I quit watching Mtv a long time ago,
but not before seeing a little bit of “The Real World.” One of
the early reality-TV shows, “The Real World” placed a bunch of
twenty-somethings in a house together in some big city, then let
cameras record their interactions. It spawned a million copy-cats
and parodies, including “Big Brother” and the Dave Chappelle “Mad
Real World” skit.
“What We Do in the Shadows”
carries on this tradition with a mockumentary about a group of
vampires sharing a house in New Zealand. Jemaine Clement plays
Vladislav the Poker, who was once known for “poking people with
implements.” Jonathon Brugh is Deacon, the bad-boy of the group,
who refuses to wash dishes. Taika Waititi plays Viago, an
“eighteenth-century dandy” who tries to keep peace in the group.
Down in the basement lives Petyr, the most ancient of the group, who
no longer goes out or even speaks.
These vampires spend their nights
looking for victims and trying to get into cool dance clubs, which is
difficult because, as vampires, they can't go in unless they are
specifically invited. Occasionally they will run into the local
werewolf pack, which always leads to tension. Then Petyr turns one
of their victims into a new vampire, totally disrupting the group's
dynamics.
I was attracted to this film by the
involvement of Jemaine Clement, of “Flight of the Conchords.”
Bret McKenzie isn't in it, so this is no Conchords reunion, but Rhys
Darby (who played Murray on Conchords) does have a small role, and
the tone of the humor is similar, if slightly more broad. The film
has fun with various pieces of vampire lore and with the posturing
inherent in group dynamics. If you are a “Flight of the Conchords”
fan, or if you enjoy “This is Spinal Tap,” then this movie is for
you.
3.5 stars out of 5
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment