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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated What We Do In The Shadows (2014) in Movies
Jun 2, 2020
I don't think I ever really knew what this was before seeing it, but then I genuinely think it would be difficult to conceive this in your brain accurately from the description.
Viago, Deacon, Vladislav and Petyr live together in Wellington, New Zealand. There's nothing too odd about a group of men living together, they do all the usual things, argue over the chores, have guests for dinner, clean blood out of their new second-hand clothing... oh right, yes, and they're vampires. Life is fine until Nick comes into their lives. He's young and hip and starts to show them what the modern world has to offer. We watch the story of these ordinary vampires as their night to night lives unfold.
The documentary style is always an interesting idea, it's not even something that actual documentaries get right all the time so a fictionalised version was intriguing and they really staked it through the heart with this one. We cut between interview and footage styles and it really does help to give you that real-life documentary feel as well as a sense of each individual character. The addition of historical photographs and illustrations was a fun way to get bits of their backstory and I thought they were created really well.
There is a brilliant casual nature about all the acting and being able to just be yourself means it does all feel a lot more real. While I like all the characters my favourite is definitely Viago played by Taika Waititi. There's a wonderful innocence to him and a kind nature that is really at odds with the whole vampire thing. He's keen for everyone to get along and he's got a very positive outlook on death. Waititi gives Viago that bouncy energy that always makes me smile, so many of his moments genuinely made me smile.
Everyone brings that bit of supernatural fun, the rivalry with the werewolves, meeting with other vampires on the street, and the vampire "tricks" that lead to one of my favourite pieces in the whole film... the police officers. Their reactions to everything were priceless.
I've watched it a few times recently and honestly, each watch is just as entertaining as the first. It might not have the high production values of other films but it really has a wonderful presence. There are some days when you need this sort of amusement (with a tiny bit of devastation thrown in), this is the antidote to so many of the world's troubles.
If you haven't already done so then check out these episodes of At The Flicks (Mega Shark In Lockdown) and MovieDrone (Episode 91) where I talking with all your favourite movie men about What We Do In The Shadows.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/06/what-we-do-in-shadows-movie-review.html
Viago, Deacon, Vladislav and Petyr live together in Wellington, New Zealand. There's nothing too odd about a group of men living together, they do all the usual things, argue over the chores, have guests for dinner, clean blood out of their new second-hand clothing... oh right, yes, and they're vampires. Life is fine until Nick comes into their lives. He's young and hip and starts to show them what the modern world has to offer. We watch the story of these ordinary vampires as their night to night lives unfold.
The documentary style is always an interesting idea, it's not even something that actual documentaries get right all the time so a fictionalised version was intriguing and they really staked it through the heart with this one. We cut between interview and footage styles and it really does help to give you that real-life documentary feel as well as a sense of each individual character. The addition of historical photographs and illustrations was a fun way to get bits of their backstory and I thought they were created really well.
There is a brilliant casual nature about all the acting and being able to just be yourself means it does all feel a lot more real. While I like all the characters my favourite is definitely Viago played by Taika Waititi. There's a wonderful innocence to him and a kind nature that is really at odds with the whole vampire thing. He's keen for everyone to get along and he's got a very positive outlook on death. Waititi gives Viago that bouncy energy that always makes me smile, so many of his moments genuinely made me smile.
Everyone brings that bit of supernatural fun, the rivalry with the werewolves, meeting with other vampires on the street, and the vampire "tricks" that lead to one of my favourite pieces in the whole film... the police officers. Their reactions to everything were priceless.
I've watched it a few times recently and honestly, each watch is just as entertaining as the first. It might not have the high production values of other films but it really has a wonderful presence. There are some days when you need this sort of amusement (with a tiny bit of devastation thrown in), this is the antidote to so many of the world's troubles.
If you haven't already done so then check out these episodes of At The Flicks (Mega Shark In Lockdown) and MovieDrone (Episode 91) where I talking with all your favourite movie men about What We Do In The Shadows.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/06/what-we-do-in-shadows-movie-review.html
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Day Shift (2022) in Movies
Oct 12, 2022
Vampires vs. The Bronx, Night Teeth, and now Day Shift. Someone over at Netflix really likes investing in vampire horror-comedies of varying quality. Day Shift, for the most part, is a competent and entertaining action flick, thanks in no small part to the cast. Jamie Foxx has shown time and again that he's more than capable of taking on lead duties, whether he's winning Oscars for music biopics, or kicking vampire ass up and down California. His chemistry with Dave Franco lays the foundation for much of the films humour, and introduces a kind of buddy cop dynamic into the mix. The cast is further bolstered with some smaller roles from industry veteran Peter Stormare, and living legend Snoop Dogg (patiently waiting for a Big John spin-off project).
The action scenes are a whole lot of fun. The vampires contort and twist in horrible ways, and are dispatched in equally horrible ways. There's plenty of blood and viscera, limbs flying about the place, decapitations. It's all well choreographed, fast paced, and hugely entertaining.
There's a lot going for Day Shift, but it does faulter at times. After an exciting opening scene, there's quite a lengthy dip in pacing. This leads to a lot of exposition dumps and world building. Crafting lore for a new IP is something that can be tricky to navigate, and Day Shift misses the mark in this instance. It's all well and good providing the audience with background information that would be everyday knowledge for these characters, but it's executed in a way that feels wayward and messy, and almost 100% through dialogue. And example of a film that does this kind of thing well would be Zombieland. Withing minutes, we know plenty of in-universe rules for surviving the zombie apocalypse, and it's done in a fun, breezy, and brisk manner. In contrast, Day Shift puts a pin in any sort of excitement to throw all sorts of exposition at us in a way that feels like it's relying on potential sequels for any kind of pay off. It's just a little deflating, and not even Foxx's charisma can keep it from becoming boring.
To add to the negative side of things, the villain of the piece is aggressively forgettable. There's a semi-clever reference to how estate realtors are evil, but other than that, she's just an uninspired bad guy that causes the protagonists mild peril. The narrative also suffers from the age old issue of characters doing stupid things to drive the plot forward. Some of the events that unfold don't make a huge amount of sense with what we've been told previously.
Despite these misgivings and a messy middle, Day Shift ends on a high note, with an entertaining final third, and ultimately manages to be a perfectly passable popcorn movie. What it lacks in substance, it's makes up for in style, and will surely leave most with a smile on their faces by the time the credits roll.
The action scenes are a whole lot of fun. The vampires contort and twist in horrible ways, and are dispatched in equally horrible ways. There's plenty of blood and viscera, limbs flying about the place, decapitations. It's all well choreographed, fast paced, and hugely entertaining.
There's a lot going for Day Shift, but it does faulter at times. After an exciting opening scene, there's quite a lengthy dip in pacing. This leads to a lot of exposition dumps and world building. Crafting lore for a new IP is something that can be tricky to navigate, and Day Shift misses the mark in this instance. It's all well and good providing the audience with background information that would be everyday knowledge for these characters, but it's executed in a way that feels wayward and messy, and almost 100% through dialogue. And example of a film that does this kind of thing well would be Zombieland. Withing minutes, we know plenty of in-universe rules for surviving the zombie apocalypse, and it's done in a fun, breezy, and brisk manner. In contrast, Day Shift puts a pin in any sort of excitement to throw all sorts of exposition at us in a way that feels like it's relying on potential sequels for any kind of pay off. It's just a little deflating, and not even Foxx's charisma can keep it from becoming boring.
To add to the negative side of things, the villain of the piece is aggressively forgettable. There's a semi-clever reference to how estate realtors are evil, but other than that, she's just an uninspired bad guy that causes the protagonists mild peril. The narrative also suffers from the age old issue of characters doing stupid things to drive the plot forward. Some of the events that unfold don't make a huge amount of sense with what we've been told previously.
Despite these misgivings and a messy middle, Day Shift ends on a high note, with an entertaining final third, and ultimately manages to be a perfectly passable popcorn movie. What it lacks in substance, it's makes up for in style, and will surely leave most with a smile on their faces by the time the credits roll.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Twilight (Season 8, Volume 7) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Surprise, surprise, surprise. I actually ended up enjoying this. Sorta.
The Good:
* The dialogue was a <b>big</b> improvement over the last few installments and some of it actually made me laugh, which hasn't happened with this season lately.
* While the artwork still isn't terrific, I could differentiate between the characters better than the last volume.
* The villain, Twilight, is finally revealed. <u>Finally</u>.
* The dig at the Twilight series. I got a chuckle out of it. [Buffy: <i>"You listen to me, Twilight -- My God, is that really the name you picked? <b>Twilight?</b> Y'know I lived that idea first, right? (And my vampire was so much better.)</i> - pg. 69]
* As seen by the cover for this volume, Angel's back. Always a good thing.
The Bad:
* There's still ridiculousness, although it was a little tamer here therefore easier to deal with.
* Some relationship developments I'm iffy about, one of which I'm not sure I buy and definitely don't like, but I'll attempt an open mind.
The Ugly:
* Amy and Warren aren't dead yet. Boo, hiss.
The Verdict:
The stories were mostly interesting, though also could be quite weird, and I am curious to how it will develop in the future. Just when I thought this series wouldn't get better, this happened and now I genuinely want to know what happens next instead of the can't-turn-away-from-the-trainwreck state of mind I've been employing for the last several issues.
The Good:
* The dialogue was a <b>big</b> improvement over the last few installments and some of it actually made me laugh, which hasn't happened with this season lately.
* While the artwork still isn't terrific, I could differentiate between the characters better than the last volume.
* The villain, Twilight, is finally revealed. <u>Finally</u>.
* The dig at the Twilight series. I got a chuckle out of it. [Buffy: <i>"You listen to me, Twilight -- My God, is that really the name you picked? <b>Twilight?</b> Y'know I lived that idea first, right? (And my vampire was so much better.)</i> - pg. 69]
* As seen by the cover for this volume, Angel's back. Always a good thing.
The Bad:
* There's still ridiculousness, although it was a little tamer here therefore easier to deal with.
* Some relationship developments I'm iffy about, one of which I'm not sure I buy and definitely don't like, but I'll attempt an open mind.
The Ugly:
* Amy and Warren aren't dead yet. Boo, hiss.
The Verdict:
The stories were mostly interesting, though also could be quite weird, and I am curious to how it will develop in the future. Just when I thought this series wouldn't get better, this happened and now I genuinely want to know what happens next instead of the can't-turn-away-from-the-trainwreck state of mind I've been employing for the last several issues.
Debbiereadsbook (1541 KP) rated Wicked Soul (Ancient Blood #1) in Books
Feb 15, 2018
did not like Liv!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I have *issues* with this book.
Aside from the fact its single person point of view and blah blah blah of course I wanted to hear from Warin, Olivia has to be the single most annoying main character I have ever come across and I cannot,for the life of me figure out why I kept reading!!
She whines and moans and has the mental age of a teenager, I wasn't actually sure how old she was supposed to be til she and Warin are talking about how old he is.
Clearly, the British vampire Night Lord who's name escapes me already, is playing on a much bigger playground than just Chicago. And Warin's brother, Aleric, is part of that playground judging by the epilogue, but I can't see what game he is playing.
The book is reasonably well written, with some sexy scenes and some violence, but nothing too explicit or graphic. I saw no spelling or editing errors.
Will I read book two? Depends on who has the majority voice in that one. If it's Aleric? Possibly.
I just did not like Olivia!
But I did finish it, so for that reason...
3 stars
Sorry this is short, but I find the 3 star ones for meh books the hardest to write.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I have *issues* with this book.
Aside from the fact its single person point of view and blah blah blah of course I wanted to hear from Warin, Olivia has to be the single most annoying main character I have ever come across and I cannot,for the life of me figure out why I kept reading!!
She whines and moans and has the mental age of a teenager, I wasn't actually sure how old she was supposed to be til she and Warin are talking about how old he is.
Clearly, the British vampire Night Lord who's name escapes me already, is playing on a much bigger playground than just Chicago. And Warin's brother, Aleric, is part of that playground judging by the epilogue, but I can't see what game he is playing.
The book is reasonably well written, with some sexy scenes and some violence, but nothing too explicit or graphic. I saw no spelling or editing errors.
Will I read book two? Depends on who has the majority voice in that one. If it's Aleric? Possibly.
I just did not like Olivia!
But I did finish it, so for that reason...
3 stars
Sorry this is short, but I find the 3 star ones for meh books the hardest to write.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I loved this edition of Dracula. Though I have not finished the novel itself, I have friends who have and they assured me that this does not leave much out.
The story itself was quite interesting. As one of the first full vampire novels, I can see how others have drawn inspiration from this book.
There were parts that I was not a fan of, that felt rushed, but as these are journal entries and letters, there would not be the drawn out narratives that would be there were it someone's novel.
The art was very well done. I loved the color uses and the playing with shadows to make it seem more foreboding. It was beautiful.
That being said, in this particular edition, some of the text was difficult to see. Because the artists were differentiating the writers by color and font, this made some of the combinations difficult to read. In particular, I found it difficult to read Mina's writing. Since it was pink on pink with a cursive type font, everything looked jumbled together and was just, in general, difficult to read.
That is the main reason I gave it two stars off, though I actually give this book a 3.5. I liked the story and I am excited to actually pick up and read the full novel, hopefully soon, to see if I can mark the differences between the two.
The story itself was quite interesting. As one of the first full vampire novels, I can see how others have drawn inspiration from this book.
There were parts that I was not a fan of, that felt rushed, but as these are journal entries and letters, there would not be the drawn out narratives that would be there were it someone's novel.
The art was very well done. I loved the color uses and the playing with shadows to make it seem more foreboding. It was beautiful.
That being said, in this particular edition, some of the text was difficult to see. Because the artists were differentiating the writers by color and font, this made some of the combinations difficult to read. In particular, I found it difficult to read Mina's writing. Since it was pink on pink with a cursive type font, everything looked jumbled together and was just, in general, difficult to read.
That is the main reason I gave it two stars off, though I actually give this book a 3.5. I liked the story and I am excited to actually pick up and read the full novel, hopefully soon, to see if I can mark the differences between the two.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated A Girl's Guide to Vampires (Dark Ones #1) in Books
Nov 18, 2019
I loved it
Contains spoilers, click to show
All Joy Randall wants is a little old-fashioned romance, but when she participates in a "Goddess evoking" ceremony with her friend, Roxy, Joy finds out her future true love is a man with the potential to put her immortal soul in danger. At first the ever-practical Joy is ready to dismiss her vision as a product of too much gin and too many vampire romances, but while traveling through the Czech Republic with Roxy, Joy begins to have some second thoughts about her mystery lover because she is suddenly plagued by visions of a lethally handsome stranger. Then, when she and Roxy attend a local GothFaire, Joy meets Raphael Griffin St. John, head of security, and she becomes even more bewildered because the dark and dangerous Raphael seems too close to her dreams for comfort.
Oh I absolutely loved this book!! It was funny and witty full of well written steamy scenes! Kept you guessing whether Joy was going crazy or vampires truly existed! Also very refreshing to find the vamp wasn't actually the love of her life she took another route! Who by the way was totally hot!! Joy's friendship with Roxy is just perfect and a lot like most friendships. I really want to take a trip to find me a Dark one!
I love Katie Macalister's writing style it's always on the edge!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Oh I absolutely loved this book!! It was funny and witty full of well written steamy scenes! Kept you guessing whether Joy was going crazy or vampires truly existed! Also very refreshing to find the vamp wasn't actually the love of her life she took another route! Who by the way was totally hot!! Joy's friendship with Roxy is just perfect and a lot like most friendships. I really want to take a trip to find me a Dark one!
I love Katie Macalister's writing style it's always on the edge!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Merissa (13346 KP) rated Matching Bloodlines (The Princeton Allegiant #3) in Books
Jan 27, 2020
MATCHING BLOODLINES is the third book in The Princeton Allegiant series, and trust me when I say this series just keeps on getting better and better! Although I would say you "could" read this as a standalone, the better question would be "why?"
At the end of the last book, Francisco (and us) found out that Sophia was alive and also got a location. The start of this book takes us to that location. Poor Francisco. That's all I'm saying. And what the hell is Loren thinking? He's got his mate so he should have some idea of what it is he's saying!!!
I am sincerely loving this world. It gets more amazing with every book. Francisco really shines in this, showing the reader just how caring (and possessive) a vampire can be about his mate. Charlotte has a hard choice to make. Well, hard for her, at any rate. The attraction between them is off the charts and I loved every moment of it. Sophia is playing a game and I really don't like her. Just saying!
If I could do half stars, this would definitely be a 4 1/2, but I can't so it's not. Do NOT let that put you off though. I sincerely recommend this book and the series, and I really can't wait to continue. But who is next? Is it Reese or Victor? Either way, I'm ready and waiting.
A fantastic story and highly recommended by me.
At the end of the last book, Francisco (and us) found out that Sophia was alive and also got a location. The start of this book takes us to that location. Poor Francisco. That's all I'm saying. And what the hell is Loren thinking? He's got his mate so he should have some idea of what it is he's saying!!!
I am sincerely loving this world. It gets more amazing with every book. Francisco really shines in this, showing the reader just how caring (and possessive) a vampire can be about his mate. Charlotte has a hard choice to make. Well, hard for her, at any rate. The attraction between them is off the charts and I loved every moment of it. Sophia is playing a game and I really don't like her. Just saying!
If I could do half stars, this would definitely be a 4 1/2, but I can't so it's not. Do NOT let that put you off though. I sincerely recommend this book and the series, and I really can't wait to continue. But who is next? Is it Reese or Victor? Either way, I'm ready and waiting.
A fantastic story and highly recommended by me.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Dracula (English) (1931) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
I am Dracula
Dracula- such a classic film, such a excellent film. It is so perfect, its a masterpeice. This film really started "the unviersal monsters franchise", this and "Frankenstien". Without those two films, we would have no "unverisal monsters", we would have no "monster/creature films", i mean we still would but their wouldnt be good/the same. So thanks to this film and frankenstein, we got "the universal monster franchise" and films about "monsters/creatures". Also if it wasnt for "Dracula" and "Nosferatu", we wouldnt have any movies about vampires. So once again thanks to "Dracula" and "Nosferatu" we have movies about vampires.
The plot: The dashing, mysterious Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), after hypnotizing a British soldier, Renfield (Dwight Frye), into his mindless slave, travels to London and takes up residence in an old castle. Soon Dracula begins to wreak havoc, sucking the blood of young women and turning them into vampires. When he sets his sights on Mina (Helen Chandler), the daughter of a prominent doctor, vampire-hunter Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) is enlisted to put a stop to the count's never-ending bloodlust.
And of course, you cant forgot about the amazing and fantasic Bela Lugosi. When you think of Dracula, you think of him. He was so perfect as Dracula.
Like i said before this film is a masterpiece and my second favorite film of "the unverisal monster franchise".
The plot: The dashing, mysterious Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), after hypnotizing a British soldier, Renfield (Dwight Frye), into his mindless slave, travels to London and takes up residence in an old castle. Soon Dracula begins to wreak havoc, sucking the blood of young women and turning them into vampires. When he sets his sights on Mina (Helen Chandler), the daughter of a prominent doctor, vampire-hunter Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) is enlisted to put a stop to the count's never-ending bloodlust.
And of course, you cant forgot about the amazing and fantasic Bela Lugosi. When you think of Dracula, you think of him. He was so perfect as Dracula.
Like i said before this film is a masterpiece and my second favorite film of "the unverisal monster franchise".
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