Created by and co-starring Flight of the Conchords star-creator Jemaine Clement, this New Zealand indie production transcends its unpromising premise—imagine MTV's The Real World, but with vampires—to emerge as not just the funniest vampire mockumentary ever made, but also one of the best horror comedies in memory. A (mostly) unseen New Zealand government documentary film crew—protected by crucifixes, naturally—follows the nocturnal antics of a contentious, all-male household of old-fashioned Eastern European bloodsuckers. These vampires are but four of several hundred creatures of the night (which also include werewolves, zombies, etc.) who are dwelling incognito around Wellington. Their longstanding routine—hunting humans, arguing over who has to clean up the gore in the kitchen—changes when one Nosferatu lookalike vampirizes a modern-day bloke. Although hopeless at vampire etiquette and secrecy, the newcomer ends up dragging his undead flatmates into the realities of the 21st century (or the 20th...or the 19th...). Featuring robust characterizations (full-blooded, one might say) and performances delivered with palpable glee, this seems certain to be an instant cult hit. Highly recommended. [Note: Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by writers-directors Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, additional footage that includes the original 2006 short film (50 min.), deleted scenes (32 min.), character interviews (19 min.), a behind-the-scenes featurette (18 min.), promo segments (7 min.), and a poster gallery. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a winning vampire satire.] (C. Cassady)
What We Do in the Shadows
Paramount, 85 min.,R, DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99, July 21 Volume 30, Issue 5
What We Do in the Shadows
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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