Name: What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
IMDb: link to What We Do in the Shadows page
Genres: Comedy Country of origin: New Zealand, USA.
Cast: Jemaine Clement as Vladislav, Taika Waititi as Viago, Jonny Brugh as Deacon, Ben Fransham as Petyr (8 thousand years old), Cori Gonzales-Macurer as Nick (the new vampire), Jackie van Beek as Jackie, Rhys Darby as Anton (werewolf), Stu Rutherford as Stu.
Written and directed by: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi
The initial tableaux:
Four vampires live in a flat together in New Zealand. Viago (from the 18th century) was a European dandy before he turned, and is the fussy one. Deacon (183 years old) had been a vampire Nazi, and needed to leave Europe after the war. Petyr is some 8 thousand years old, and does not get out much. Vlad is a bit older than Viago, but considerably younger than Petyr. Vlad was a noble who commanded armies and could do all sorts of animal transformations.
Viago, Vladislav, and Deacon prepare for a night out in Wellington. They cannot get into most clubs because they have to be invited in. However, there is a club just for vampires. Jackie is Deacon's familiar. She does all sorts of scut work for him, such as procuring victims, washing dishes, and whatever else.
After Petyr turns Nick, the main part of the story begins.
Delineation of conflicts:
The vampires' night life activities in Wellington bring them into contact with humans. This is pretty limited until Nick joins them and is still able to get into the newer night clubs. They encounter werewolves and the changed relationships with their old friends. Nick does not feel any need for secrecy, which rather disturbs the older vampires.
Jackie wants Deacon to change her to vampire, but Deacon prefers she remain his familiar. Deacon does not treat her well, either. Nick's friend Stu introduces them into the Internet, WiFi enabled devices, selfies, and online social media.
To add to the fun, Nick's loose lips attracts the attention of a vampire hunter who breaks into the house. Petyr kills him, but is in turn struck by full sunlight, which kills him. The noise gets the notice of the local police, who give them safety violations.
Resolution: The supernatural takes its course in a number of ways.
One line summary: Mockumentary of vampire life in New Zealand.
Statistics:
Cinematography: 6/10 Often has the handheld look, but not too shaky.
Sound: 6/10 The musical accompaniment was rather sparse, and was not all that atmospheric. The dialog is audible, which was a plus.
Acting: 7/10 The minimalist tongue in cheek style was reasonable for a mockumentary.
Screenplay: 6/10 If you liked Flight of the Conchords, you will like this one as well. There is a story, and not all of the deadpan jokes are bad.
Final rating: 6/10
No comments:
Post a Comment