What We Do in the Shadows (2014)'s comments

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boulderman

Very good although I think the pacing and narrative was flagging after the hour mark which lowered the engagement

3 years 11 months ago

Crime number 1: Nick’s been telling people he’s a vampire. That in turn resulted in an unwanted visit from a vampire hunter. Crime number 2: This is quite a biggy, Nick. The vampire hunter who killed Petyr. That’s… I actually should’ve… that should’ve been crime number one but we wanted to build up to that. Number 3: Deacon doesn’t like that you wear the same jacket as him. And he would like you to find your own original style.

4 years 1 month ago

starnamedstork

You will forget the contents of this movie.

4 years 2 months ago

junegoon

Gut-busting flick

5 years 7 months ago

danisanna

Hilarious!

6 years 5 months ago

chunkylefunga

A nice hidden gem that's finally gaining some traction.

6 years 6 months ago

Realenur

''This was probably the way he wanted to go - Disembowled by Werewolves. Blood and guts, sprayed on to the trees. His face torn to shreds.''

7 years ago

kottonen

What We Do in the Shadows is one of my favourite belated discoveries. A delightful mix of mockumentary and comedy horror, the film uses recognisable structural elements of both genres, while creating something fresh and very, very funny.

Co-directed by Jemaine Clement (half of the Flight of the Concords duo) and Taika Waititi (who previously made Eagle vs Shark), the feature is an unusual take on the supernatural, vampires and werewolves foremost. When four undead with very different personalities are flatmates in a suburban house in modern Wellington, their life is full of problems: Who has been slacking on the house cleaning duties? Why the bathroom is still covered in blood? How does one go clubbing if one always needs to be invited to get inside a building?

The dialogue is full of gems, my favourite being 'Werewolves, not swear wolves', the line repeated by the pack of ordinary-looking supernatural beings whenever one of them says 'fucking'.

Concentrated on the domestics and the daily life, What We Do in the Shadows is also about friendship and romance. It succeeds in showing uncommon sides of both, while remaining delightful and universally mocking – the opposite of the 'vampires suck' criticism that appeared post-Twilight.

There is a rumour a sequel is in the making. I shall remain hopeful.

7 years 1 month ago

Videl

I can't remember what the movie is about, I forgot the content. ;) But it was hilarious! :)

7 years 3 months ago

MrMushroom

Great movie!

7 years 6 months ago

acoltismypassport

'I think of it like this: if you are going to eat a sandwich, you would enjoy it more if you knew no-one had fucked it'.

Pure gold.

7 years 7 months ago

CynInFlicks

Really enjoyed it.

8 years 3 months ago

Siskoid

What We Do in the Shadows is a fun mockumentary by the makers of Flight of the Conchords about the secret life of vampires. Something in its look and themes made me think of Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive, and it's very much a cousin to that film. An awkward comedy about dude-bro vampires, where the other was an artsy meditation on immortality, but all the same, cinematic cousins. The characters we meet are killers by necessity, but sympathetic nonetheless, lovable losers whose shticks are sometimes informed by movie vampires (never waste a good idea). It's a take-down of the vampire mystique, showing them as goofs whose immortality has put them behind the times technologically and socially. A very fun film with a title absolutely no one can remember (maybe because of the after-credits sequence). I think I'm just going to refer to it in conversation as This Is Venal Tap.

8 years 10 months ago

sixteenmiles

https://16miles.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-2014/

When Taika Waititi and frequent collaborator Jermaine Clement released the film Eagle vs Shark, they struck out into the world with a comedy charm that was subtle, refreshing and completely unlike the saturated Hollywood fare.

Taika’s style is that of heart and deadpan comedy. A tragic-sweetness that carries from Eagle vs Shark to What We Do in the Shadows. The premise of the film is a novelty. Four vampire house-mates and a documentary film crew. We follow these characters in the run-up to the undead social event of the year. The Unholy Masquerade.

Each of the vampires is representative of a specific time in vampire history. Viago is the classic, Bela Lugosi’s Dracula of the group. Vladislav sits more in the style of Bram Stoker. Deacon is evocative of the 80’s Lost Boys. And Petyr is the silent (a nice throwback to the films that birthed his character) Nosferatu. Later they add Nick to the group, a contemporary vampire who walks through the city streets shouting “I am Twilight!”

The comedy is punchy and sharp. On the subject of why vampires prefer to drink the blood of virgins, Vladislav says “Think of it like this. If you are going to eat a sandwich, you would just enjoy it more if you knew no one had fucked it.” All these subtle plays on the nature of being a vampire in the real world build into a funny film. To repeat them en masse here would diminish their potency.

What We Do in the Shadows is a film that is worth a watch. Maybe even a re-watch. Especially for those who are fans of the collaborators previous works (Flight of the Conchords!).

8 years 11 months ago