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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Ashlanders respond to controversy raised by Indiana law Bracing for Common Core Lithia Park featured on Oregon Blue Book cover Police Reports Under-floor heater caused Union Street fire in Ashland Education Bracing for Common Core Ashland Kiwanis recognize Lillian Huang Chautauqua series brings author Jane Hamilton to Ashland Ashland Runs on Volunteers: OLLI classes pay dividends in joy of teaching, learning New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Environment Lots to celebrate at SOU Arbor Day rites Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. 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Mangino: Prison deaths on the rise Arthur I. Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable Editorial Our View: Ashland climate plan: Small steps add up Our View: More of the same at SOU? Our View: Restoration remorse over Ashland's Plaza Our View: One for the books Our View: Build it; they will play Letters Letters to the Editor, April 1 Letters to the Editor, March 30 Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Jeffrey Gillespie: Dancing the Pyongyang Polka Editor's Notes: Not falling, flying Matthew T. Mangino: Prison deaths on the rise Council Corner: Ashland’s climate plan Chris Honoré: Some political and social observations Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories A Country Cajun Revival comes to the Unitarian Community blog: Poets, put on your party shoes Spring exhibitions open at Schneider Museum of Art Community blog: Ashland High grad performs at OSF's Hip Hop Open Mic Top 5 things to do this week Theater Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Review: From past into present in OSF's 'Long Day's Journey' Music A Country Cajun Revival comes to the Unitarian Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: Suspend all belief in reality — ‘Furious 7’ is just fun Movie review: The action is even more insane in ‘Furious 7’ Movie review: ‘While We’re Young’ is a thought-provoking comedy-drama Alan Alda knows the secrets to acting, marriage Movie Listings: April 3-9 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Health Watch: Work out like a pro athlete App Finder: Best baseball apps Ride & Drive: 2015 Ram Laramie Longhorn 1500 Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Ashland Kiwanis recognize Lillian Huang Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ashlanders respond to controversy raised by Indiana law ... Ticket Availability ... Under-floor heater caused Union Street fire in Ashland ... Ashlanders respond to controversy raised by Indiana law ... Ticket Availability ... Under-floor heater caused Union Street fire in Ashland ... MOVIE REVIEW 'Shadows' gets staked in the heart Comment By Chris Honoré for Revels DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Apr. 2, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Apr. 2, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News What We Do in the Shadows, 86 min; not rated “What We Do in the Shadows” opens with a very pale hand reaching out of a coffin to shut off a digital alarm clock. It’s six in the evening and time to get up. The hand belongs to Viago (Taika Waititi), 379 years old, dressed in 17th-century garb. Seems he and his flatmates have invited a documentary film crew into their digs to shoot a day in the life series. What makes him and his buddies — Vladislav (Jemoine Clement), 862; Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), 183; and Petyr (Ben Fransham), 8,000 — decidedly different from the average reality television cohort is that they are vampires. Shadows, as it turns out, is a sendup of all the vampire/werewolf precursors that have, over the decades, filled reels of celluloid. In true MTV format, mirroring “The Real World,” Viago takes the film crew (and the audience) on a tour of their flat and thereby introduces his other three roomies. The grimmest, to be sure, is Petyr, a Nosferatu knockoff, and one creepy looking guy with skin like aged parchment, yellow eyes, and teeth longer than his never-trimmed fingernails. A side comment: if you’ve never seen “Nosferatu,” a 1922 German Expressionist horror film, well, you’ve missed one of the most iconic and spooky characters ever to grace the big screen. Like “The Real World,” there is no story to be told in “Shadows”; instead, the film is one very long collection of sketches that give each vampire a chance to throw out some comedic one-liners, or bite a throat or two. Viago also admits that living in close quarters does raise some issues, an example being that vampires hate to do dishes. Okay, not wildly funny, but who knew? Plus the four argue a lot. So there are a number of interviews giving the fangsters a chance to vent and ride the drama wave. The movie is billed as a winning, creative, New Zealand satire of, say, the “Twilight” franchise. But it misses its mark widely. Good satire is incredibly hard to achieve, requiring some tight, sharp writing and genuine understated wit. Otherwise, what is supposed to be comedic devolves into the absurd and the silly, which is where “Shadows” resides. It’s a one-joke move, a joke that is milked from different angles; but when push comes to shove, it’s still the same joke. Actually, if they had wanted to really emphasize the creep factor, Petyr should have had much more screen time. He is one gnarly dude. My opinion: I’d suggest that Hollywood — and New Zealand — drive a wooden stake through the vampire shtick and call it a day. Of course, there has always been a question embedded in these movies: What is there about these blood-sucking creatures that seems to be endlessly fascinating (“Twilight” became a social phenom)? Is it their weird superpowers (they can fly and turn into bats)? Or perhaps it’s their immortality? But then, would anyone really choose to live forever and have to hang with guys such as Petyr? Tangentially: “Shadows” has gotten amazing critical praise. The word hilarious is often used to describe it. But I would argue that the chuckles are few. OK, I smiled when I saw the kitchen sink piled with dirty dishes. I didn’t smile when I saw the bathroom covered in blood and strewn with bones. Or when the flatties went nightclubbing. By Chris Honoré for Revels DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré for Revels Posted Apr. 2, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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