Last Friday, my sweetie and I headed out to the Palm Theatre in San Luis Obispo to see a screening of What We Do in the Shadows. As I mentioned in my post last week, we don’t often go out to see films, preferring our living room sofa and our Netflix subscription to driving, crowds, and over-priced concessions.
I’ve noticed that there is often a long wait for indie films to make it to Netflix, so we decided to break down and make the drive. A friend told me the film was playing in San Luis Obispo, which is only about an hour away. It turned out to be a great experience, not only for the feature itself, but for the theater.
Before I get to the movie, I want to give a quick blurb about the Palm Theatre. In 2004, it was the first movie theater in the United States to be converted to solar power. It has three screens, surprisingly affordable ticket and concession prices, and has been in operation for about 27 years in the heart of historic San Luis Obispo’s Chinatown. Their popcorn, without question, was the best commercial popcorn I’ve ever eaten. It was my first trip to this movie house, and it’s definitely worth going out of your way if you are visiting San Luis Obispo.
As for the film, What We Do in the Shadows is very, very funny. Directed and written by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, who also star in the picture, it focuses on the lives of four vampires who share a flat in a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand.
I really enjoyed the film because it focused on how a bunch of vampires, who really haven’t fully adapted to modern life, manage to get along. In addition to the typical bits you’d expect to see about vampires living in modern society, you get to see them squabbling over household chores, including who is supposed to be doing the dishes. Typical roommate squabbles are battled out vampire-style, and it’s worth a great laugh.
The only thing I didn’t like about the film was that it was rather bloody in a couple of spots. Granted, this is a vampire flick, and they often tend to be this way, but I think it would have been better if they’d toned it down just a bit. There were a couple of times where I found myself squirming in my seat exclaiming, “oh, gross!”
Still, the few bits of gore can be overlooked in what was overall a very funny and enjoyable picture. It was definitely the highlight to our evening in San Luis, which included a stop for a snack, a drink, and some live music at The Black Sheep Bar and Grill.
If you’d like to hit up What We Do in the Shadows before it leaves the Palm Theatre, act quick. According to their Web site, the film will be playing through April 30. If you don’t get a chance to catch the flick in the theater, I know it will eventually be available in the United States on DVD and instant video. I’m sure it will be one I’ll add to my collection once it becomes available.
I give What We Do in the Shadows 4.5 out of 5 stars.