#They’re vampires and it’s a mockumentary

[thelesbianthespianposts]

ok guys, last week I binged all of good omens and this week I caught up to ofmd

[elliesgaymachete]

I feel like buffy the vampire slayer really needed a found footage/mockumentary episode, probably around late season 5/early season 6

Dawn’s working on a project for some class that’s about family so obviously she’s gonna do it on her sister and extended/found family.

Buffy immediately tells her to get the camera out of her face, she has enough to worry about right now and for the rest of the episode is only seen in small glimpses that Dawn is able to get before she notices and she always hides the camera when Buffy looks in her direction.

Willow helps her figure out how to work the camera and transfer the files and edit and stuff. She’s really good at that. She and Tara are incredibly helpful and like overly enthusiastic about the project they just want her to do a good job. They like sit down for an interview but end up flirting the whole time and Dawn has to clear her throat and remind them that they’re on camera.

Anya doesn’t understand the concept and says multiple things that Dawn mutters behind the camera “gonna have to cut that”. She doesn’t cut it

Every time the camera falls on Xander he tries to act like a macho action star but it’s just awkward and Anya has to tell him to stop embarrassing himself.

Dawn has a heart to heart with Spike at some point but he doesn’t realize there’s a camera and in the middle he finally notices and—“Are you FILMING this? Have you no decency? Respect for privacy?” The footage cuts out.

Giles is in one scene. She asks him a question for context of what’s going on. He answers honestly in a very descriptive, expository monologue, then realizes there’s a camera. Apparently no one told him she’s working on a project.

There’s a scene at some point where she’s getting chased by the monster of the week where she’s just running and the camera’s going crazy and she drops the camera and there’s a perfect view at some awkward side angle of Buffy kicking this monster’s ass.

She finishes, Dawn scrambles for the camera, Buffy helps her up, notices the camera, “Are you SERIOUSLY filming right now—“ Static.

Some button at the end maybe spliced together with other random clips of everyone laughing or hugging or weird bits that didn’t fit elsewhere while Dawn talks about how much she loves her family

Cut to Dawn presenting the footage in class. Weird looks, scattered applause. The teacher comments, “While that was very… creative, I’m not sure you understood the point of the assignment…”

Next presentation is like some cookie cutter boring thing about a nuclear family

Dawn gets a B-

[just-a-living-meat-thing]

so you all know how Dracula can turn into a swarm of bats or rats or dust whatever right? Well a friend and I were talking and we were like “hey what if he just turned into a bunch of mosquitoes instead? Harker just has really bad eyesight and is a dumbass so he assumed the buzzing flying dots were just… really loud dust motes” and then we talked about the ending of Salem’s Lot where Barnacle the vampire’s teeth tried to bite Harry Styles (I forgot both their names lmao pls bear with me) and then we were like okay so a new vampire grows out of each tooth, they’re gonna form a little tooth group on the ground and name each other things like “piece of shit” and “stale carrot” and “crackpot” and then we started giggling over a vampire called f*cking “Crackpot” and decided that Crackpot’s actually gonna be Dracula’s gay lover in the new Dracula-centric horror comedy we’re definitely making, and Crackpot’s just gonna be this evil, feral little guy, he’s like Dracula’s cartoon goon right except they’re lovers too, and every time the Vampire Slayers get suspicious of Dracula being a vampire Crackpot f*cking panics and turns into a heap of crack in little ziplock baggies, so the slayers corner Dracula frantically trying to hide his dinosaur sized stache of hard drugs (that definitely are not his boyfriend) and they’re just like “awwww man… dude we thought you were a vampire this whole time, were you seriously just on crack?? That’s why you were climbing walls and shit??” And Dracula is like…. Yes, That is Me, The Crack Addict For I Have a Problem. And so they get him to rehab and visit him every day and try to encourage him to get clean and Dracula is nodding along with it (he can’t break out of rehab he’s tried and failed so many times and he’s starting to think this was an elaborate ploy to trap him in one place so they could kill him) and as they’re talking they’re like “oh and btw who’s that weird guy in the corner over there” and the camera pans over to Crackpot rubbing his hands and giggling evilly and then they look away to see Dracula and when they look back they see a shit ton of pots clanking to the ground and Dracula’s like “oh my pots!! My pots that I… shoplifted?!! I have a serious problem oh gee, oh shucks, yeah I’m a shoplifter too I mean—what can I say for myself?” and they immediately try to soothe him like “aww no dude you’re doing your best it’s okay, my memaw was a shoplifter too, you’ll get better!” and then they leave and Crackpot goes back to standing in the corner and giggling over his devious little schemes and then Dracula and Crackpot make out sloppy style. And that’s the end of the mockumentary parody of Dracula

[marvelousmatt]

It Took a “Huge Science Project” for What We Do in the Shadows to Bring Back Colin Robinson

BY WHITNEY FRIEDLANDER

JUNE 5, 2023

In this epic battle of nature versus nurture, nature has won.

The third season finale of FX’s vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows saw the death of energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as well as his rebirth into a slimy, screaming, and time-consuming infant. The most recent fourth season saw him grow quickly from there, going from an energetic toddler to a tap-dancing tween to a sullen teen within a season.

All of this happened while his de facto parents, the more canonical blood-sucking vampire Laszlo (Matt Berry) and the vampires’ human bodyguard, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), tried to keep this version of their roommate from becoming like his annoying and frustrating predecessor: a supernatural being who gains energy by draining you of yours.

But that season finale, titled—what else for an episode about vampire parenting?—“Sunrise, Sunset,” saw Colin Robinson complete his metamorphosis into the grating-voiced and flatulent creature whom his housemates already knew. (The character is always referred to by both his first and last names; co-showrunner Paul Simms, who wrote this episode, has said that the fifth season, which premieres July 13, will get into whether these are even actually his names). To make that transformation complete, the team needed a Styrofoam wall, some “turn off that racket” music, and as little dialogue as possible.

Room Rager

Shadows has already established that these aren’t just vampires; they’re vampire hoarders. The characters’ dilapidated Staten Island Tudor is overcrowded with animals dead and alive, musty furniture, candelabras, and dusty books.

It’s hard to put a value on specific things when time has no meaning. And Colin Robinson’s quest will only reinforce this notion.

It begins as he’s banging holes in his bedroom wall whilst blasting death metal, a music choice that serves the dual purpose of covering up the first action and really irritating his roommates, (or, as episode director Kyle Newacheck puts it, is an example of how the character was “starting to learn how to feed in that state”).

The look of bewilderment when one of his holes uncovers a film canister suggests Colin Robinson is operating out of instinct rather than with a known purpose. As the show’s score quickens, he rushes through the house's tight hallways to find a projector and lug it downstairs.

The found footage has more clues, pointing out where else Colin Robinson should hit and in what order. It’s then that he discovers energy vampire nirvana: a long hallway lit like a fluorescent-hued forgotten side room of a public library. There are meticulously hung beige and brown sweaters and slacks (some Proksch had actually worn on the show), and detailed diary entries that, among other things, suggest one of the character’s boring rants was the impetus for the events in the movie Se7en.

As he makes himself at home in an uncomfortable chair for innumerable hours of reading, teen Colin Robinson’s hair falls out and his posture changes. Behold: The energy vampire’s metaphorical butterfly wings begin to flap.

“The Color Within the Darkness”

Newacheck says he and the production team had about two weeks to build “the huge science project,” which was a wall of Styrofoam blocks that could smash open, plus the secret room, which had to be constructed so that it connected to the bedroom set. Audiences had already seen Colin Robinson’s room, which is tiny and sparse, with only two pieces of art that hang on separate walls. Newacheck decided that those paintings could be what he calls “visual coding” for the character to learn where to line up the projector. Music supervisor Nora Felder chose “Forbidden Lies” by A Creatures Cage and “Killing Engine” by Andy James, Jan Cyrka, and  Christopher Clancy to play during the hammering, both of which exude a “turn off that racket” vibe.

Newacheck was inspired by the last scenes of Darren Aronofsky’s film Requiem for a Dream, which uses a soaring score amidst stark lighting and shadows to create what he calls a “big, revelatory feeling.” He says he worked with director of photography D.J. Stipsen, who was also the cinematographer on the 2014 film that inspired this series, to find “the color within the darkness” of a purposefully bleak interior.

The mockumentary format helped too, Newachek says. “Sometimes, when you’re trying to figure out what’s important in a scene, it’s kind of nice to have less choices in terms of shot coverage or shot selection,” he says. “It makes you realize what’s very important about the scene and focus on that.”

Silence Is Golden

Shadows tends to be a very loud and chatty show (Who knew hundreds-year-old vampires could be so needy? Guillermo did). Juxtaposed with this scene is a storyline involving one of Colin Robinson’s other roommates, the vampire Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and a lot of flailing and hissing. But Proksch embraced the lack of dialogue in this transformation scene.

“There was a moment where we talked about throwing in some ad libs,” he says. “And we just came to the conclusion that it should just exist how it was written. It should be a bit of a heightened moment.”

He adds that it’s even debatable how cognizant Colin Robinson was that he was being filmed, both because “he was so in the zone that he was not paying attention to anything other than his quest” and because he’s now, technically, the youngest vampire in the house. Much like actual children, “since he was reborn, he has been on camera,” Proksch says. “I think he also considers them to be commonplace and not as much of a novelty as the rest of the characters do.”

Learning and Relearning

Colin Robinson’s final moments of transformation might solidify that Laszlo and Guillermo’s efforts were always going to be in vain. Proksch speculates that, even if his character hadn’t wanted to read those journals, “he would have then been compelled” to do so because “it's in his DNA to relearn the process of becoming an energy vampire.”

They also help him hone in on what kind of energy vampire he is destined to be; leaving behind the days of teen angst and moving full-on into trapping his prey with mind-numbing conversations.

“I think it’s something like when you’re in school,” Proksch explains. “Up until college, you're in school and you learn a bunch of different things…. When you get to college, you specialize.”

Proksch doesn’t know how many times Colin Robinson has been reborn, although the show has established that this happens to energy vampires every hundred years, and some images from the opening credits suggest he might have been alive in the 1700s. But he does think it’s interesting that he never looks any older than Proksch himself, who is in his 40s.

Are humans the most boring when we’re middle-aged? “I think middle age is particularly boring,” he acknowledges.

[ghostoftonantzin]

I have been rewatching the trailer on repeat, as one does when the premiere of the new season is rapidly approaching, and I was thinking about Guillermo’s “what?” moment.

Obviously in the trailer it’s being used to punctuate Nadja and Colin hooking up, but what he’s reacting to is never shown. This being Shadows, it could be anything, but I was reading this review from Consequence of Sound, and this bit stuck out to me:

Which makes me wonder: why is Guillermo standing in front of the curtains, so close to the wall? Why is the shot framed so tightly on him for the show’s usual mockumentary style, as if they’re filming a conversation?

Basically, the theory I’m proposing is that this is Guillermo’s reaction shot to Nandor, who doesn’t know Guillermo has been turned, finally offering to turn him into a vampire.

[adamwatchesmovies]

What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Taika Waititi is a big name now so I'm not sure I can call What We Do in the Shadows a hidden gem, but it FEELS like a hidden gem. Outrageously funny, this satirical mockumentary on vampires happily takes a stake to the bloodsuckers but also loves them. Try to keep an eye and ear out for countless clever references between the wild fits of laughter.

A documentary crew (wearing crucifixes) follow four vampire roommates who share a flat in Wellington. Viago (Taika Waititi) is the 379 year-old prissy and motherly household member who tries to keep everyone in line. Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) is 862 and fondly remembers his tyrannical days as “The Poker”. At 183, Deacon (Jonathan Brugh) is the “young rebel” of the group. In the basement, Petyr (Ben Fransham) sleeps in a stone coffin and generally keeps to himself… not that the others mind. The 8,000 year-old vampire kinda creeps them out.

Basically, we’re following a bunch of dorks through their day-to-day misadventures. These vampires would be pathetic if they weren’t so endearing. Out of touch with mortals for hundreds of years, they struggle with things we take for granted, such as getting into outfits that will get them invited into clubs. If only they could look at themselves in a mirror! Too bad vampires don’t cast a reflection. They stick out like sore thumbs everywhere they go but no one would ever believe they’re supernatural creatures. I know when I think vampire, I don’t picture a bunch of guys who pull pranks on unsuspecting victims by hypnotizing them and who only manage to be scary when they jump out of a closet yelling “BOO!”

In another movie, you might grow to dislike the vampires as they murder people while the camera crew follows them. Not today. Anyone who crosses their path kinda deserves it ‘cause come on! How could you be dumb enough to willingly enter these guys’ lair? Deacon has been promising to his familiar, Jackie (Jackie Van Beek) that he will turn her into a vampire for years - why she wants to become one is a mystery to everyone watching - but he’s clearly just stringing her along so he can have someone to clean up the blood from the kitchen floor after a meal. The more you learn about them, the more their eccentricities emerge and the funnier it gets. There's a scene where a vampires tries to show off his ability to transform and he botches it so badly it's the funniest thing I've seen in years.

At 85 minutes, What We Do In the Shadows is just the right length. It moves quickly from one joke to another. So fast, in fact, you may miss more than one gag while trying to compose yourself. And then, just as you wonder what aspect of vampirism is left to be lampooned, the movie’s over. Aww man! Already?

I’m not equipped to tell you just how hilarious What We Do In the Shadows is. I can’t even tell you what my favourite part was because I can’t choose. I can tell you to stick around for the end credits (all the way to the end) to get the maximum enjoyment out of it. This film only gets better the more you know about vampire stories, and even if you don't, it will have you in stitches. (April 5, 2019)

[unnursvanablog]

What We Do In The Shadows / review.

This is just my opinions on the first four seasons of What We Do In The Shadows. Pretty much spoiler free.

I started watching this show last year but never really got into them until the end of the first series which I finished at the start of the new year. And haven't been able to stop since. Of course, I know the original concept through the movie the show is based on and have been meaning to watch the shows for a long time, but never really got around to do it.

And this show, in it's short sitcom format, has gone by at a lightning fast pace that never really seems to take any major missteps, even after four seasons, but rather only seems to develop more and get stronger as the writers and the cast understand the world and the characters better. There is a good spark in the group that translate to the screen.

There is a lot of humor going on at all times; quite sarcastic, witty and dark. It's not for everyone, but I have a lot of fun watching it. There have even been several moments where I have laughed out loud - which is not something that happens very often. And there are a lot of moments that are endlessly quotable.

But despite the darkness of the vampire world and the dark, crude humor that is present within the shows, there is definitely a lot of heart there as well and it is a sweet and comforting watch. There isn't a character that I find boring or a dynamic that I don't think works and I really enjoy their approach to this vampire world and how our understanding of it through our pop cultural views of vampires is used to amp up the humor.

What We Do In The Shadows seems to know perfectly what it is and is not trying to be anything more than a mockumentary about vampires in our world, and it's really does that in a really charming way without being too excessive or trying too hard. It's silly, there are vampires, but that's also the point of it all. And they embrace the silliness.

It's usually a bit common with shows like this, in my opinion, that the characters don't change very much within the framework of the show. While each series has its own story to tell and the characters learn something before that story wraps it usually starts again with a clean slate in the next season, with some lingering elements from the previous ones. It is that way so that the dynamics of the shows and the characters stay relatively the same and the jokes work. But it works well for these sitcoms, and especially well with this show because these are centuries-old vampires and they're not exactly supposed to change too much. It does not make the story too stinted.

It's not that What We Do In the Shadows hasn't undergone any changes throughout its series, because all stories have to develop in some way or else they become too stagnant and convoluted and just don't work anymore, but the changes are subtle and small. They don't necessarily have too much influence on how the characters behave, so that the jokes and all that work. It can be a bit repetitive at times, but the shows are still always fun to watch. And that's just the sitcom format are, so I don't feel like I can give fault the show for that.

The characters still feel like the characters from the first season, but a bit changed with more inner emotional life within them as we see them interact more with Guillermo, which is the human perspective and the kind of emotional angle in all of this. And shows like this need those types of characters like Guillermo, who is our main character and the one that goes through most of the big changes, to bring out the the more human elements of the show.

The characters are all so colorful, powerful and unique in their own way, but they work very well together despite how different they are. As all sitcoms should be. It's just a really good sitcom formula going around. Everything just works out.

The series spends a lot of time looking at what it means to being immortal, which is not a new theme to explore in a show with a supernatural twist, but it's done in a very earnest and clever way and manages to do it over and over again without being too corny, or repeated. Probably because each character is really lovable in their own way, so we just care about their coils.

There have been times where it appears like the show is not quite sure what to do with all of it's characters and they kind of run in circles around the others who have more going on each season, but even if they take a few steps back with those characters they work well as a whole as this weird little vampire family that it hardly matters. The diversity of the cast is great and it's all done with such sincerity and dark humor.

Maybe the shows could do with taking a bit more risk at times, but each season does come with a way to challenge itself in one way or another. This is light and fun TV that manages to have humor, heart and a little action in this dark, but cool vampire world that is still filled with sincerity and love. I often find myself rather moved by all the different relationships and dynamics these not-so-human characters have and how much they mean to each other.

[maroonghoul]

Horror Movies I just Watched: Jan 2023

I’m back! Since I watch new horror movies all year long these days anyway, might as well continue this on a monthly basis. So I started off 2023 with these:

Noroi: the Curse  More of a mockumentary mixed with a found footage film. I feel the rules here are less defined then with the Ring or the Grudge, though maybe I just having trouble keeping up. While that can hurt the wide appeal, I think it helps the quality. It’s scarier if you don’t fully know how to avoid or escape Kagutaba. All this film does is give you point of views.

Alligator(1980) Animal attack movies feel weird to me for this. Yes, they’re structurally monster movies, that are, on paper, a lot more scary when the monster is actually real (Sure helped with Jaws’ effectiveness), but it’s that strange extra dose of realism that fails to engage me most of the time. I’m going in knowing this isn’t invincible agent of evil precisely. It’s no more immoral then the humans it eats or attacks because all it’s got is instincts.

For this film, it was never really scary. The big gator puppet was goofy whenever it was on screen. But I did enjoy whenever it was on screen, especially when it literally crashed that wedding. Kinda wished the female lead, who was his last owner all grown up, would realize it and had a moment with Ramon the gator. I don’t know WHAT that moment would be (An apology, a mercy kill, etc.), but otherwise, I felt that prologue is pointless. Big guy deserved at least to get out of Chicago.

Friday the 13th VI: Jason Lives The fourth film in this franchise I’ve seen and so far my favorite. Yeah, sadly not a hot take. This one or 4 is considered the best. But this gave more of what I want. Now a confirmed classic zombie, looks like Jason has enough energy to terrorize more then his camp, even if he always goes back there, leading to a wide variety of dead meat.

While Tommy this time is a unique protagonist for this franchise in that he already knows Jason is around (because it’s sorta his fault), I’m a bit annoyed he’s naïve enough to think the police would help. They gave him more difficulty then Jason. I guess that makes sense, since it’d be hard to justify him leaving anyone alive long enough for the climax. Points for getting a few car chases into the story though.

But otherwise, I enjoyed the Frankenstein inspired opening, the set up to the kills, the actual kills. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I’ll think I go with the one that got him his new machete. The movie being funny without undercutting Jason’s threat level should be enough to make it a Slasher gold standard.

I actually saw it because a local theater was screening it 17 days ago. (Guess why?) and the audience was having a great time with it. I don’t blame them. Funny how a 37 year old dumb slasher movie made a more compelling argument to me the importance of movie theaters then either Avatar movie. Zing!

Black Sabbath Anthology film courtesy of Mario Bava and Boris Karloff! Nice!

The first segment: Well now I found what helped inspired Black Christmas, and in turn, Scream. It doesn’t handle the premise as terrifyingly as what came after it, but it’s nice and short.

The Second segment: Karloff playing a vampire (well, close enough to one) where he turns and breaks down his family one by one, leading to a downer ending? Works for me. Though it’s a pity the version I found dubs him over with an Italian voice actor. 

The Third segment: The corpse in this story is probably the first image that comes up when you do a google search for this movie. Moral of the story; whatever your financial woes or how good that ring looks, don’t steal from anything that looks like that!

Titane What’s really strange about this movie isn’t that our main character is a serial killer or that there’s a sentient car that knocks them up or that they spend most of the movie impersonating a man. What’s strange is that really except for the first act and the last ten minutes, this doesn’t feel like a horror movie at all. 

Most of the deaths happen early on (including one scene played for black comedy purposes) and the car doesn’t do anything beyond it’s sex scene. It doesn’t pull a Christine and come to protect it’s unborn baby. Sure, there’s body horror for the half human half machine fetus that literally tears Alexia’s body apart. But it’s surprisingly utilizes more metal then gore. Though, knowing what I could take, that’s probably a blessing. 

The rest plays almost like a wholesome LGBTIA+ drama about almost literal found family with firefighters. I guess it’s strangely nice it went this way when other movies go the more nihilistic route. Though now I want to watch more movies with firefighters all of a sudden.

[our-flag-means-death-ao3feed]

A What We Do In The Shadows x Our Flag Means Death AU

by our_flag_means_piss

This is an AU that’s been in the back of my mind for over 3 months now. I basically just took Stede’s crew and put them into the wwdits universe despite having never watched the show. This is a character sheet explaining what they’re like and shit.

Words: 234, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: What We Do in the Shadows (TV), What We Do in the Shadows (2014), Our Flag Means Death (TV)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: Gen, M/M, Multi, Other

Characters: Rod Rodriguez, Enzokuhle Abebe, Horace Balassa, Finley Jones, Lionel Garnier, Wayne Murphy, Elias Nilsson, Sidi Ba, Fraser Danskin

Relationships: Enzokuhle Abebe/Rod Rodriguez, Finley Jones/Horace Balassa, Horace Balassa & Rod Rodriguez, Enzokuhle Abebe & Finley Jones, Lionel Garnier/Wayne Murphy, Finley Jones & Lionel Garnier, Elias Nilsson & Fraser Danskin and Sidi Ba & Wayne Murphy

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - What We Do in the Shadows Fusion, Our Flag Means Death References, Alternate Universe, Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Horror Comedy, Dark Comedy, Original Character(s), Vampires, Werewolves, Human, energy vampires, Implied/Referenced Sex, Fade to Black, Screenplay/Script Format, Swearing, Canon-typical Horniness, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Gay Characters, ace characters, Token Straight Character, Nonbinary Character, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Trauma, Childhood Trauma, Feelings Realization, Friends to Lovers, Oblivious, Pining, Slow Burn, When the slow burn is slower than you, mockumentary style, Autism creature - Freeform, ADHD creature, These aren’t relevant to this I just wanted to put them there

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/44213122

[sarcastic-clapping]

reading the old posts i made abt interview with the the vampire / the vampire chronicles back in 2016 where i said that all i wanted was a funny mockumentary-style adaptation about the vampires that doesn’t take itself too seriously and realizing that’s….literally just….wwdits….

[novenarius]

hmm i’m sure people have talked about this before but one reason i love wwdits so much is because it’s such like? comfy queer media? like most of the characters are queer and they never really run into any homophobia during the show. 

which is so nice given that so many comedy shows are riddled with transphobic and homophobic jokes (and i’m not getting into the discourse over whether or not that’s okay, i’m just saying that those jokes can make queer people not feel comfy while watching the show). like if i’m watching a vampire mockumentary, i’m not watching it for realism, i’m watching it for escapism. so the fact that the show is so chill about the queer characters is really refreshing.

i think this is part of why ofmd got so popular too. like sure there’s some implied homophobia, but on the pirate ship, most of the crew members don’t care (except for izzy i guess). 

this also plays into the way that the queer rep on these shows is just completely unapologetic and isn’t downplayed at all. like, they are there and they’re just having a good time and going on their little adventures. it’s just nice to see chill representation without the burden of realism, you know?

[lauralot89]

yeah I guess it’s time for me to update my list of horror recommendations

I’m gonna put in categories for those who are looking for a specific subgenre

Supernatural Horror:

Carrie (1976)

The Shining (1980)

Poltergeist (1982)

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Stir of Echoes (1999)

The Others (2001)

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

The Ring (2002)

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

The Grudge (2004)

Shutter (2004)

Insidious (2010)

Sinister (2012)

The Conjuring (2013)

Creature Horror

Nosferatu (1922)

Jaws (1975)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

The Thing (1982)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Jurassic Park (1993)

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Let the Right One In (2008)

IT (2017)

Come Play (2019)

Demonic Horror

The Exorcist (1973)

Possession (1981)

The Exorcist III (1990)

The Devil’s Advocate (1997)

Event Horizon (1997)

Mockumentary Horror

Noroi: The Curse (2005)

Home Movie (2008)

Lake Mungo (2008)

Grave Encounters (2011)

Creep (2014)

Existential Horror

Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Mulholland Drive (2001)

1408 (2007)

Upstream Color (2013)

Musical Horror

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982)

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Cannibal! The Musical (1993)

Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

Human Horror

The Wicker Man (1973)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Seven (1995)

The Cell (2000)

Saw (2004)

Get Out (2017)

Fresh (2022)

“Arthouse” Horror

Eraserhead (1977)

Under the Skin (2013)

It Follows (2014)

The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)

The Witch (2015)

Hereditary (2018)

Suspiria (2018)

The Lighthouse (2019)

Midsommar (2019)

Psychological Horror

American Psycho (2000)

May (2002)

Black Swan (2010)

The Invitation (2015)

Horror Comedy

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Trick ‘r Treat (2008)

Zombieland (2009)

The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

Krampus (2015)

Studio 666 (2022)

You’re Not Ready for This

Audition (1999)

Imprint (2006)

Extremely Stupid Slasher Movies

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

Jason X (2001)

Halloween Resurrection (2002)

Movies That Were Falsely Advertised as Horror Causing Them to Do Badly at the Box Office Even Though They’re Very Good

Crimson Peak (2015)

Nic Cage

The Wicker Man (2006)

Mandy (2018)

The Color Out of Space (2019)

Notes:

Here are some horror movies people will say are good but in fact they are garbage so save yourself: The Haunting (1963), The Babadook, Goodnight Mommy, anything classified as New French Extremism, any of the Paranormal Activity films, Cannibal Holocaust, A Serbian Film, Where the Dead Go to Die, Terrifier, Hostel and its sequels

Grave Encounters 2 may be the worst sequel I have ever sat through, with Sinister 2 a close second.  I’ve never seen any of the Saw sequels.

You can also watch the 70s Suspiria for its gorgeous visuals and score but don’t expect coherence or plot or character development

If you’re wondering why I didn’t include such and such film here, if it’s not on the recommended list or the do not watch list the odds are good I haven’t seen it

[lungos-liwayway]

They Should Be Dead: A Collection of Works by The Living

Early on during the quarantine, I suddenly had more time to indulge in media. After a few months, I’ve notice a pattern, so here it is: a list of shows and stories that all have living dead people. 

TV Shows

Ghosts (BBC) -  The series follows a collection of ghosts from different historical periods haunting a country house while sharing the house with its new living occupants. This is a great show with well written plots, characters, and stories. I find it appeals especially to the queer and neurodivergent community.

What We Do In The Shadows - The series follows 4 vampires in a mockumentary format. If you like those shows where fiction meets real historical events, or just plain vampire humor, this is for you.

Pushing Daisies - The series follows a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations. Together with his formerly deceased childhood crush Chuck, private investigator Emerson Cod and co-worker Olive Snook, Ned uses his abilities to solve murder cases. Perfectly pleasing visuals, an interesting premise, and REALLY relatable for all of under quarantine. Lots of yearning.

Dead Like Me - George dies early in the pilot episode and becomes one of the "undead", a "grim reaper".  The show explores the experiences of a small team of such reapers, as well as the changes in George and her family as they deal with George's death. I’m not sure if the show employs edgy humor but I like it. It is slightly nihilistic in tone but the way it connects the experiences of life with the reality of death is a really interesting take. It’s perfect for teens and young adults. Also, Mandy Patinkin. 

The Good Place - Eleanor Shellstrop, a woman welcomed after her death to "the Good Place", a highly selective Heaven-like utopia designed and run by afterlife "architect" Michael as a reward for her righteous life. This series has everything: dreamlike scenes, nightmarelike scenes, philosophy, EAT THE RICH, genderless she/her icon Janet, good characters, accurate representations, and an all-around touching story.

Santa Clarita Diet - The series centers on husband and wife real estate team Joel and Sheila Hammond whose normal, boring lives change dramatically when Sheila shows symptoms of having become a zombie. The bewildered family seek a cure for her condition while dealing with its consequences. Wild family goes on the time of their lives because their mom has become a zombie. It’s great. They kill n*zis and a cop and eat them.

Star Trek - too many Star Trek episodes have the “oh no they died! anyway...” premise and aside from the idealistic paradise Gene Roddenberry pictured, death and resurrection are large themes in Star Trek.

Books/Graphic Novels/Short Stories

The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya (by @reimenaashelyee​) - A two-volume Eisner-nominated graphic novel set in 17th century Istanbul and 18th century England, about a carpet merchant's reconcilitation with faith, love and home in the aftermath of his death by a vampire. It’s a great story. I’ll be telling this to everyone who will listen: the graphic novel is engaging and insightful, life cannot get better than this graphic novel. (Also: ACE REP!) Also by the author is The World in Deeper Inspection which explores the setting and premise of other characters.

The Shadow of The Wind (by Carlos Ruiz Zafón) -  Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer's son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julian Carax. But when he sets out to find the author's other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. Magical realism abounds, it’s sinister, it’s beautiful, it’s a perfect book about dancing the line between death and life.

The Graveyard Book (by Neil Gaiman) -  Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a perfectly normal boy. Well, he would be perfectly normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the world of the dead. Great book about growing up and leaving childhood. 

The Book Thief (by Markus Zusak) -  It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still. Featuring Death themself as the omniscient narrator, the story intertwines with books and stories of life and of survival. It’s a sobering book but important to read.

May Day Eve (by Nick Joaquin) - Magical realism, time travel vibes. But most importantly, myth, enchantment, the Devil, passion, everlasting love. There’s a reason why this is required reading for Philippine colleges. I cry every time I read it. 

Movies

Night at The Museum Trilogy - Night guard in charge of museum. Exhibits come back to life, wacky shenanigans follow. The only downside to this is that they visited the British Museum and not one of the exhibits screamed “I DONT BELONG HERE! TAKE ME BACK!”

The Book Thief - I would say it’s a faithful enough adaptation of the book.

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock

The Lovely Bones - astounding <3 ik she’s dead but letting her breach the curtain between life and death? Good shit.

What We Do In The Shadows - The mockumentary that started it all. Once again Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement are geniuses. And correct: all vampires know is be bisexual eat hot virgin and fly.

Musicals/Plays

Hadestown- Retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. Folk type of music, features great talents and songs by Anaïs Mitchell. The story is good, it touches on capitalism, progress, labor, and love.

Indecent- Play exploring the play "God Of Vengeance" which was cited for indecency on Broadway for its themes and indecent acts committed by the actors. It begins as a play brought by several actors who rise from the ashes of the Holocaust and gradually extends to the multiple characters they become. I find this important for anyone interested in queer Jewish history.

I really like media focusing on death and life so recommend some and take some from the list!

ADDITIONAL NOTE: I have a really bad attention span but these stuff somehow get my brain. They're good.

[marvelousmatt]

Improvisation On The Set Of What We Do In The Shadows Is Serious Business

BY MATTHEW BILODEAU/APRIL 9, 2022 9:30 AM EDT

"What We Do in the Shadows" is easily one of the funniest shows on television. Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's 2014 mockumentary feature of the same name is a hilarious and constantly amusing comedy that still makes me laugh, but I think the show's creative team not only honors the film, but surpasses it. It's true that a television series gives you more time to fall in love with the characters, but when "What We Do in the Shadows" pops in my head, my mind is flooded with the many memorable episodes spent with Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), and, of course, the great Guillermo de la Cruz (Harvey Guillén). In three seasons, the cast and crew of the vampire sitcom has wholeheartedly won me over.

In case you've been out of the loop, akin to the film, the half-hour comedy depicts the eventful misadventures of a Staten Island home to three traditional vampires, a soul-draining energy vampire, and an undervalued familiar whose evolution throughout the show has been wonderful to watch unfold. This cast has extraordinary chemistry together, and it shows in how flawlessly they bounce off one another when delivering their jokes.

Improvisational ad-libbing can sometimes lead to a bigger laugh or unexpected reaction from the cast while rolling, but there's also the possibility of it being a real detriment to the project. There's room for letting a joke go uncomfortably long, but oftentimes it's a case of seeing where the joke should have naturally ended — you see it drawn out to the point where any impact that gag may have had has dissipated. Even Berry laments that he's "never been interested in comedy from people that are aware that they're being funny." But this is where "What We Do in the Shadows" differs.

The consistency of vampire laughs

Alan Sepinwall's profile on the "What We Do in the Shadows" cast for Rolling Stone notes how deeply important it is to everyone to stay dedicated to the spirit of the characters:

"The actors don't just take their characters' connections seriously, but the entire ludicrous world of 'Shadows,' an attitude crucial to making the show as riotous as it is."

Even Mark Proksch explains how the cast's playful alteration of the material never goes too far off the rails:

"It's not your typical 'yes, and' type of comedy ... We're actually acting in character and listening as those characters would."

Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's brand of humor, coupled with the series' talented team of writers, is so sharp to the point where the characters have always remained consistent. Some jokes don't hit their mark, but the "What We Do in the Shadows" crew never loses sight of who each character is. I wouldn't even be able to point out what was made up on the spot.

Hamming it up

From Doug Jones to Benedict Wong, "What We Do in the Shadows" has featured a number of incredible guest stars across its three seasons, but one of the more memorable appearances came from Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. According to Jemaine Clement, Hamill would have a hard time keeping his composure on set:

"Matt Berry ad-libs like crazy ... You have to stay in character, because my character doesn't think he's funny, but Mark Hamill thinks he's hilarious."

He's right! Berry has this innate ability to make gold out of whatever comes out of his mouth. His delivery is impeccable. Hamill's episode in particular, "On the Run," gives him and Berry ample room to work off one another as his character, the aptly named Jim the Vampire, attempts to track down Laszlo for skipping out on a month's rent for a guest room in his San Diego beach house that's 167 years late. The strife causes Laszlo to don a new identity in Clairton, Pennsylvania, as Jackie Daytona, a regular human bartender and town legend who's totally not a vampire obscuring his identity with a toothpick in his mouth. Jim and Laszlo inevitably get into a bar scuffle by the episode's end, which sees the two brandishing pool cues as lightsabers, but never calling them such.

I'll bet there's an outtake that sees Hamill cracking up at the sight. He's got a wonderful sense of humor and fits in perfectly among this show's gallery of guest stars.

[iximaz]

Something that’s always eaten me about WWDITS

You know, I’ve never been able to get out of my mind the questions of who the fuck are the crew mental enough to risk life and limb filming a bunch of murderous vampires? Who has the lack of moral decency to film their subjects murdering innocent people?

Also, for that matter, are these guys getting paid? If so, by who? Which of the vampires’ idea was it to have a documentary made of them? And to what purpose? 

At least in the movie, as a sort of one-off, you could probably figure it’s Viago who wanted a film for him and his friends and paid the crew, who could have easily been a bunch of degenerates and didn’t mind filming people getting eaten, but come on, the vampire gang in the show don’t seem to have any clue about the modern day. 

So that leaves us with two options: Colin Robinson, or Guillermo. I can’t see Guillermo suggesting the documentary to begin with, that’s just not the kind of guy he is at the start of season one.

Which leads me to think it was Colin Robinson. We know his office job pays for the house, which cannot have been cheap, and it seems like Guillermo’s only job is working for Nandor (and Nadja and Lazlo) but he pays rent... so does that mean Nandor “pays” him out of Colin Robinson’s account, and Guillermo in turn pays the rent to Colin Robinson? Ah, tangent. 

My point is, it seems that by having the documentary crew around, the Staten Island gang keeps stirring up scenarios that feed Colin Robinson like no tomorrow. It also really wouldn’t surprise me if a part of their job “behind the scenes” was letting him feed off of them, which of course wouldn’t have been filmed or edited in because 1) no energy to do so and 2) well, who would want to show that? Totally unprofessional. 

So what does this crew, some of whom have been eaten already, or left at the bottom of a well, get out of filming the vampires?

1) There’s got to be a fat paycheque involved, to say the least, especially after the events of episode one; any sane person would have run afterwards.

2) Very possibly, they’re also hoping to be turned into vampires, but because the documentary is about the Staten Island group and not them, it’s never mentioned.

3) They actually work for a group of slayers and are using the documentary as a guise for learning more about vampires while their colleagues hunt elsewhere. (After the season 2 finale, however, this seems highly unlikely, even if a very funny possibility.)

Honestly this is just a bunch of tired 3am ramblings, but as a camera operator/photographer myself, sometimes the mockumentary nature of the show brings up a lot of questions about the people creating it in-universe. 

We’re probably never going to find out, but hey, that’s what fanfics are for.

[localhorrornerd]

Horror Shows for the Halloween Season

I was gonna do the 31 horror movies like I did last year, but that took up way too much time that I do not currently have so - Here’s a list of 10 horror shows you may wanna check out for the season!

1. Ghost VRos

A fairly short horror comedy series consisting of eight 10 minute or so episodes, it focuses on a duo who runs a sort of ghost hunting business in which they talk to ghosts through VR technology. It’s just a fun little thing you can watch in one sitting, and I think it’s fairly enjoyable!

2. Lost Tapes

So if you watched Animal Planet back in the day you probably know this show. It’s basically an anthology show where each episode discusses a different cryptid/monster and also shows ‘found footage’ of it on tape. It always discusses the creatures as if they could be real and it’s honestly a lot of fun! Especially if you watched it when younger I’d say to give it a rewatch for nostalgia. 

3. Goedam

Another short little series consisting of eight short episodes, this focuses more solely on horror, and it’s basically just a series made up of different short films. There’s not too much for me to say without going into talking about each short, but I’d say it’s worth the watch (warning for a lot of body horror though)!

4. Psychoville

So this series is actually done by the same people who did Inside No.9! Though this one is not an anthology series and is about a group of people all connected by someone sending them weird letters all indicating that they know that they did something wrong. It’s a lot more comedic than horror, but it still has those aspects!

5. Slasher

So this series currently has 3 seasons, and each season has a different plot. I would recommend the first season the most, but that’s just my personal preference. I will give a heads up though as Slasher has a lot of triggering content.

6. Re:Mind

A group of classmates all find themselves waking up in a room with them trapped together and their feet locked down to the floor. They’re all trying to figure out why and how they got there, but in the process start uncovering many secrets about each other.

7. Two Sentence Horror Stories

Another anthology show, though this one is based off of the short two sentence horror stories that float around the internet. Each episode focuses on a different story where you see the first sentence at the beginning and the second at the end. It’s a lot of fun and is confirmed it will have at least two more seasons!

8. Strangers from Hell/Hell is Other People

If you’re looking for a show about serial killers, well look no further. This centers around a man who moves into a cheap residency- the only place he can afford- and starts to learn quickly his new neighbors might not be all that they seem. And that he might just be risking his life by living there. This series was actually based off a webtoon/comic and I believe is very interesting.

9. What We Do in the Shadows

This one is definitely more comedy than horror but it does not matter to me because I feel like everyone needs to go watch the TV series for this - which was originally a movie. Especially if you like vampires as it’s a mockumentary type series that follows a group of vampires living in the modern day world, and it’s really fun. It currently has two seasons with a third planned.

10. The Haunting of Hill House/Bly Manor

Okay, I’m sure most know about this series already, but I’m bringing it up as it has a second season (Bly Manor) about to come out on the 9th. The second season will be a completely different story from the first, but the first focuses on a family who’s lives were pretty much ruined from a Haunted House they lived in as kids. If you haven’t seen it, I do suggest you go watch it now before the second season comes out.