No.215 : What We Do in the Shadows (2104)

What We Do in the Shadows at the IMDb

You may have thought that vampires living at home was as old a concept as the reality TV ‘found footage’ film but what happens when you resurrect both old standards and mash them into one? Hilarity ensues!

Set in present day Wellington, New Zealand the film documents the lives of a group of vampires as they prepare for their annual gathering on the 6th of June at pm ‘666!’. Captions at the start state that the cameramen are all wearing crucifixes and have been promised that they won’t be bitten. It’s not clear what the vampires hope to gain, but as is often the case in such films centuries long practices can all be dismantled in the space of a 90 minute documentary as they find out about themselves and the world at large.

The vampires cover most of the usual neck biting tropes with my favourite being Petyr, a Nosferatu style vampire who doesn't say anything and lives in his coffin. Vladislav is more your middle eastern type vampire and is played by Jemaine Clement from ‘Flight of the Conchords’ with no little panache - he reminded me a lot of ‘Toast of London’. For your money you also get Deacon who is a bit more progressive in his outlook and a bit more of a swashbuckling type.

The film follows their daily routines and interaction with their ‘familiars’ - humans who do their bidding in return for a promise to be made vampires themselves at some point in the future. The rules of vampire lore that you have come to expect are played out well for laughs, such as our guys being unable to get into a disco unless the bouncers invite them in.

We also witness them going for feeds and the mess that is left afterwards and their unfortunate interactions with a group of smelly werewolves and with the hapless representatives of law enforcement who are more interested in health and safety violations than the dead bodies in the basement.

Things begin to change for the group when a new convert shows them the wonders of modern technology, letting one make contact with his familiar 70 years after he was sent the wrong way to New Zealand after an error in the postage payment.

As the big day approaches the guys all have their own worries, not least because the fabled ‘Beast’ will be guest of honour. Can they all survive the modern world and the invasion of reality TV on their closely guarded privacy?

This is a fun film with a lot to like. Fair enough it covers a lot of well worn ground but it doesn't take itself seriously and the trim 80 minutes runtime means it doesn't outstay its welcome.

The make up and costumes are great and there are plenty of laughs and a few shocks - that messy feeding was horrific! There are good special effects as our guys casually fly about their home although the werewolf transformations are wisely kept at a distance.

I liked the bumbling cops who put a werewolf mauling down to a sad faced innocent dog - “It’s happening once a month” says the policewoman as the full moon shines behind her.

If you can get over the ridiculous conceit of a group of 800 year old vampires letting a film crew in their house you’ll find a lot to enjoy in the film which celebrates and mocks all aspects of the vampire mythos equal measure. Anyway, if you wait beyond the credits you get an extra message compelling you to forget all that you have seen.

What are we reviewing again?

Best Bit - Messy feeding

‘W’ Score - 20/23

No.87 : Whale Rider (2002)

Whale Rider at the IMDb

Contrary to popular belief ‘Whale Rider’ is not a documentary concerned with Glasgow’s famous Cleopatra’s night club. It is in fact a touching coming of age drama about a young New Zealander’s quest for acceptance in a male dominated community.

The film opens with our heroine’s (Paikea’s) difficult birth. She is born healthy but her twin brother is still born and her mother dies in labour. Her father’s father is most upset at the loss of the boy and initially refuses to have anything to do with the girl. He is the patriarch of the community and the first born son of his son was due to continue the line that stretched way back to the original Whale Rider. The girl is no substitute due to her female status. Her Dad finds it hard to accept the situation and leaves to pursue an artist career in Europe, leaving the girl in the care of her loving grand mother and slowly learning to like her grand father.

Things quickly move to the present day with Paikea now 12 years old. Grandfather has decided to broaden his search for an heir into the community at large and sets up a class, to school the local boys in the arts of the ‘ancient ones’. Paikea isn’t allowed to participate but learns secretly by eaves dropping on the lessons and by enlisting the help of her uncle, who was deemed inappropriate for the job long ago. Paikea has natural aptitude for the tasks at hand and quickly shows herself to be better at diving and stick fighting than the boys. Stubborn old Grandfather won’t be shifted however, and her now returned father decides to take her away. On leaving she feels a connection with a passing whale and decides to return and fight for what is rightfully hers.

After singing out to the sea and headlining a school talent contest Paikea awakes to find that a pod of whales has beached itself outside their community, and the efforts of the locals to refloat them have failed. Can our girl harness the ancient ways to save the whales and convince her grandfather of her worthiness to be clan chief at the same time?

Although the messages of equality, redemption and acceptance are all ladled on somewhat heavily this is still a hard film to dislike. The poster kinda spoils any surprise that the ending may offer, but it’s a fun journey getting there. The Grandfather character is a right grumpy old git but he doesn't quite convince that he’s that against the girl even when he is a no show at the talent contest.

Keisha Castle-Hughes in the lead is excellent and got a deserved ‘Best actress’ nomination for her role (Lost to Charlize Theron). I'm not really sure why she wanted to be chief apart from getting on the old man’s nerves, but destiny and the script have to be served. The climatic scene with the beached whales was well done although I'm sure the Health and safety would have something to say about the methods employed.

For a film with a predictable plotline and thinly drawn characters it does well to succeed on a recipe of the triumph of the human spirit and cracking photography. If you are the last in line of an ancient tribe it may well speak volumes to you but for the rest of us it’s a cracking, life affirming family drama that’ll touch the darkest heart. Even mine!

Best Bit : Can you point me in the direction of the sea, please?

‘W’ Score : 18/23