Post by klep on Aug 14, 2017 6:45:01 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 8/14: What We Do In The Shadows
A few years ago the New Zealand Documentary Board were able to get access for a small group of filmmakers to document the lives of the vampires living together in a house in Wellington. With this unprecedented access, we finally get a look into the life of the undead and find that it's.... surprisingly mundane!
We meet Viago, Deacon, Vladislav (sometimes called The Poker), and Petyr as Viago is attempting to assemble them for a flat meeting. Petyr declines - the benefits of 8,000 years of seniority - but we get to witness the rest as they argue about chores and Deacon's particular failure to do the dishes. If not for the argument escalating to flying around the room and hissing and the dishes being coated in blood, you'd think it was any normal group of flatmates sorting out the chore wheel. The mundanity of undead life is a thread that continues through the documentary. Like any pre-deceased group of friends, they have a bond that survives their petty squabbles. They just want to be able to go out, have fun, and maybe find someone special to bring home.
Of course vampire life is still full of things that separate it from normal human life. The people they bring home are being brought home largely to eat, not have sex with. And of course they can only go out at night. But the main difference is how stuck in the past this group seems to be. You get a very real sense that immortality and nocturnal living has largely insulated them from the passing of time; indeed when they meet a human who starts showing them the wonders of modern technology, they are at once confused, astounded, and eager.
The surreality contrasted with the mundanity provides a great deal of humor throughout the film. There's a vast incongruity between the dark, mysterious, and romantic notion of vampires in the public consciousness and the nervous, vain, and self-conscious figures we see on camera which is fertile ground for comedy. And some of the funniest moments occur during the petty macho posturing with a pack of local werewolves (not swearwolves!).
But while it's a lot of fun to laugh at the antics of these vampires, the real lesson of the film lies in the simple and familiar parts of their lives. While the undead have strange powers, immortality, and a need for human blood, they're still just people. They have the most of the same desires, fears, and heartaches as the rest of us. But also they want to eat us.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 8/21: Rififi
HEIST WEEK!
For Heist Week we'll be looking at a classic heist film and a member of the Criterion Collection in Rififi. Join us next week to see what happens when the perfect crime meets with human nature. Rififi is available for rent on Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 8/10: War for the Planet of the Apes
This week's podcast concludes with a look at how far the Planet of the Apes franchise has come as it considers the most recent installment, War for the Planet of the Apes. Join us for a discussion thread Wednesday! War for the Planet of the Apes may still be in a theater near you.
A few years ago the New Zealand Documentary Board were able to get access for a small group of filmmakers to document the lives of the vampires living together in a house in Wellington. With this unprecedented access, we finally get a look into the life of the undead and find that it's.... surprisingly mundane!
We meet Viago, Deacon, Vladislav (sometimes called The Poker), and Petyr as Viago is attempting to assemble them for a flat meeting. Petyr declines - the benefits of 8,000 years of seniority - but we get to witness the rest as they argue about chores and Deacon's particular failure to do the dishes. If not for the argument escalating to flying around the room and hissing and the dishes being coated in blood, you'd think it was any normal group of flatmates sorting out the chore wheel. The mundanity of undead life is a thread that continues through the documentary. Like any pre-deceased group of friends, they have a bond that survives their petty squabbles. They just want to be able to go out, have fun, and maybe find someone special to bring home.
Of course vampire life is still full of things that separate it from normal human life. The people they bring home are being brought home largely to eat, not have sex with. And of course they can only go out at night. But the main difference is how stuck in the past this group seems to be. You get a very real sense that immortality and nocturnal living has largely insulated them from the passing of time; indeed when they meet a human who starts showing them the wonders of modern technology, they are at once confused, astounded, and eager.
The surreality contrasted with the mundanity provides a great deal of humor throughout the film. There's a vast incongruity between the dark, mysterious, and romantic notion of vampires in the public consciousness and the nervous, vain, and self-conscious figures we see on camera which is fertile ground for comedy. And some of the funniest moments occur during the petty macho posturing with a pack of local werewolves (not swearwolves!).
But while it's a lot of fun to laugh at the antics of these vampires, the real lesson of the film lies in the simple and familiar parts of their lives. While the undead have strange powers, immortality, and a need for human blood, they're still just people. They have the most of the same desires, fears, and heartaches as the rest of us. But also they want to eat us.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 8/21: Rififi
HEIST WEEK!
For Heist Week we'll be looking at a classic heist film and a member of the Criterion Collection in Rififi. Join us next week to see what happens when the perfect crime meets with human nature. Rififi is available for rent on Amazon Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 8/10: War for the Planet of the Apes
This week's podcast concludes with a look at how far the Planet of the Apes franchise has come as it considers the most recent installment, War for the Planet of the Apes. Join us for a discussion thread Wednesday! War for the Planet of the Apes may still be in a theater near you.