What We Do in the Shadows: Wholesome Vampire Comedy

Summary

What We Do in the Shadows, a 2014 horror comedy written, directed and starred in by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, can be described as a mockumentary style film that follows a group of vampire flatmates as they navigate life as the un-dead in modern New Zealand. If you find that description to read like a sitcom, you're on the right track. Waititi, most well known for his Marvel blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok and his most recent controversial academy award winning JoJo Rabbit, plays Viago, an 18th century vampire who "really likes having a good time with [his] friends" and has the most adorable vampire smile you've ever seen. Clement, best known from cult classic Flight of the Conchords and Disney blockbuster Moana, plays Vladislav the Poker, a nearly 900 year old vampire who was turned at the age of sixteen ("in those days of course, life was tough for a sixteen year old"). Deacon, only 183 years old, is "like, the young bad-boy of the group" and a cool guy. Pyter is 8,ooo years old and lives in basement of flat. We leave Petyr alone for the most part. Nick has been a vampire for about 2 months now and his friend Stu is a software analyst. Nick struggles to come to grips with the requirements of his new lifestyle as a vampire and the rest of the group struggles to stay up to date and involved in a world not exactly designed for a vampire's convenience. As is typical in roommate comedies tensions rise and goofy misadventures ensue.

Why it Works

What We Do in the Shadows drops a handful of vampire stereotypes into modern-day and observes the effects through the lens of a mockumentary. Given a premise like this it may be tempting to go as crazy as possible, put the characters in the wackiest situations and embrace the camp. Although this film does that to some extent, the genius really lies in the subtle, arguably wholesome comedic flavor of Waititi and Clement. Some of the biggest problems that our group of vampire flatmates encounter are house chores, ex-girlfriends and not being able to see your own outfit in the mirror before going out. By taking advantage of the already wild concept of vampires, they are able to allow characterization within the ensemble take the spotlight in otherwise mundane situations. While Waititi and Clement spent several years working on the script, much of this film ended up being improvised by the stellar cast of primarily New Zealand comedians. Lines like:

"Just leave me to do my dark bidding on the internet. 

What are you bidding on? 

I'm bidding on a table."

are delivered in such a natural way that makes you laugh at the genius but also think: I don't know, they seem like they would be cool guys to hang around. The majority of the time you are laughing at awkward, relatable interactions that are only elevated by the freedom of vampires. Overall, What We Do in the Shadows is one of my absolute favorite comedies, and never fails to give a good laugh.

Hot Rod: Prepare to be Dazzled

Hot Rod is a 2007 comedy brought to you by The Lonely Island guys and only the most nostalgic 80s iconography. Overall I would describe this film as a collection of random comedic ideas strung together between a sweet and simple plot, and is overall a fun ride (pun strongly intended). If you haven't already seen this film you should feel embarrassed. 

Rod Kimble, an amateur daredevil and stuntman-played by Andy Samberg's tooth gap-prepares to jump 15 buses (breaking the record of Evel Kenievel) in order to raise $50,000 for his stepfather's surgery. Rod is accompanied by his group of friends, including his stepbrother Kevin-played by Jorma Taccone's adorable face-team manager/videographer; Dave-played by Bill Hader's hair-mechanic; and Rico-played by Danny McBride's cargo shorts-he makes the ramps. Isla Fischer is there too as Denise. 

On release in 2007 Hot Rod brought in just under $14M accumulated over it's entire run, and on a $25M budget, it was considered a box office failure. Along with the defeat of operation fiscal jackhammer, the film was met with mixed reviews. 

In an interview with Paper Magazine Andy Samberg spoke on the matter "The movies I've always liked, comedy-wise -- Billy Madison, The Jerk -- always got terrible reviews. When our reviews came in, it was like, 'Oh, we're right on track.'" Despite its initial shortcomings, Hot Rod has successfully made its way into cult following status, complete with devoted fans and even the praise of casual viewers. This shift in public opinion primarily happened after the film released to home video and the years following. 

 It is not uncommon for movies to take years, sometimes decades to find their footing. In my humble opinion this is due to a change in audience. Theater-goers and at-home watchers expect different things. In the theaters we want to see something new and incredible. We invested our money, time, and social meter to attend a film, and expect to see something that allows us to sound more intelligent than we are when discussing it later, "the CG was immaculate, really cutting edge, a leader in the industry." When watching a movie at home, what we want is...Hot Rod. So why does it work?
 
Hot Rod is a simple film. Rod wants to save his dying stepfather by jumping 15 buses so that he can live long enough for Rod to beat him up once and for all. If you are someone who can't un-clench and live a little you may not enjoy it. It makes no sense and means nothing and that's the best part. There is nothing to understand and everything to enjoy. Along the same lines, it is quotable to the high heavens. 

 Setting your film in the 80s gets you nostalgia points (whether the audience was alive in the 80s or not), and creates a fun atmosphere. The performances in Hot Rod are commendable, particularly Jonathan-played by Will Arnett's hairline-who provides a great foil to the others and who I would happily listen to yell "No! Babe wait!" for the rest of eternity. All elements combined makes Hot Rod an entertaining, re-watchable film. 
Four out of Five bottle nose dolphin souls. 


Sources:
Swerdloff, A. (2007, September 28). Man-child in the Promised Land. Paper Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.papermag.com/man-child-in-the-promised-land-1425341599.html