Jana Brejchová (60 minutes 32 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Czech with removable English subtitles), an archival audio commentary with film critic Lars Dreyer-Winkelman, revised/re-recorded in English; an audio commentary with film historian Michael Brooke, and a 64-page book with an introduction by Ivan Adamovič, the original short story titled Vampire Ltd. written by Josef Nesvadba, set photos, and archival documents.

Summary:

Juraj Herz directed Ferat Vampire. He is renowned for his works such as The Cremator, Oil Lamps, Beauty and the Beast, and Morgiana.

A trauma doctor encounters a woman with a severely bruised foot, which she sustained while driving a new sports car. A few days later, he investigates the car she was driving and discovers that it runs on human blood.

Just when it appears that the vampire genre has exhausted every avenue, a film like Ferat Vampire emerges. Its Czech title, Upír z Feratu, cleverly plays on the classic Nosferatu the Vampire. Instead of featuring a traditional vampire with fangs, Ferat Vampire introduces a sports car whose gas pedal punctures the driver's foot and drains blood. However, don’t expect much in terms of carnage or jump scares; Ferat Vampire is a cerebral horror film with elements of body horror that is rich in metaphors.

Although there are elements that are most associated with horror cinema throughout Ferat Vampire, there is a strong case that can be made about it being more of a thriller than a horror film. The narrative revolves around a doctor who's thrown into a scenario when he encounters a woman driving an unusual sports car, and instead of moving on, he goes down a rabbit hole where he uncovers the truth about the car. By the time he reaches his moment of truth, it becomes evident that nothing has been resolved, and those responsible for the car have already moved on to pursue their activities elsewhere.

The opening setup does a superb job drawing you in, and the middle part of the film is very effective at maintaining momentum. Unfortunately, the last act is not as strong, and it is overly padded with cars racing. Neither the performances nor the visuals are overly flashy, which perfectly suits the story that unfolds. That said, while the visuals mostly just observe, they do an excellent job heightening the mood. Ultimately, Ferat Vampire is a well-crafted film overflowing with subtext about communism and consumerism.

The shortcomings of the video transfer are a shame, since the rest of this release is excellent. Despite the transfer's shortcomings, I still recommended this release.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer