Official press release synopsis
In 1993, invited by David Lynch to come up with a low-budget genre movie, Michael Almereyda recombined characters from Bram Stoker and set them loose in contemporary New York. Nadja (Elina Löwensohn) is a disillusioned “young” vampire who imagines herself liberated by the death of her father, Count Dracula, but the unhinged Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Fonda) wants to destroy her as well, interrupting her reunion with twin brother Edgar (Jared Harris).
Review
If you, like me, haven’t seen Nadja (1994) since its original theatrical run, the gorgeous looking 4K restoration and director’s cut version currently playing across the United States is the perfect way to revisit it. If you have never seen the film, make sure to go out of your way to see it when it plays nearby, especially if you are an aficionado of arthouse horror or the vampire subgenre.
Writer/director Michael Almereyda’s film has Executive Producer David Lynch’s influence throughout — Lynch also has a cameo appearance — but Almereyda also adds his own touches and brand of quirkiness. Cinematographer Jim Denault delivers both crisp, brilliant 35mm black-and-white cinematography and distorted, pixelated “vampire vision” through the use of a Fisher-Price toy camera.
The performances are terrific, led by Elina Löwensohn’s hypnotic performances as the titular daughter of Count Dracula with Peter Fonda giving a frenetic turn as an eccentric, determined Dr. Van Helsing. Wonderful supporting performances include Jared Harris as Nadja’s twin brother Edgar, Galaxy Craze as the entranced Lucy, Martin Donovan as Luc’s boyfriend and Van Hesling relative Jim, and Karl Geary as Nadja’s assistant Renfield.
Eerie, at times playfully deadpan and at others more serious and always entertaining, Nadja comes highly recommended.
The 4K restoration and director’s cut of Nadja is currently on a theatrical run. For screening dates, visit https://arbelosfilms.com/films/nadja/.
Press release notes regarding this restored version
The original Director’s Cut of Nadja was digitally restored by Arbelos and Grasshopper Film from the only extant element, the 35mm print — the version of the film that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1994, three minutes longer than the commercial release. Laboratory services by OCN Labs, Five Seventy Films, Ben Gilbert Films, David Ferron and Blackhawk Films. Special thanks to Michael Almereyda, Absurda, and MoMA.
