Welcome to the kick-off of my 31 Days of Halloween Horror Movie Challenge!
To start with, let me tell you a little about the platform I used to borrow this title. As I stated in my list posting, I am going to be using completely free services from my local library for all of this year's entries. These same services are available from just about any library (at least in the state of Ohio). Everyone has access to this free public service. All you have to do is stop in and sign up (many you can even get an ecard online to access the digital services I'll be discussing). Then just log in and start borrowing. Your library doesn't have what you're looking for? You can always do an interlibrary loan, or just sign up with another library system. You can get an ecard for any library in the state of Ohio if you are an Ohio resident.
My first selection is from Hoopla. Hoopla is a digital borrowing service that many Ohio Libraries offer that allows patrons to borrow digital books, audiobooks, graphic novels, single issues of comic books, movies, and episodes of TV shows. You are provided with a set number of borrows each month. The amount varies by the library system. There are some limits on how many borrows that branch allows across its patrons each day, so it's better to try to get your borrows in early the morning of than it is the night before you plan to use them. This can also be an issue if you are looking to check out a TV Series because you have to borrow each episode individually. However, unlike other services, the items are always available. There is no hold system, waiting for other patrons to return their material before you get the title, or waiting for it to be delivered to your local branch for pick up. If you can find it, you can borrow it. Other benefits to this program are that you can stream directly over your data connection or wi-fi, or if you are concerned about saving data, you can download the material for offline access. The Hoopla app also has a casting feature so you can stream the title from your device to a larger screen using devices like Chromecast. Now on to the review!
"I really hope that those guys don't kill those police, because it will mean more police will come. Possibly even Christians, which is totally the last thing we need in this house."
A group of ancient vampires deals with unlife in the modern world, sharing a flat in New Zealand, and preparing for the Unholy Masquerade in this documentary-style film in the spirit of The Office and Modern Family. This is a film that I’ve had on my radar for a number of years, and this challenge was an excellent opportunity to finally make it happen. It wasn’t quite the horror movie I had hoped it would be. I knew going in that it was a comedy, but I had expected it to be a little more along the lines of Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Cabin the Woods, or Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. I was expecting it to have some great laugh outloud moments for sure, but I really thought there would be more horror. Like over the top horror kills. It’s actually much more in the vein of Young Frankenstein or Dracula: Dead and Loving it. There's a lot more playing off of the idea of being a vampire in the modern world than there is about any kind of satire on horror itself. That being said, it was still a lot of fun, and I loved the way they played with vampire lore, even bringing in a Nosferatu-style character. The inclusion of the werewolves was a great touch and fun to see the dynamic of the modern werewolves against the modern vampires. It's got me intrigued in the series to see what other tropes they pull in to riff. Even though it wasn’t the horror film I thought I’d be kicking the season off with, it’s still a great vampire film. Definitely a recommend.
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