Find out in the brand new trailer for BRAD’ STATUS.
When Brad Sloan (Ben Stiller) accompanies his college bound son to the East Coast, the visit triggers a crisis of confidence in BRAD’S STATUS, writer and director Mike White’s bittersweet comedy.
Brad has a satisfying career and a comfortable life in suburban Sacramento where he lives with his sweet-natured wife, Melanie (Jenna Fischer), and their musical prodigy son, Troy (Austin Abrams), but it’s not quite what he imagined during his college glory days.
Showing Troy around Boston, where Brad went to university, he can’t help comparing his life with those of his four best college friends: a Hollywood bigshot (White), a hedge fund founder (Luke Wilson), a tech entrepreneur (Jemaine Clement), and a political pundit and bestselling author (Michael Sheen).
As he imagines their wealthy, glamorous lives, he wonders if this is all he will ever amount to. But when circumstances force him to reconnect with his former friends, Brad begins to question whether he has really failed or is, in some ways at least, the most successful of them all.
Amazon Studios will release BRAD’S STATUS in theaters September 15th, 2017
Win passes to the advance screening of Disney’s MOANA starring Dwayne The Rock Johnson & Auli’i Cravalho, in theatres in 3D this Thanksgiving!
Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows exactly why. From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) meets the mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.
Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “The Princess & the Frog”), produced by Osnat Shurer (“Lifted,” “One Man Band”), and featuring music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa‘i, “Moana” sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016.
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win FOUR (4) seats to the advance 3D screening of MOANA onTues., November 22, 7pm in the St. Louis area.
Answer the following:
Directors Ron Clements and John Musker made their writing-directing debut on which 1986 feature film?
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
Disney’s MOANA is coming to theatres in 3D this Thanksgiving. This morning Dwayne Johnson (voice of Maui) revealed it exclusively on Instagram and announced that the brand new trailer will debut this Thursday.
Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows exactly why.
From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes MOANA, a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) meets the mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.
Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “The Princess & the Frog”), produced by Osnat Shurer (“Lifted,” “One Man Band”), and featuring music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa‘i, MOANA sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016.
The BFG (Mark Rylance), while a giant himself, is a Big Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. Standing 24-feet tall with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell, he is endearingly dim-witted and keeps to himself for the most part. Giants like Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) on the other hand, are twice as big and at least twice as scary and have been known to eat humans, while the BFG prefers Snozzcumber and Frobscottle. Upon her arrival in Giant Country, Sophie, a precocious 10-year-old girl from London, is initially frightened of the mysterious giant who has brought her to his cave, but soon comes to realize that the BFG is actually quite gentle and charming, and, having never met a giant before, has many questions. The BFG brings Sophie to Dream Country where he collects dreams and sends them to children, teaching her all about the magic and mystery of dreams.
Having both been on their own in the world up until now, their affection for one another quickly grows. But Sophie’s presence in Giant Country has attracted the unwanted attention of the other giants, who have become increasingly more bothersome. Says Spielberg, “It’s a story about friendship, it’s a story about loyalty and protecting your friends and it’s a story that shows that even a little girl can help a big giant solve his biggest problems.” Sophie and the BFG soon depart for London to see the Queen (Penelope Wilton) and warn her of the precarious giant situation, but they must first convince the Queen and her maid, Mary (Rebecca Hall), that giants do indeed exist. Together, they come up with a plan to get rid of the giants once and for all.
Directed by three-time Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg (“Bridge of Spies,” “Schindler’s List,” ”Saving Private Ryan”) from a screenplay by Melissa Mathison (“E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” “The Black Stallion”) based on the best-selling book by Roald Dahl, THE BFG stars three-time Tony Award®, two-time Olivier Award and Oscar® winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” “Wolf Hall”), newcomer Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Downton Abbey”), Jemaine Clement (“Rio 2,” “The Flight of the Conchords”), Rebecca Hall (“The Gift,” “Iron Man 3”), Rafe Spall (“The Big Short,” “Prometheus”) and Bill Hader (“Inside Out,” “Trainwreck”).
THE BFG opens in U.S. theaters on July 1, 2016, the year that marks the 100th anniversary of Dahl’s birth.
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win FOUR (4) seats to the 3D advance screening of THE BFG on June 28 at 7pm in the St. Louis area.
Which books can you find the following Roald Dahl characters:
BRUNO
BADGER
MISS SPIDER
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWERS AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
Rated PG
THEBFGOPENS IN THEATRES NATIONWIDE ON FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2016
The talents of three of the world’s greatest storytellers – Roald Dahl, Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg – finally unite to bring Dahl’s beloved classic “The BFG” to life.
Directed by Spielberg, Disney’s THE BFG tells the imaginative story of a young girl and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country.
The BFG (Mark Rylance), while a giant himself, is a Big Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. Standing 24-feet tall with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell, he is endearingly dim-witted and keeps to himself for the most part. Giants like Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) on the other hand, are twice as big and at least twice as scary and have been known to eat humans, while the BFG prefers Snozzcumber and Frobscottle. Upon her arrival in Giant Country, Sophie, a precocious 10-year-old girl from London, is initially frightened of the mysterious giant who has brought her to his cave, but soon comes to realize that the BFG is actually quite gentle and charming, and, having never met a giant before, has many questions. The BFG brings Sophie to Dream Country where he collects dreams and sends them to children, teaching her all about the magic and mystery of dreams.
Having both been on their own in the world up until now, their affection for one another quickly grows. But Sophie’s presence in Giant Country has attracted the unwanted attention of the other giants, who have become increasingly more bothersome. Says Spielberg, “It’s a story about friendship, it’s a story about loyalty and protecting your friends and it’s a story that shows that even a little girl can help a big giant solve his biggest problems.” Sophie and the BFG soon depart for London to see Queen Victoria (Penelope Wilton) and warn her of the precarious giant situation, but they must first convince the Queen and her maid, Mary (Rebecca Hall), that giants do indeed exist. Together, they come up with a plan to get rid of the giants once and for all.
Directed by three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg (“Bridge of Spies,” “Schindler’s List,” ”Saving Private Ryan”) from a screenplay by Melissa Mathison (“E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” “The Black Stallion”) based on the best-selling novel by Roald Dahl, THE BFG stars three-time Tony Award® and two-time Olivier Award winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” “Wolf Hall”), newcomer Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Downton Abbey”), Jemaine Clement (“Rio 2,” “The Flight of the Conchords”), Rebecca Hall (“The Gift,” “Iron Man 3”), Rafe Spall (“The Big Short,” “Prometheus”) and Bill Hader (“Inside Out,” “Trainwreck”). The film is produced by Spielberg, Frank Marshall (“Jurassic World,” “The Bourne Ultimatum”) and Sam Mercer (“Snow White and the Huntsman,” “The Sixth Sense”) with Kathleen Kennedy (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Lincoln”), John Madden (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Shakespeare in Love”), Kristie Macosko Krieger (“Bridge of Spies,” “Lincoln”), Michael Siegel (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Rise of the Guardians”), Frank Smith and Naia Cucukov serving as executive producers.
Roald Dahl’s “The BFG” (Big Friendly Giant) was first published in 1982 and has been enchanting readers of all ages ever since. Dahl’s books, which also include “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach” and “Matilda,” are currently available in 58 languages and have sold over 200 million copies worldwide. “The BFG” is the only book of Dahl’s that has never been adapted into a feature film.
Originally created as a bedtime story, “The BFG” was Dahl’s own favorite of all his stories. “It was very important for us to be loyal to the language,” says Spielberg, “and the great writer Melissa Mathison, who also wrote ‘E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,’ wrote “The BFG.”
THE BFG opens in U.S. theaters on July 1, 2016, the year that marks the 100th anniversary of Dahl’s birth.
Okay film fanatics, when you hear the word archeologist, who do you immediately think of? That’s simple, you picture the rugged Harrison Ford as the dashing, whip-crackin’ Henry Jones, Junior better known as Indiana Jones, first introduced in 1981’s RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (hmm, that itself may be an ancient artifact). First and foremost he’s a dashing action hero, but he’s also a man of ethics and morals, stated in his catchphrase “It belongs in a museum!”, along with his other sayings “Snakes. I hate ’em!” and “It’s not the years, it’s the mileage”. So are all seekers of the past, so noble? Well, the title character of the new film from the makers of NAPOLEON DYNAMITE certainly doesn’t follow in the well-worn boots of ole’ Indy. He’s got few qualms about fudging the facts and digging where he’s not permitted. So forget about Dr. Jones as you meet the down and out DON VERDEAN.
The film begins with old grainy VHS footage of the celebrated exploits of Don (Sam Rockwell) as the breathless narrator tells of his “discovery” of a most dubious item right out of the Old Testament. We flash forward from the decades old promo tape to find Don lecturing at a modest church auditorium to a handful of people. As he concludes, the meager throng is guided toward a table where Don’s prim and proper assistant Carol (Amy Ryan) is selling copies of his latest book. As the two pack up, Don ponders their future (and Carol wonders when she’ll be paid for her work). Luckily she gets a call from the head of a big, bustling “mega-church”, Tony Lazarus (Danny McBride). When Don and Carol meet with the church’s board of directors, Tony explains that the hip, “new-age” type temple down the street, run by the turtleneck wearing Pastor Fontaine (Will Forte), is depleting his flock. He needs an edge, and asks Don to acquire a new bible treasure that they can put on display in order to fill the pews once more. Don calls on some “desert rats” in Israel led by the shady Boaz (Jermaine Clement). The piece is shipped to the states and attracts a big crowd, including Fontaine who casts doubts on its authenticity. Tony insists on more displays so Carol and Don fly out to meet with Boaz. Don “bends the rules” and he returns with Carol and a big “find”. Unfortunately Boaz is part of the deal and the con man dives headlong into US culture (and insists on “dating” Carol). Word of the new artifact attracts the attention of a Japanese billionaire who wants to acquire the greatest treasure from the New Testament (you know that one, Indy fans). Can Don and Boaz pull off this caper or are they part of a bigger con?
Those coming to this film hoping to see the snarky, energetic Rockwell from LAGGIES and THE WAY WAY BACK will be at a bit of a loss. Almost unrecognizable in a frizzy auburn wig and matching bushy beard, sam’s Don V is clumsy and brusk, his brow furrowed almost to the point of constipation. The only time he shifts into high gear is when he must hurriedly double talk his latest “mark”. This makes for a character that’s tough to root for or often care about. It’s difficult to understand the dedication and devotion of Ryan’s Carol. After wonderful turns this past year in GOOSEBUMPS and BRIDGE OF SPIES, she expertly inhabits this buttoned-down lady (complete with severe, unflattering spectacles), but this talented actress has little to do until she must deflect the unwanted advances of Boaz. This clueless schemer is played by Clement as the dimbulb off-spring of Borat and “wild and crazy guys” from SNL, but with little of the charm. His odd, “inverse inflection” accent makes his dialogue a chore to decipher. This is frustrating when you consider his inspired work as the sexiest vamp in the recent WHAT WE DO IN SHADOWS. McBride is doing a toned-down, less “potty-mouthed” riff on his characters from TV’s “Eastbound and Down” and countless movie “lowlifes” (he does have a nice rapport with Leslie Bibb as his ex-hooker wife). Forte makes the rival pastor an offshoot of his many twitchy, self-important boobs from SNL (again!) and his current Fox sitcom.
So, we’ve got a very talented funny cast scrambling to wring laughs from this rambling, inert script by the brothers Hess and the slack direction by Jared. They struck gold with the awkward antics of Napoleon and his pals, but this just seems to be drained of life (and laughs). Like the earlier flick, we get that everybody’s a bit dim, but did they really make the church-goers into such clueless “rubes”? Carol’s given a troubled back story, perhaps to give the plot a touch of pathos, but it’s buried beneath the turgid, tired antics of the annoying, aggravating Boaz. These actors deserved much better material, as does anyone in search of a vibrant comedy caper. This is one script that DON VERDEAN should have left unearthed, deep, deep underground. As you-know-who might say, “Don’t look, Marion!”.
2 Out of 5
DON VERDEAN opens everywhere and screens exclusively in St. Louis at the Chase Park Plaza Cinemas
Steven Spielberg has unveiled the first teaser for Disney’s THE BFG.
The talents of three of the world’s greatest storytellers – Roald Dahl, Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg – finally unite to bring Dahl’s beloved classic “The BFG” to life.
Directed by Spielberg, Disney’s THE BFG tells the imaginative story of a young girl and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country.
“I think it was kind of genius of Roald Dahl to be able to empower the children. It was very, very brave of him to introduce that combination of darkness and light which was so much Disney’s original signature in a lot of their earlier works like in ‘Dumbo,’ ‘Fantasia,’ ‘Snow White’ and ‘Cinderella,’ and being able to do scary, but also be redemptive at the same time and teach a lesson, an enduring lesson, to everyone, it was a wonderful thing for Dahl to have done, and it was one of the things that attracted me to want to direct this Dahl book,” says Spielberg.
The BFG (Mark Rylance), while a giant himself, is a Big Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. Standing 24-feet tall with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell, he is endearingly dim-witted and keeps to himself for the most part. Giants like Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) on the other hand, are twice as big and at least twice as scary and have been known to eat humans, while the BFG prefers Snozzcumber and Frobscottle. Upon her arrival in Giant Country, Sophie, a precocious 10-year-old girl from London, is initially frightened of the mysterious giant who has brought her to his cave, but soon comes to realize that the BFG is actually quite gentle and charming, and, having never met a giant before, has many questions. The BFG brings Sophie to Dream Country where he collects dreams and sends them to children, teaching her all about the magic and mystery of dreams.
Having both been on their own in the world up until now, their affection for one another quickly grows. But Sophie’s presence in Giant Country has attracted the unwanted attention of the other giants, who have become increasingly more bothersome. Says Spielberg, “It’s a story about friendship, it’s a story about loyalty and protecting your friends and it’s a story that shows that even a little girl can help a big giant solve his biggest problems.” Sophie and the BFG soon depart for London to see Queen Victoria (Penelope Wilton) and warn her of the precarious giant situation, but they must first convince the Queen and her maid, Mary (Rebecca Hall), that giants do indeed exist. Together, they come up with a plan to get rid of the giants once and for all.
Directed by three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg (“Bridge of Spies,” “Schindler’s List,” ”Saving Private Ryan”) from a screenplay by Melissa Mathison (“E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” “The Black Stallion”) based on the best-selling novel by Roald Dahl, THE BFG stars three-time Tony Award® and two-time Olivier Award winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” “Wolf Hall”), newcomer Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Downton Abbey”), Jemaine Clement (“Rio 2,” “The Flight of the Conchords”), Rebecca Hall (“The Gift,” “Iron Man 3”), Rafe Spall (“The Big Short,” “Prometheus”) and Bill Hader (“Inside Out,” “Trainwreck”). The film is produced by Spielberg, Frank Marshall (“Jurassic World,” “The Bourne Ultimatum”) and Sam Mercer (“Snow White and the Huntsman,” “The Sixth Sense”) with Kathleen Kennedy (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Lincoln”), John Madden (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Shakespeare in Love”), Kristie Macosko Krieger (“Bridge of Spies,” “Lincoln”), Michael Siegel (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Rise of the Guardians”), Frank Smith and Naia Cucukov serving as executive producers.
Roald Dahl’s “The BFG” (Big Friendly Giant) was first published in 1982 and has been enchanting readers of all ages ever since. Dahl’s books, which also include “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach” and “Matilda,” are currently available in 58 languages and have sold over 200 million copies worldwide. “The BFG” is the only book of Dahl’s that has never been adapted into a feature film.
Originally created as a bedtime story, “The BFG” was Dahl’s own favorite of all his stories. “It was very important for us to be loyal to the language,” says Spielberg, “and the great writer Melissa Mathison, who also wrote ‘E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,’ wrote “The BFG.”
THE BFG opens in U.S. theaters on July 1, 2016, the year that marks the 100th anniversary of Dahl’s birth.
Bear witness to a hoax of biblical proportions in the funny new trailer from Lionsgate Premiere’s DON VERDEAN.
Hired by an ambitious small-town pastor to find sacred relics in the Holy Land, a self-proclaimed Biblical archaeologist comes up short and his attempt to cover up his failure fuels a comic conspiracy.
Join Sam Rockwell, Amy Ryan, Jemaine Clement, Leslie Bibb, Will Forte and Danny McBride in this hilarious satire from the director of Napoleon Dynamite & Nacho Libre (Jared Hess), arriving in theaters and on demand December 11.
As production gets underway in Vancouver, The Walt Disney Studios announced it will co-produce and co-finance Steven Spielberg’s THE BFG. This marks the three-time Academy Award winner’s first time directing a Disney-branded movie.
THE BFG is the exciting tale of a young London girl and the mysterious Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country.
Previously announced cast include three-time Tony Award winner Mark Rylance who will play the titular “Big Friendly Giant” and newcomer Ruby Barnhill as Sophie. They are now joined by Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Michael David Adamthwaite, Daniel Bacon, Chris Gibbs, Adam Godley, Jonathan Holmes, Paul Moniz de Sa and Olafur Olaffson, all cast as giants. Buckingham Palace has also found its residents with Penelope Wilton being cast as The Queen and Rebecca Hall as Mary, the Queen’s maid.
The Disney/Amblin/Reliance production in association with Walden Media will open in U.S. theaters on July 1, 2016, the year that coincides with the 100th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s birth.
“In more than 40 years of making movies, I have been on the producing end of a number of films for The Walt Disney Company, but never as a director,” said Steven Spielberg. “It is a special joy to be in the director’s chair as we start ‘The BFG,’ alongside my long-time friends and film collaborators Kathy Kennedy, who introduced me to this project, Frank Marshall and Melissa Mathison. Together with them and Disney, there are many reasons why I am so excited about this joint venture.”
“With Steven Spielberg at the helm, ‘The BFG’ will undoubtedly capture the minds of children and adults alike – as Roald Dahl’s original stories and many of Steven’s own films have done for decades,” said Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. “The team at Disney has tremendous respect for the filmmakers, and we’re thrilled to join with them to make what will be a spectacular picture.”
“This partnership speaks to the spirit of storytelling and the kinds of movies that we make here,” said Michael Wright, CEO of DreamWorks Studios. “Over the years, we have enjoyed a fruitful collaboration, and we couldn’t be more excited to be working with Disney in this expanded capacity on THE BFG.”
Based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahl, “The BFG” (Big Friendly Giant) was published in 1982 and has been enchanting readers of all ages ever since. Dahl’s books, which also include “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “Matilda” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” are currently available in 58 languages and have sold over 200 million copies worldwide.
Steven Spielberg will direct the film adaptation based on a script by Melissa Mathison, who last teamed with Spielberg on “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” Spielberg, Frank Marshall and Sam Mercer will produce while Kathleen Kennedy, John Madden, Michael Siegel and Kristie Macosko Krieger are on board as executive producers. Adam Somner is a co-producer.
The Walt Disney Studios is distributing the film in the U.S. and several international territories while Mister Smith Entertainment will oversee distribution in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Reliance will distribute the film in India.
Disney and Walden Media previously produced “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” and “Bridge to Terabithia” together.
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS is REAL WORLD with bite. Quite literally actually. A colorful (well… mainly shades of palish white) group of vampires that range in style and age struggle to live together all under the same roof. Whose turn it is to do the dishes or why someone didn’t put down newspapers on the floor before biting someone’s neck are taxing conversations that showcase just how “normal” vampires really are in this entertaining mockumentary.
“I go for the look ‘dead but delicious.’” Fans of FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS will love Jemaine Clement’s turn as a stubborn and ultra serious vamp that comes across like a mix of Brad Pitt in INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE with Vlad the Impaler. He’s just one of the highlights in this stellar cast. Everyone involved – even smaller bit parts such as a pair of bumbling police officers – commits to the material and delivers in memorable ways. Taika Waititi is the pseudo-leader of the film as he guides the documentary crew spotlighting the house and its occupants. His prissy and sensitive manner juxtaposes nicely against many of the others in the house including a stoic and silent Nosferatu type.
WHAT WE DO… isn’t just all laughs though. There’s a rather clever sequence early on involving a male victim struggling to escape the house. Utilizing one long camera shot, we feel both the humor and the anxiety as he gets lost in a maze of hallways and doors. Around every corner lurks another one of the roommates in a hilariously creative and occasionally surprising manner. The backpack scare during his attempted escape is absolutely brilliant! Sequences like this recall fellow New Zealander Peter Jackson’s early scary but silly work.
By incorporating ancient drawings and art from over the centuries, directors Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi are able to give us a brief history of each of these characters. Little touches such as this effectively hides the low budget of WHAT WE DO… but also places these fictional characters in a bigger universe. As a fanatic of ancient cultures and fantasy mythology, it’s also quite fun to see these old and sometimes crude looking drawings.
“It’s this big homoerotic dick biting club and I’m stuck here ironing their fucking frills!” Hilarious lines such as this are constant in WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS. You don’t have to be a hardcore horror fan to appreciate this loving nod to things that go bump in the night – yes, even werewolves get in on the action, including one unforgettable scene between the two groups near the waterfront that had me laughing out loud. Thanks in large part to an exceptional cast, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS proves you can do quite a lot with the vampire shtick without feeling long in the tooth.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS opens at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre on Friday, March 6
