Initial Thoughts?
Vera Bradley: What We Do in the Shadows is one of my all time favorite vampire movies, so I was VERY excited to show it to Mona Bloodstick. This is a little bit like Napoleon Dynamite meets Big Brother (I’ve never seen the show but I can only assume) meets vampires. Now, onto the criteria (we are working out the criteria currently so this may be subject to change in later reviews).
Mona Bloodstick: Vera Bradley has been begging me to watch this movie for the longest time. Much like the werewolves in this 2014 masterpiece, we finally bit the silver bullet together. I could not have been more pleased with this film. The atmosphere Waititi and Clement created makes me lust for more–good thing there’s a show we will be reviewing in the next few weeks.
1: How does this movie handle classic vampire tropes?
VB: VERY well, I think. You’ve got classic vampire/werewolf rivalry, some fun no reflection stuff (but they CAN take selfies), and they adapt the necessity of an invitation in very well to the modern world, as the vampires need to be invited into the club in order to party. There’s also use of the sunlight trope, some fun hypnosis, and obv they sleep in coffins.
MB: This movie does an amazing job creating vampires that fall within classic vampire tropes. These vampires feel like real bloodsucking boys next door. They can be killed by sunlight, wooden stakes, hate silver, and any sight of a cross has these fanged fuckers in tears. I am very pleased that the writers stayed away from the garlic joke–it is incredibly difficult to get this trope right. In terms of power scale, these guys are just right. With great power comes incredible disadvantages.
While some may be tired of it, I am a sucker for the vampires vs werewolves trope. This movie does it so well it may turn haters back on. And I absolutely LOVED seeing them all get along in the end.
MB: This movie does an amazing job creating vampires that fall within classic vampire tropes. These vampires feel like real bloodsucking boys next door. They can be killed by sunlight, wooden stakes, hate silver, and any sight of a cross has these fanged fuckers in tears. I am very pleased that the writers stayed away from the garlic joke–it is incredibly difficult to get this trope right. In terms of power scale, these guys are just right. With great power comes incredible disadvantages.
While some may be tired of it, I am a sucker for the vampires vs werewolves trope. This movie does it so well it may turn haters back on. And I absolutely LOVED seeing them all get along in the end.
2: Any good kills?
VB: I’d give the kills in this movie a solid 4/5. Nothing too crazy, but lots of blood and some nice dramatic scenes. Not tooooo too many kills overall.
MB: Yes! Since this is a comedy movie, I was not expecting there to be a satisfying kill. I was pleasantly surprised, but would have loved to see more kills. Loved seeing Viago make a mess with that one girl despite his careful efforts at protecting his couch. Would have loved to see more of the vampire vs werewolf fight.
MB: Yes! Since this is a comedy movie, I was not expecting there to be a satisfying kill. I was pleasantly surprised, but would have loved to see more kills. Loved seeing Viago make a mess with that one girl despite his careful efforts at protecting his couch. Would have loved to see more of the vampire vs werewolf fight.
3: How does this movie deal with the curse of eternal existence?
VB: I think it’s pretty clever- basically when you live forever you still gotta deal with roommates, amiright? :/ The vampires get down about it sometimes but mostly they’re just your average Joe trying to make the most of each day. They don’t really worry too much about the moral effects of their need for human blood, which lends to much more humor.
MB: One trope that I am sick of is the vampire who spends their eternity moping around and being sad about being a vampire. BO-RING. Waititi and Clement address this issue astonishingly well. Sure, we get the whole, “wah wah I can’t eat my favorite foods anymore” bit from Nick, but it’s over quickly enough. A familiar and another former servant are shown begging for immortality. When the familiar achieves vampirehood, she is super chill with it. REFRESHING. Drinking human blood is but a chore for them. I was very interested in the child vampires, who also seemed at ease with their hunt for blood.
I loved the romance aspect between Viago and Katherine. I know this is a comedic movie, but him watching her every night in the retirement home warms my heartstrings. I am so glad they got their happy ending.
MB: One trope that I am sick of is the vampire who spends their eternity moping around and being sad about being a vampire. BO-RING. Waititi and Clement address this issue astonishingly well. Sure, we get the whole, “wah wah I can’t eat my favorite foods anymore” bit from Nick, but it’s over quickly enough. A familiar and another former servant are shown begging for immortality. When the familiar achieves vampirehood, she is super chill with it. REFRESHING. Drinking human blood is but a chore for them. I was very interested in the child vampires, who also seemed at ease with their hunt for blood.
I loved the romance aspect between Viago and Katherine. I know this is a comedic movie, but him watching her every night in the retirement home warms my heartstrings. I am so glad they got their happy ending.
4: Sex appeal?
VB: These vampires are not much more sexy than your average Joe. Most of the guys in the house are pretty loser-y. (And only like 2 women vampires are shown, 2 of which are children). I do think Vlad is kinda sexy though so were I in this universe that would be some consolation.
MB: Listen–sex appeal was definitely not on the writer’s radar but DAMN these are some hot vampires.
MB: Listen–sex appeal was definitely not on the writer’s radar but DAMN these are some hot vampires.
5: Would I want to be a vampire in this universe?
VB: I do not really think so- there don’t seem to be many perks here and they live in a pretty shitty house. If I had to be either a werewolf or a vampire from this movie I’d rather be a werewolf- they kinda get the better deal but they also get to hang out with vampires, if that’s your thing.
MB: Ehh–it wouldn’t be the WORST thing in the world to be a vampire in this universe, but in the vast canon of the vampire cosmos, there are definitely better worlds to eat virgins in. Still, if vampires were real, this is probably the closest thing to how they might act.
VB: This movie is super funny and absolutely hits the spot, vampire-wise. I give it a 10/10 and would recommend to anyone. I do think the later TV adaptation (of the same name) is even better, just by nature of the fact that it has way more time to expand. It is basically a perfect continuation- once I figure out a way to review an entire TV show I will definitely be doing so. Uh oh- the sun is rising, so I’d better wrap this review up- wouldn’t want to get fried!
MB: 9.5/10–I loved it. This is how real vampires would act. I also need every line in this movie carved into my skin. As I saw someone say on Letterboxd, this movie feels just like cracking open a dead one with the boys.
MB: Ehh–it wouldn’t be the WORST thing in the world to be a vampire in this universe, but in the vast canon of the vampire cosmos, there are definitely better worlds to eat virgins in. Still, if vampires were real, this is probably the closest thing to how they might act.
Final thoughts:
MB: 9.5/10–I loved it. This is how real vampires would act. I also need every line in this movie carved into my skin. As I saw someone say on Letterboxd, this movie feels just like cracking open a dead one with the boys.
.JPEG)
XOXO
~ Vera Bradley & Mona Bloodstick
No comments:
Post a Comment
do you like this?