Vampire in Venice (), also known as Prince of the Night and Nosferatu in Venice is a 1988 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Augusto Caminito and an uncredited Klaus Kinski, and starring Kinski, Christopher Plummer, Donald Pleasence, and Barbara De Rossi. The story follows Professor Paris Catalano (Plummer), who travels to Venice following the trail of the last known appearance of Nosferatu (Kinski), who was seen at Carnival in 1786. Catalano learns through a séance that the vampire is seeking eternal death, and tries to put an end to its existence once and for all.
After securing Kinski for the lead of Nosferatu, producer August Caminito planned a sequel to Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre. Caminito originally secured Maurizio Lucidi as the director but later felt that film would be better with a more well known director and a higher budget, leading Lucidi to be dropped as the director in favor of Pasquale Squitieri. Squiteri made several changes to the script which did not appeal to Caminito, which led to him paying Squiteri and terminating his contract. This led to further budget cuts in the film and hiring Mario Caiano on as the director. After clashing with Kinski on set, Caiano left the film leading Caminito to direct the film himself. During filming, Kinski would not follow rehearsal and demanded changes in the actors appearing in the film and often had lighting changed dramatically on set. According to second unit director Luigi Cozzi, Kinski's behaviour on set became so erratic that the entire crew left the set and did not return until Kinski apologized for his behaviour.
After six weeks of filming, Caminito came to the conclusion that he did not have the entire film completed, but that he also could not continue with the project. This led to entire sections of the re-written screenplay by Caminito not being shot, and Caminito making do with what he had. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on 9 September 1988 and it was later released theatrically in Italy.
Plot
British Professor Paris Catalano travels to Venice to investigate the whereabouts of the infamous vampire Nosferatu, whose last known appearance was during the Carnival of 1786. He is summoned there by the young Princess Helietta Canins, who believes that the vampire may be interred in a sealed tomb in the basement of her ancestral estate. Catalano believes that the vampire is searching for a way to end his immortal torment and actually be dead. Upon his arrival, Catalano notices that Helietta bears a striking resemblance to Nosferatu's long-lost love, Letizia. The Canins hold a séance at the house against the warnings of their Catholic priest, Father Don Alvise. The séance causes Nosferatu to awaken from his 200-year sleep, and escapes from his tomb.
Nosferatu roams Venice, soon locating Helietta's mother, Princess Catalano, and forces her out of her balcony, pushing her to her death below where she is impaled on an iron fence. During the elder princess's funeral, Catalano warns Helietta that Nosferatu can only be stopped by legitimate love. During a subsequent carnival celebration, Nosferatu stalks Helietta. He soon follows her home, and awakens her in her bed, seducing her. Meanwhile, Helietta's younger sister, Maria, witnesses part of the encounter.
The following morning, Helietta awakens and informs Catalano that Nosferatu has visited her. Later, in an alley, Nosferatu attacks Uta Barnveal, the wife of Father Alvise's peer, Dr. Barnveal, and chases her into an abandoned building, where he feasts on her blood. Nosferatu later approaches Catalano, Father Alvise, and his peer, Dr. Barneval, inside a castle. Barneval attempts to shoot Nosferatu, but Nosferatu quickly regenerates and proceeds to break Barnvela's shotgun. Catalano attempts to repel Nosferatu with his Holy Cross, but Nosferatu burns his hands while holding it before taking Helietta and leaving the castle. Despondent, Catalano packs his bags and leaves the Canins' mansion, announcing that only a pure woman willing to give Nosferatu her true love can destroy him. Subsequently, Catalano, who was dying of an unspecified illness, commits suicide by jumping from a bridge into the Grand Canal.