Film Review: SPOOKERS (2017)

There is a lot to be said for the people that run haunted houses and those that subject themselves to the terror every year.  That is at the heart of the documentary film Spookers (2017) which takes a personal look at the people that work at the New Zealand based haunt house Spookers.  Spookers now resides in a former mental hospital which adds to the spook factor of the facility but it is the haunters in which the heart of the place resides.

 

Through behind the scenes footage and interviews audiences get a candid look into the people who operate the facility and the haunters who have become a family of diverse people from all types of backgrounds.  You get the sense that everyone and anyone is welcomed into the Spookers family as they do more than just reside at the spook house but they interact with the community.

 

The film contains many personal stories of people finding a place where they aren’t judged and that they can be themselves or virtually anyone they want to be in a place that is completely accepting of everyone.

 

The film doesn’t really reveal much that hasn’t been showcased before in other similarly themed films about the people that run spook houses but this one presents some unique and personal stories as well as is one of the few that is located in a formed mental hospital.  This is a candid look at the world of spook house that does an amazing job presenting a complex and accepting community of diverse people.

Film Review: WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (2014)

In general, I don’t particularly care for vampire films.  There are so few that actually have something to say and they’re filled with clichés and things that you’ve seen time and time again and even if the Twilight franchise has watered down their image there are just as many 30 Days of Night films that try to go in the complete opposite way.  Vampire comedies, in my opinion, fit even below the lowest of my expectations which is why it has taken me so long to get around to What We Do In The Shadows (2014).  I had zero interest in this film but due to the overwhelming great critical response to the film I decided to give it a chance and boy am I glad I did. 

The film follows three vampire flat mates – Vladislav, Viago, and Deacon (Jermaine Clement, Taika Waititi, and Jonny Brugh, respectfully) whose lives are turned upside down when they decide to allow a film crew to film their lives as they prepare for the vampire party of the century.  The three vampires are trapped in their own time from when they were turned.  Living in the modern era has left them lost in time, but salvation comes in the form of a newly turned vampire who is up with the modern era but needs a little help with being a good vampire.  

The film crew is given full access to everything and get to see and experience the day to day lives of vampires including their drinking habits, their animosity towards werewolves, and how they deal with vampire hunters.  For a film like this it covers a lot of ground while still being very character driven and funny at the same time.

What makes the film so successful is that the comedy is all character based and not bad jokes sprinkled throughout.  This film could have become a complete parody of itself but writer/directors Clement and Waititi do a great job grounding the film in the zany world of vampires.  Having the style of the film as a documentary goes a long way in allowing the audience to take the film seriously even though it is a comedy.  

I ended up enjoying this film immensely as the story was easy to follow yet presented an almost “traditional” vampire story in a non-traditional way.  It had me entertained from beginning to end and even had some impressive visual FX to go with the story.  This film is one I highly recommend for both comedy and horror fans.