boulder dam is a 1936 american drama film directed by frank mcdonald and written by sy bartlett and ralph block .

the film stars ross alexander , patricia ellis , lyle talbot , eddie acuff , henry o'neill and egon brecher .

the film was released by warner bros. on march 7 , 1936 .

boulder dam ( film )

inventive , visually rich film noir about crooked gambling , telephone tech and boulder dam .
big dam plot : the soviets nuke hoover dam ( referred to in the film by its old name ,
boulder dam
) , causing boulder city to be flooded , and presumably cutting off power .
during world war ii , captain america foiled a plot to destroy the boulder dam . [ 1 ]
dennis mcbride , executive director of the boulder city - hoover dam museum , isn’t surprised that so many filmmakers want to use the dam as a backdrop .
boulder city , home of the hoover dam , is 30 minutes from the las vegas strip and only four hours from los angeles . screenings will be held at the beautiful and historic 400 - seat boulder theatre , located in charming downtown boulder city .
recognizing that short film is a unique and valuable art form , the dam short film festival aims to seek out original , unusual , and entertaining short films from around the world and make them available to the general public via the annual dam short film festival .
fate brings a job at boulder dam and romance with a saloon singer into the life of a young man on the run .
the dam entertained its first movie crew in 1934 , two years before the structure was even finished . the film is called “the silver streak” and features a train racing to the boulder dam construction site with medical supplies and no time to spare .
in 1936 warner bros . was in a race to put out a movie called “boulder dam . ” the movie company wanted this film to open the same weekend as the completion of hoover dam hoping to cash in on the press attention surrounding the massive engineering project . the six cos . turned over hoover dam to the federal government on march 1 , 1936 , more than two years ahead of schedule . “boulder dam” the movie premiered six days later .
10 . the dam short film festival does not share selection committee comments or ratings with the public or submitting filmmakers .
special thanks to my “hollywood insider” ( who has a home here in boulder city ) for the tip on “boulder dam . ” you can send your tips and tbt requests to me , via email , by visiting tanyavece . com .
the 15th annual dam short film festival will be held february 7 - 10 , 2019 , in beautiful and historic boulder city , nevada , and will feature 120 + short films of varied style , subject , and origin .
a google search of the phrase “hoover dam mystery” seems to back up all the peculiar speculation . and i can’t help but feel a chill run down my spine when comparing the tragedies associated with the movie “boulder dam” and the place where it was partially filmed — the actual hoover dam .
from wikipedia :
the dam short film festival is a film festival held annually in boulder city , nevada , typically in early february . lee lanier and anita lanier are the original co - founders of the festival . the festival is currently run by the dam short film society , a non - profit nevada corporation . regular sponsors have included the art institutes of las vegas , the nevada film office , and the hacienda hotel and casino . started in 2005 , the dam short film festival is a showcase of only short films , always topping 100 selections . although most of the festival shorts are from
up - and - coming
filmmakers , the stiff competition means many of the shorts have been produced involving film professionals .
red carpet flair and sub - zero cool ! we just returned from the 2008 dam short film festival in boulder city , nevada - the brain child of the dam short film society . over 100 curated shorts played in about 3 days at the historic boulder theater . this was a fun quirky event built around the mystique of hoover dam ( just minutes away ) . these guys know good entertainment . the film slate was varied and entertaining . the festival parties were hopping and filmmakers were spoiled . the gala screenings commenced with a red - carpet limo arrival of visiting filmmakers . a fantastic silent auction peddled both kitschy and decadent items . all of this set amongst the turn - back - the - clock charm of boulder city . this is a must - do for 2009 .
shaquille o’neal to open a las vegas restaurant , film a show . . .
obviously , that hasn’t always been the case . the 1978 “superman” movie was filmed at the dam , and it climaxes with a massive earthquake that topples the structure . alfred hitchcock’s 1942 film “saboteur” involves a plot to blow up the dam .
the dam short film festival is an annual event held in early - mid february and features over 100 independent short films chosen for their entertainment value . categories include drama , comedy , nevada , student , sci - fi / horror , documentary and international . the 2014 event will be february 12 - 16 at the boulder theatre in downtown boulder city . screenings are scheduled all day 11 am to 11 pm .
this is a view of the hoover dam from upstream as construction continues near boulder city on feb . 1 , 1935 . the crack in the upper center of the dam is a space left open for cooling and settling the concrete and will be filled as work progresses . the associated press
while all the tragic occurrences related to the movie “boulder dam” may just be coincidence , the subject matter of various strange happenings and mysterious energy certainly seem to add to the allure that provokes over a million visitors to tour hoover dam every year . and , in my opinion , the suspected strange energy and rumored mysteries surrounding the dam would make for another great hollywood movie !
walsh said he knows of only a couple of applications that were rejected based at least partially on content . one was a request to film a terrorist attack on the dam , and another had a “mentally deranged” individual running around the dam shooting people , he said .
a view of the huge boulder dam operation from a high point on the nevada rim of black canyon , shown sept . 11 , 1934 . the immensity of the project can be seen from this picture . the associated press
walsh acknowledged the bureau is a bit more conservative than it used to be . hoover dam doesn’t provide the same level of access it once did to film companies or even documentary makers .
“we don’t want hoover dam shown as a danger to the public , ” bruninga said .
tanya vece is an entertainment and music writer who resides and volunteers in boulder city . you can follow her adventures on instagram @ hollywoodwriter .
any production company permitted to film at the dam must provide proof that it is bonded or insured for at least $ 1 million and that the bureau of reclamation is listed on the policy .
this view shows the interior of one of the tunnels through which the colorado river will be diverted around the hoover dam site in boulder city on april 18 , 1932 . the project is in the early stages of construction . the associated press
the dam also charges a $ 200 application fee to cover the cost of processing permit requests .
empathy doll shot : after the hoover dam flood , one is shown floating in the aftermath .
after the 1996 romantic comedy “fools rush in , ” a staff member fielded a call from a woman who wanted to have her baby in the middle of the dam , just like salma hayek does in the film .
heldorado ( 1946 ) : roy rogers gets top billing over his horse trigger , but just barely , as the “king of the cowboys” plays a nevada state ranger captain in charge of the rangers reclamation service . his beat includes a place then known as boulder dam .
the dam charges a scouting fee of $ 1 , 000 per day . a four - hour film permit costs $ 2 , 500 plus expenses , while an eight - hour permit costs $ 5 , 000 plus expenses .
the 15th annual dam short film festival will also present an award for best screenplay , and the leslie paige award for excellence in short filmmaking . in addition to a special award statue , the leslie includes a $ 1000 cash award .
“boulder dam” has a simple plot . rusty noonan is played by actor ross alexander . noonan kills his boss in detroit and takes off west . noonan meets a las vegas girl named ann vangarick ( patricia ellis ) , gets a job at hoover dam , and eventually returns home to confess to the murder and seek forgiveness — of course , with the support of his new employer and his new girl .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
just in case , though , bruninga has warned tour guides at the dam to expect some strange questions from visitors .
over 3 , 000 people are expected to attend the dam short film festival in boulder city this year . from feb . 8 - 11 , the historic boulder theater will screen over 100 short films created by students , hobbyists , indie filmmakers , and industry professionals . lee lanier , who co - founded the festival 13 years ago with his wife anita , has been in the short film business since 1989 .
there ' s less risk involved ,
he said while comparing short films to feature - length pictures . he added that there ' s less pressure to recoup the production costs of shorter movies , allowing for more creativity . dsff touts itself as the largest film festival in nevada , which lanier attributes to a slow and steady growth . last year ' s
best of fest
presentation had a sold - out crowd of 400 people .
one film production wanted to shut down the road over the dam — that’s u . s . highway 93 , the main route between las vegas and phoenix — for an entire week . another wanted to lower cars into the spillways and race them around .
a glass of chianti : ohman ' s nursing a glass as the film begins — and hypnotizes most of the bar with it .
one story arc sure to get your permit application rejected is an attack or other catastrophic event that damages or destroys the dam .
this film follows several characters as they prepare themselves for the inevitable fate that awaits them when an incoming asteroid threatens to destroy their lives .
all just a dream : just as the last of the main characters dies , the characters awaken from a trance , still in the bar at the start of the film , discovering ohman hypnotized them and the entire events of the film concerning the soviet invasion were a cautionary tale .
the avengers managed to repair a breach in the hoover dam inadvertently caused by a fight between thor and the hulk . [ 2 ]
josh bell is the film editor for las vegas weekly , where he ' s been writing movie and tv reviews since 2002 . . . .
portions of this film were shot in colorado . a short description of this movie is coming soon . please check back at a later date .
one on one is a 1977 drama film starring robby benson and annette o’toole . it was written by benson and jerry segal ( robby’s father ) , and shot on location in 1976 at colorado state university . the film features songs from seals and crofts and was directed by lamont johnson .
in case you hadn’t heard , hoover dam wasn’t built to tame the colorado river or generate electricity . as it turns out , president herbert hoover ordered the dam’s construction to hide a giant energy cube from outer space that can turn everyday machines into evil , murderous robots .
so goes the plot of the summer blockbuster “transformers , ” which is merely the latest motion picture to use hoover dam as a backdrop .
that means no pornography or racist propaganda . it can also mean nothing that might cast the bureau or the dam in a negative light .
walsh said permit applications for feature film productions only come in once every couple of years . the vast majority of requests are for commercials and documentaries .
in the concret heart of boulder dam , with the aid of reed richards and charles xavier , general ross and major talbot managed to capture the hulk with a special device that knocked him unconscious . as reed richards prepared to put the hulk into the specially made container , he was shocked to see the hulk was suddenly teleported away . [ 3 ]
before his own suicide , alexander continued to be involved in controversies and tragedies , including a violent fight with bette davis’ husband after it was discovered that he was stalking the actress . alexander also had a bisexual incident with a male hitchhiker that had to be buried by warner bros . in an attempt to not overshadow the positive press for “boulder dam . ”
i ' ve been attending the dam short film festival for the last 4 or 5 years . it is held in an older theater in boulder city ( no stadium seating or reclining chairs here ) . they charge $ 10 for each 2 hour section or $ 35 for the afternoon . each short film is 3 to 15 minutes long , so you get to see several in each section . and often they have representatives from the film come to the stage for a short q & a after the movies are shown . the quality of the films selected has been uniformly excellent . at the end of each section , you get to vote for the best of that section . and each time , i am torn because i enjoy most of the choices so much . already planning on being there again next year .
1 . the dam short film festival welcomes short films with any content and in any style , whether it be live - action , documentary , or animation . entries must have a total runtime of 40 minutes or less . the year of production does not matter and there is no premiere requirement .
ross alexander , a killer and a dam hero ! fine b - movie with alexander getting licked and transformed into a one of the guys .
as facility manager bill bruninga put it , “hoover dam is a public icon , and we do what we can to protect that image . ”
lost in america ( 1985 ) : a couple’s “easy rider” - inspired odyssey in a winnebago begins to unravel just as they hit the dam .
at this year’s dam short film festival in boulder city , co - founder and executive director lee lanier told me that running the festival involves a constant effort to play catch - up : as the festival gets bigger and more popular , the organizers expand their scope to accommodate the increase in attendees , submissions and coverage , and then the festival expands again , beyond what they’ve planned for . it’s a pretty enviable problem to have , and in the dsff’s 13th year , lanier and his fellow organizers handled it beautifully .
i made it to a little more than half the programs in the festival , which were generally well - attended and full of stylistic diversity . my overall favorite film from the festival came in the underground program , which showcases the most risqué content appropriate for boulder city . the outrageous absurdist comedy “the black bear , ” featuring a dangerous bear played by an actor in a cute bear costume , is funny , creative and surprising , with a twisted sense of humor that lasts exactly the right amount of time in the short - film format .
the best festival i have ever attended . i would highly recommend to put on your most attend list . they treat the film maker like a real quest .
edward harran is production manager for the nevada film office , the state agency that assists productions filming in the silver state . he said their office used to get “tons and tons” of inquiries about filming at hoover dam , but the post - 9 / 11 security restrictions made it harder to get a permit .
viva las vegas ( 1964 ) : elvis and ann - margret fly over hoover dam while on an impossibly long first date rendered musical - montage style . during the race scene , cars that are supposed to be driving across the dam from nevada into arizona are shown headed in the opposite direction .
the festival will feature an awards screening , post - awards party , 15th dam mixer , meet - n - greet , and other parties and events .
the construction of hoover dam involved thousands of workers and resulted in the tragic loss of over 100 lives during a time when work and money were hard to come by . since its construction , rumors of hauntings , curses , satanic rituals and alien life have added a shroud of mystery to the hoover dam .
“it’s a very regulated process , ” said bob walsh , bureau spokesman at hoover dam . “we don’t want something shot down there that would be inappropriate . ”
so why the surge in popularity ? lanier thinks that with so much available content online , audiences look towards film festivals to find the good stuff .
we act as curators for the community ,
said lanier . the dam short film festival is divided into 22 thematic programs that range from horror , drama , comedy , documentaries , international , and more . tickets are $ 9 for an individual program , and a four - day pass is available for $ 100 . visit urltoken for more information .
really has very little to do with the construction of boulder ( now hoover ) dam but does have a few shots of it being built . it merely serves as a backdrop for a redemption story as hotheaded egotist alexander learns the value of both hard work and love while hiding out from trouble . this was one of the deeply troubled ross alexander ' s final films , he would commit suicide within the year .
the hoover dam visitor center is open daily except for thanksgiving and christmas . there are two different guided tours to choose from and tickets can be purchased online at urltoken
in other words , officials at the dam try to use federal regulations governing everything from civil rights to decency — not their own sensibilities — to guide their decisions .
lee lanier is an award - winning animator and short film director whose work has played over 200 festivals , galleries , and museums worldwide . before forming his own animation company , beezlebug bit llc , lee served as a senior animator at dreamworks / pdi on the films antz and shrek . when he ' s not busy with the festival , lee also writes software books and creates videos for lynda . com . lee is a co - founder of the dam short film festival and serves as the festival ' s executive director .
ultimately , dam officials are free to deny filmmakers access to secure areas of the installation for almost any reason at all , though they try not to be capricious about it .
and even though the movie portrays hoover dam as the central figure in a massive government cover - up , bruninga doesn’t think very many people will mistake it for the truth .
bruninga said the right - to - use permit is like a contract , and the staff at the dam does all it can to live up to its end of the deal .
superman ( 1978 ) : lex luthor ticks off the man of steel — and , presumably , pat mulroy — with an evil plot to trigger an earthquake and destroy hoover dam .
5 . an online screener may be submitted for festival consideration . entrants may also provide an online link to a submission copy of the film . selected films , however , must provide one of the following formats for exhibition : dcp ( digital cinema package ) , . mov ( quicktime ) , . wmv ( windows media ) , . avi ( audio - visual interleaved ) , . mpg ( mpeg or mpeg2 ) . official selections must submit an exhibition copy by january 31 , 2019 . electronic / online delivery of exhibition copies is encouraged . physical copies of exhibition copy drives will be returned . failure to submit an exhibition copy by january 31 , 2019 ( if your film is selected ) will disqualify your film from all award considerations . once a film is selected , it cannot be withdrawn from the festival .
universal soldier ( 1992 ) : jean - claude van damme and dolph lundgren are futuristic , cyborg , super soldiers sent in to foil a terrorist plot at “mckinley dam . ” or something .
in this classic film by woody allen , featuring both allen and diane keaton , a health food store owner is frozen and brought into the future in order to help a group of radicals overthrow the government .
vegas vacation ( 1996 ) : chevy chase leads the hapless griswald family — complete , for the third straight sequel , with an all - new rusty and audrey — on one dam fine trip .
dsff ' s growth follows a worldwide trend as film festivals gain traction among audiences . in 2013 , there were about 3 , 000 active festivals , 75 percent of which were created in the past ten years .
have i mentioned i am heterosexual today ? : there ' s a lot of accusations of being a sissy in the film . the marty stu tv reporter , of course , is a man ' s man .
this coming of age story is about two teenage girls who travel across america in 1962 with the hope of meeting eleanor roosevelt during the cuban missile crisis . the film was produced by leonardo dicaprio’s appian way productions .
a united states navy destroyer escort in 1943 disappears from the philadelphia harbor only to find himself launched into the future in 1984 . this film is based off of an event that took place during world war ii .
john carpenter directs this film about jenny hayden , a young widow whose life takes an interesting turn when she encounters an alien , named starman , who takes the form of her deceased husband and then kidnaps her .
the biggest reasons for rejecting film permits are safety and disruptions to visitors or vehicle traffic . evaluating such things is usually pretty easy . the hard part for staff members is not laughing in the faces of some applicants .
deadline news : a reporter covering one battle against the enemy ' s forces has his signal cut off while his position is being overrun . also , the reporter hero ' s final broadcast near the end of the film .
3 . the student category is open to students only . the submitted film must have been created while the film ' s director or directors were enrolled at a school , college , or university . proof of enrollment , such a copy of a student i . d . , must be sent to the festival by email . if the director is not enrolled at the time of submission , or has graduated , proof of past enrollment must be submitted .
this film marks the final appearance of actor paul walker as he stars together with vin diesel , dwayne johnson , and jason statham in the sequel to the fast and furious 6 . though filming was delayed midway through , walker’s brothers were used as stand = ins and the film was successfully completed . after defeating competitors abroad in tokyo drift , walker and diesel return to the united states to face more challenges , dangers , and high voltage chase scenes .
i ' ve been coming to the dam short film festival since 2008 when i was a student . i ' ve yet to be disappointed . every year for four days , boulder city host artists and creative minds who ' ve put together short films of all different varieties . the movies are generally grouped together by theme or genre . for instance , saturday morning is usually the animation group . usually there are about six movies in each group . the event has different pricing options based on how much you want to see . you can see a single group , stay for the entire day , or see every movie at the festival . the theatre itself is fairly small , but kept up well . the seats are staggered so no one blocks you view . it ' s generally clear . they don ' t allow food or drinks inside and there are no concessions . and the bathrooms are clean . it ' s a nice venue because of boulder city as well . there are some excellent local eateries , interesting antique shops , and beautiful sculptures scattered all throughout the city .
transformers ( 2007 ) : as the autobots and decepticons continue their epic struggle , we learn the dam’s real purpose : to hide a mysterious energy cube from outer space . at last , the truth comes out .
then there is alexander , the star of “boulder dam , ” who shot himself less than a year after the movie debuted . alexander was considered to be extremely charming and incredibly good looking for his era . in fact , he was considered the keanu reeves of his time . alexander killed himself using the same rifle his wife , actress aleta freel , used to kill herself with a year earlier in the garden of their hollywood hills home . the house is once again for sale ; the listing can be viewed on zillow at 7357 woodrow wilson drive .
scenes were filmed in numerous locations not generally accessible to the public , including the generator floor , penstock tunnels , power plant roof , and the lower portal road leading to the bottom of the dam from the nevada side .
“hoover dam goes to a lot of effort to support” permit holders , he said . “we want them to get what they need and get off site as safely and quickly as possible . that’s what they want too . ”
selected filmmakers will receive access to all screenings , parties and events , the film market , and will receive fine swag and hotel discounts . eight one - of - a - kind audience choice awards created by a local artist will be presented .
the silver streak ( 1934 ) : in this rko radio pictures production shot the year before the dam’s formal dedication , an epidemic threatens workers on the project and a medical team races across the country on a train to save them .
head of state ( 2003 ) : chris rock is tapped to run for president after the front - runner dies unexpectedly in the middle of the campaign . the rock - talk express rolls into las vegas by way of hoover dam .
both films feature a tour through some of america’s most famous iconic monuments and tourist sites . in saboteur it includes hoover dam , rockefeller center , the radio city music hall , the brooklyn navy yard , and the statue of liberty .
anyone can die : the main characters drop like flies throughout the film , and it starts fairly early . at least two of them ( the factory owner and the senator ) are killed in the midst of attempting to reverse their earlier bystander syndrome attitudes .
this film follows the ups and downs of the prescott family , followed through four generations from the erie canal to their settled home in the west . along the way they encounter several challenges , including pirates , drowning , and losing a fortune in california .
but long before a director shouts “action ! ” at hoover dam , the production company must secure a right - of - use permit , a requirement for any commercial photography at facilities managed by the u . s . bureau of reclamation .
in this classic film , butch ( played by paul newman ) and sundance ( played by robert redford ) are a pair of western robbers as well as best friends . the two are followed through the west by a special posse who seem to lurk around every corner .
rusty
noonan , a hard - boiled , cynical , selfish smart - aleck , working as a mechanic in a detroit garage , is outraged when he has to work overtime on repairing the shoddy work he had done on a taxicab , gets into an argument with the shop - foreman , wison . the foreman takes a swing at him and misses but noonan , a trained boxer connects with his punch . the blow catches wilson on the chin , knocks him off his feet and his head hits the floor and he is killed . noonan flees , wanders about the country and eventually arrives in the desert - town of las vegas , nevada , where the mighty boulder dam is being constructed on the near - by colorado river . he is befriended by ann vangarick , gets a construction job on the dam project , and he begins to see the error of his past ways .
edmond o ' brien plays a telephone repairman whose electronic savvy earns him a job with a bookmaking concern . o ' brien ' s bookie boss barry kelly wants to get instant results from the nation ' s racetracks , and to this end o ' brien illicitly plugs into several communication centers . the wealthier o ' brien becomes , the more scruples he sheds . eventually he runs afoul of the big boss of an eastern bookie syndicate ( otto kruger ) and vainly attempts to escape with his life in a slam - bang final at boulder dam . 711 ocean drive was made to cash in on a then - current national newspaper expose of bookmaking operations .
soda city turns out to be an abandoned ghost town , but kane and pat discover a cabin that it is apparently a staging post for a sabotage operation to blow up the huge hoover ( boulder ) dam . two of the saboteurs , neilson and freeman , show up and question kane just when pat happens to be in another room . kane manages to convince them that he is really part of their sabotage gang and that they should take him by car to their headquarters in new york . evidently hearing and believing kane ' s lies before she sneaks away , pat changes her mind about kane again and goes to a local sheriff to report his presumed perfidy .
this film ' s earliest documented telecast took place in indianapolis tuesday 2 october 1956 on wish ( channel 8 ) ; it first aired in san diego ca saturday 10 august 1957 on kfmb ( channel 8 ) , and in honolulu wednesday 15 august 1957 on khvh ( channel 13 ) .
“boulder dam” was co - written by author sy bartlett . bartlett was actually born sacha baraniev in ukraine and , in spite of his literary and movie successes , he was no stranger to scandal and tragedy . his wife , actress alice white , was at the center of a major hollywood sex scandal when she left her wedding ceremony with another man . both bartlett and white’s careers were impacted by her questionable behavior at her wedding , and the pair continued to run into spells of bad luck throughout the rest of their lives . one such incident involved white falling off of a ladder in her backyard and landing on top of gardening sheers . the actress was blind for months .
the amazing colossal man ( 1957 ) : after he is dosed by radiation from a nuclear test , an air force pilot grows 50 feet tall and rampages through las vegas . the cold war creature feature ends at the dam with a death plunge into the colorado river .
short films made by students . the submitted film must have been created while the film ' s director or directors were enrolled in a school , college , or university . proof of the enrollment , such as a copy of a student i . d , , must be provided with the submission . if the director is no longer enrolled at the time of the submission , or has graduated , proof of past enrollment must be shown . there is no
year of production
limit on this category . please note , films inappropriately submitted to this category will be not be eligible for any award .
hoover dam has appeared in dozens of movies since it made its big screen debut in 1934 , two years before the structure was completed . james bond , clark griswald and danny ocean — the original , frank sinatra version — have all shared screen time with the iconic wedge of concrete .
a disney blockbuster film starring johnny depp and armie hammer , “the lone ranger” is the story of john reid and tonto , who join forces to find the infamous butch cavendish and bring him to justice . the story is told through the eyes of tonto , who describes the adventures to a young boy throughout the story .
in this film about friendship and loyalty , louise ( susan sarandon ) and thelma ( geena davis ) decide to take a road trip in order to escape from their dull and challenging lives . but when a man threatens to rape thelma , louise kills him , and before they know it , the pair find themselves being hunted by the police .
charlie chaplin plays a lonely gold digger in search of his fortune in the alaskan wilderness . along his adventures he comes across some tough looking characters , as well as a woman who attracts all of his love and attention . written , directed and starred in by charles chaplin , some say this was the film he most wanted to be remembered for .
sad to say i only just heard about this festival in 2011 . had i known about it earlier , i would have made a week of it . yelper cayenne introduced me to the festival just in time to catch the comedy shorts , which were an absolute riot . they kept me laughing for days . one featured a seemingly hot guy who turns out to have a rat tail and an affection for posters and old wrestling figurines . the boulder city theater is an impressive blast from the past with what appears to be remodeled auditorium seating , 1930s sconces and a stage slightly smaller than the one at east high . the entrance to the theater is cozy with thick , red carpet and white walls . afterward , the festival hosted a reception for film makers and the brew pub across the street , where an awesome local band played old school rock .
••• an international team of climbers ascends mt . everest in the spring of 1996 . the film depicts their lengthy preparations for the climb , their trek to the summit , and their successful return to base camp . it also shows many of the challenges the group faced , including avalanches , lack of oxygen , treacherous ice walls , and a deadly blizzard .
the 8th feature film by tarantino follows the story of several bounty hunters who are trying to survive during a terrible blizzard in 1870’s post civil war wyoming . the cast of “the hateful eight” includes tarantino go to favorites samuel jackson ( “pulp fiction” ) michael madsen ( reservoir dogs ) as well as kurt russell , channing tatum , tim roth and jennifer jason leigh .
mind’s eye is a psychological thriller , a mind - bending film about mattie carver , a young high school musician who finds that space and time are collapsing around her , triggered by the resonant sound of her violin . mattie is further confounded by the mysterious appearance of two shadowy men in black , who attempt to instruct her on the shifting nature of her perceptions .
billy crystal plays a middle aged salesman who is facing a mid life crisis along with his friends ed and phil . the group decides to take a trip to the west to drive cattle from new mexico to colorado , and along the way they meet curly ( jack palance , who earned an academy award for his role in the film ) who teaches them many important life lessons .
in this cult hit from the early 70’s , a car delivery man named kowalski gets involved in a bet that he can take a 1970 dodge challenger from colorado to san francisco in less than 15 hours . along the way he encounters a blind dj and the two are chased by the highway patrol . the film’s adventurous and odd characters make it an interesting , must - see classic .
gabe ( sylvester stallone ) is plagued by the memory of his friend’s death , who literally slips out of his hands and to falls to the ground while they are crossing a ledge . but a year later , gabe finds himself being asked to rescue a group of lost people in the mountains and must face his fears and his memories . john lithgow plays the villain in this adrenaline filled , suspenseful film .
below is a partial list of the more popular movies that have been filmed in colorado in chronological order . note that there are hundreds of other low budget movies , documentaries and short films that have been made in colorado , that we were not able to include on this list . to see all of the film & video productions that have used colorado as one of their locations , please visit imdb’s list of colorado made movies .
stephen king wrote both the novel and the teleplay for this creepy film where a writer / professor who is also a recovering alcoholic agrees to become the caretaker of a colorado hotel in the dead of winter . though he is joined by his wife and son , the family soon finds itself becoming more and more isolated , and the professor seems to be dealing with some evil forces that he is helpless to protect himself or his family against .
the nevada filmmaker category is open to any short film that was created while its director or directors were residents of nevada , or any short in which production primarily took place in nevada . there is no
year of production
limitation . to receive the nevada filmmaker submission discount , proof of residency must be submitted ( a copy of a driver ' s license , for example ) . please note , films inappropriately submitted to this category will be ineligible to win any award .
extra ! extra ! read all about it ! : one of the most bizarre and badly staged in film history . as the vincent and carla stare lovingly into each other ' s eyes , a newsboy walks in , yelling ,
extra ! extra ! ' america invaded ' , read all about it !
, stares directly at the two characters ( who continue to stare into each other ' s eyes like zombies ) , then turns around and walks off from the same way he entered .
new this year was an evening of special showcases before the first full day of the festival , including the entertaining omnibus feature film dealer ( a linked collection of short films from vegas filmmakers ) and a music - video showcase featuring local bands . both were programmed by new dsff board member tsvetelina stefanova , who has brought an infusion of new energy into the festival . along with lanier and festival director john labonney , she’s helping the dsff stay on top of its growth and outreach to new audiences .
local filmmakers made a strong showing this year , and my favorite nevada film came from former absinthe stars voki kalfayan and anais thomassian . “no soliciting” stars thomassian as a surly singing telegram who unexpectedly bonds with her latest client , in an amusing , off - kilter way . i also liked brahm taylor’s spaghetti - western pastiche “shoot in any direction and you’ll hit a bastard , ” which makes up in style what it lacks in narrative cohesion . and former local filmmaker clinton cornwell delivered with the sensitive , understated showbiz drama “hollywood and sunset . ”
in a room upstairs kane is shocked to discover that tobin and pat are present . tobin is evidently a key member of the saboteurs , and pat was captured and taken to new york after ruining the saboteurs’ plans to blow up the hoover dam . pat realizes now that kane is on the level and that she is in love wit him , but they are both now captives : kane is locked in the mansion’s basement , and pat is locked in a room in the rca ( ge ) building .
artistic license - nuclear physics : the film was made less than a decade after world war ii , when people had especially little idea how nuclear weapons worked . the weapons called
atom bombs
are just vaguely better ( and visually identical ) versions of conventional explosives , not devices that leave a thousand mile wake of irradiated fallout . hence ,
the enemy
throw nuclear weapons like peanuts , blowing up airfields , dams , battleships , small out of the way towns , and cities ( repeatedly ) , technically negating the very concept of an
invasion
, since there ' d be nothing actually left to occupy for about fifty years . as a particularly ludicrous example , the nuclear bombing of new york city results in only twenty thousand deaths . there ' s also the matter of the nuclear torpedo , which somehow only sets its target on fire instead of vaporizing it and everything a mile out in every direction .
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leonard maltin classic movie guide , copyright 2005 , 2010 . used by arrangement with penguin group ( usa ) inc .
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noonan , a hard - boiled , cynical , selfish smart - aleck , working as a mechanic in a detroit garage , is outraged when he has to work overtime on repairing the shoddy work he had done on . . . see full summary »
lakeith stanfield and his sorry to bother you crew reveal their most soul - crushing jobs in our freewheeling interview .
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enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with prime video .
at west point , 1857 , in the conceit of wally kline and . . .
father barry ( karl malden ) with a fiery sermon in the hold . . .
just the top of the
yankee doodle boy
number from george . . .
blob , the ( 1958 ) - - ( movie clip ) do . . .
jobless vin ( steve mcqueen ) blows his stake at the saloon , . . .
this is how they did it , the transition in which the . . .
2010 ( 1984 )  ( movie clip ) my god , . . .
12 angry men ( 1957 ) - - ( movie clip ) . . .
wounded zack ( gene evans ) and sidekick
short round
. . .
in the town for which the movie is named , sheriff shaw . . .
cop dave ( joe partridge ) puzzles over a series of women . . .
blinding plot speed as hildy ( pat o ' brien ) , who really is . . .
still from the opening scene , lord henry ( george sanders ) . . .
the movie debut of albert finney , at work in the raleigh . . .
a man mistaken for a murderer hides out while working on construction project . >
this video is no longer available because the youtube account associated with this video has been terminated .
submission categories include drama , comedy , documentary , animation , sci - fi / horror , music video , student , virtual reality , and nevada filmmaker . films from all years are invited to submit and there is no premiere requirement .
there will be eight award categories with an audience choice award presented in each . the award categories are : best drama , best comedy , best documentary , best animation , best sci - fi / horror , best music video , best nevada filmmaker , and best student . audience award - winners will be chosen by audience votes . in addition , there is one best of the fest award , also chosen by the audience . award winners receive a one - of - a - kind award statuette made by a local artist .
2 . there will be eight award categories with an audience choice award presented in each . the award categories are : best drama , best comedy , best documentary , best animation , best sci - fi / horror , best music video , best nevada filmmaker , and best student . audience award - winners will be chosen by audience votes . in addition , there is one best of the fest award , chosen by the audience . the best screenplay award and the leslie paige award for excellence in short filmmaking will be determined by the festival organizers . in the event of any voting discrepancy , the decision of the festival organizers shall be final .
4 . the nevada filmmaker category is open to any short that was created while the director or directors were residents of nevada , or any short in which production primarily took place in nevada . proof of residency , such a copy of a driver ' s license , must be submitted .
6 . non - english language films must be subtitled with subtitles in english or contain minimal dialog .
7 . selected films will be notified by email on or around january 1 , 2019 .
8 . selected films will be responsible for the insured shipping of the exhibition copies to the festival . we encourage you to use priority mail with delivery confirmation when sending via u . s . mail . the festival encourages electronic / online delivery of exhibition copies ; physical exhibition drives that are mailed to the festival will be returned .
9 . a press kit is not required for submission . upon selection , filmmakers are highly encouraged to provide a electronic press kit .
11 . the festival organizers may program selected films in any category or programming block deemed appropriate . organizers also reserve the right to program selected films more than once during the festival .
12 . all submission fees must be in u . s . funds . films submitted without the correct payment will be disqualified .
flawlessly run , tremendous vibe , and the way the treat the filmmakers is second to none . if you don ' t submit to dsff , you are missing out . i will send every short i ever make to this festival .


what we do in the shadows is a 2014 new zealand mockumentary horror comedy film about a group of vampires who live together in wellington , that is written , directed by , and starring jemaine clement and taika waititi .

it premiered at the sundance film festival in january 2014 .

the film was theatrically released on august 18 , 2014 by madman entertainment .

the film earned $ 6.9 million on a $ 1.6 million budget .

what we do in the shadows

we are about to be drowning in what we do in the shadows stuff .
you can see the trailer for what we do in the shadows , below .
what we do in the shadows by christine n . ziemba february 10 , 2015
the what we do in the shadows spin - off launches in new zealand very soon .
music and songs used in what we do in the shadows . help me complete this compilation !
hit vampire mockumentary what we do in the shadows has spawned an upcoming tv spin - off series .
what do you think about a what we do in the shadows spin - off ? do you think that’s the right story to tell with these characters ? sound off in the comment section .
what we do in the shadows follow - up gets a snappy title | birth . movies . death .
[ usr = 5 ] what we do in the shadows is released on dvd from monday 13th april 2015 .
vampire mockumentary what we do in the shadows has become the most booked film on audience - led screening platform ourscreen .
what we do in the shadows is the perfect example of what happens when genius comedy minds come together and create something that’s… well , genius .
what we do in the shadows totally nails it from beginning to end with not a single tedious or wasted moment .
screen rant will keep you updated on any information related to the what we do in the shadows spin - off tv show .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing what we do in the shadows near you .
jemaine clement has confirmed that what we do in the shadows 2 and a flight of the conchords tour are coming up . . .
the rules of the vampire genre are parodied affectionately in the mockumentary what we do in the shadows , an oddly portentous title for such a goofy movie .
it ' s terrific news though that a what we do in the shadows sequel is coming . as we hear more on it , we ' ll pass the information in your direction . . .
this original short version is available as an extra on the blu - ray of the feature , what we do in the shadows ( 2014 ) .
biting satire : jemaine clement , left , and taika waititi , standing centre , in what we do in the shadows , about a group of vampires flatting in wellington .
the orchard , a relatively new indie label that is overseeing the home entertainment release of “ what we do in the shadows , ” would like to change that .
jemaine clement and what we do . . . thanks to kickstarter by michael dunaway august 17 , 2015
the what we do in the shadows dvd is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16 : 9 tvs with english 5 . 1 dolby digital and english subtitles . the dvd includes the feature film in standard definition .
his latest vampire mockumentary , what we do in the shadows , filmed in wellington with old mate jemaine clement , has been selected to premiere at the prestigious united states ski resort festival .
paranormal event response unit may not be the only addition to the what we do in the shadows universe heading our way . waititi has previously discussed the possibility of making a big screen sequel , called we’re wolves .
the 2014 new zealand vampire comedy what we do in the shadows is to get a six - episode spin - off tv show . the agency new zealand on air announced friday that it is funding paranormal event response unit , which is conceived by what we do in the shadows writer - directors jemaine clement and taika waititi as a small screen extension of the movie .
it”ll be difficult to live up what we do in the shadows , but with clement and waititi teaming up again , i”m going to trust this is worth looking forward to .
“we want to do it , and we’re coming up with story ideas , ” waititi , who also starred in shadows , told ew last week . “the first film took us about seven years to make , and we don’t want to do that again . it’s a lot easier now that we have all the characters , and we know how we want to do it , and we know that we can do it . the first time we were doing it , we had no idea what we were trying to do , really . it’s not like we were inventing the mockumentary genre , but doing it with special effects , and trying to figure that all out , and make it funny , was a really , really long process . ”
presumably , these police officers will run into the vampires or possibly the werewolves featured in what we do in the shadows at some point during the six - episode run . it will be interesting to see if paranormal has the same kind of comedy as what we do , or if it will even be a mockumentary - style format .
and while the film may not have burned up the box office , what we do in the shadows nonetheless earned itself a favorable audience , to the point where a sequel is now being worked on .
the new zealand - made art comedy what we do in the shadows is a bracing reminder of how the right burst of energy and style breathes fresh ideas into a genre threatened with creative exhaustion .
“we want to do it , and we’re coming up with story ideas , ” waititi told ew last june . “the first film took us about seven years to make , and we don’t want to do that again . it’s a lot easier now that we have all the characters , and we know how we want to do it , and we know that we can do it . the first time we were doing it , we had no idea what we were trying to do , really . it’s not like we were inventing the mockumentary genre , but doing it with special effects , and trying to figure that all out , and make it funny , was a really , really long process . ”
the what we do in the shadows blu - ray is presented in 1080p high definition with english 5 . 1 dts - hd master audio and english and english sdh subtitles . the blu - ray includes the film in high definition and the following special features :
metrodome managing director jezz vernon told screen : “ourscreen has been a phenomenal help to what we do in the shadows . in commercial terms - with average occupancy at 90 % - these numbers are significant for an independent distributor .
“ what we do in the shadows , ” a satirical vampire documentary from jemaine clement of “flight of the conchords” fame , sunk its teeth into $ 462 , 862 in its first week on - demand , variety has learned exclusively .
“what we do in the shadows” was distributed theatrically by unison films and paladin pictures , racking up a healthy $ 3 . 3 million domestically since debuting in february . a lot of the credit for the strong box office and on - demand numbers has to do with clement’s willingness to hawk the film on twitter and to do press for the picture , said davidson .
it’s worth noting that paranormal event response unit doesn’t preclude the possibility of a what we do in the shadows sequel . as we reported this past january , clement said they’re “trying to write a werewolves spin - off” that would be entitled we’re wolves . the movie would focus on the werewolf anton , played by rhys darby .
a tv spin - off of new zealand vampire film what we do in the shadows and a māori - focused sketch show are on their way , after new zealand on air ( nzoa ) announced funding for the two series .
waititi revealed that we’re wolves will concern a power battle between lycanthropes played by what we do in the shadows stars rhys darby and stuart rutherford . “the same werewolf actors would come back , ” said waititi . ”it would basically be rhys and stu vying for position as the alpha male in the werewolf gang . ”
a daring film crew , armed with crucifixes and guarantees of safety , sets out to record the daily lives of four vampire housemates in “what we do in the shadows , ” a goofily amusing mockumentary from the new zealand comedians and actors jemaine clement and taika waititi .
that isn ' t to say the mockumentary style has no place in what we do in the shadows . waititi and clement , clearly fans of both sub - genres they ' re trumping here , knit a close - fitting structure around the crew element that keeps each , progressive scene flowing and every conflict they run into at an arm ' s length from being truly terrifying . every element found within what we do in the shadows works its magic well , the humor sparking every bit of your interest while the atmosphere plays with your senses subconsciously . the thrills and chills with which waititi and clement have packed their film keeps the very idea of what we ' re seeing alive . as long as films like what we do in the shadows are being made , neither the found footage film nor the vampire story will ever be getting labeled as
dead .
the official trailer for the new zealand vampire comedy
what we do in the shadows , directed by jemaine clement & taika waititi , about three vampire flatmates coping with the modern world . us and canada release feb 13 2015 urltoken http : / / fb . com / whatwedointheshadows urltoken urltoken # deliciousnecks play it loud and in the shadows
waititi also revealed that we’re wolves will concern a power battle between lycanthropes played by what we do in the shadows stars rhys darby and stuart rutherford . “the same werewolf actors would come back , ” said waititi . “it would basically be rhys and stu vying for position as the alpha male in the werewolf gang . ”
paranormal event response unit is a spin - off in the truest sense , focusing on different characters within the same world . still , if it manages to blend the wits of waititi and clement as what we do in the shadows did , it will be well worth your time .
last year ' s what we do in the shadows , which enjoyed widespread critical success and a healthy $ 6 . 9m box office , saw waititi and clement write , direct , and star in the tale of vampires attempting to settle their differences and flatshare in modern - day wellington , new zealand .
zombies make an appearance late in the film as well , technically making this count as the third zom - com to premiere at sundance 2014 in 26 hours . but what we do in the shadows belongs to the creatures of the night , and anyone intending to hop on this particular subgenre bandwagon has a hard act to follow .
according to a release from new zealand on air , which is funding the series , paranormal event response unit will be a procedural that follows naive police officers karen and mike ( who had small roles in what we do in the shadows ) working hard to protect wellington”s residents from supernatural beings lurking in the new zealand capital .
waititi has also discussed the possibility of a movie sequel for what we do in the shadows called we’re wolves that focuses on rhys darby and stuart rutherford , two actors whose characters who played a minor role in the original film as werewolves , but would take center stage in the sequel . there’s been no further word on this project , and waititi seems rather busy at the moment with the hulk .
since we spoke , the kickstarter campaign clement started in an effort to help raise money for the film’s wider distribution in north america has hit it’s goal . with hours left to go , the campaign surpassed the $ 400 , 000 mark , which means that if you’re in the us , you’ll get to catch the film for yourself at a theater near you sometime in 2015 . for fans in other countries , check in at the official website for more info on how you can see what we do in the shadows .
jemaine clement has confirmed that what we do in the shadows 2 is in the early stages , and that this time around , it ' s going to focus on rhys darby ' s anton from the first movie . clement also has plans to take flight of the conchords on tour , so that has to be scheduled in as well .
in what we do in the shadows , frequent collaborators taika waititi and jemaine clement share writing , directing , and acting duties—all with precise comedic timing . the end result is a hysterical mockumentary that unearths a secret , supernatural society where friendship and camaraderie are just as important as feasting upon the flesh of mortals .
but it won ' t be at the american event for the prestige and influence . the pair ' s low - budget mockumentary what we do in the shadows is part of of the festival ' s
park city at midnight
section , the late - night just - for - kicks part of the programme .
what we do in the shadows is the only vampire mock - doc the world will ever need , because it is hilarious , raunchy , and perfectly self - aware . the werewolf - themed sequel ( genius title : we’re wolves ) is percolating , and now the rumored tv spin - off is confirmed . but don’t get too excited about the latter just yet .
paranormal event response unit - conceived by flight of the conchords star jemaine clement and director taika waititi , is a six - episode spin - off from the highly acclaimed feature film , what we do in the shadows , which the pair wrote , directed and starred in . the movie featured a sly look at a flat full of vampires in modern - day wellington .
kinja is in read - only mode . we are working to restore service .
i ' m gonna go change . we ' re leaving in 10 minutes .
like many , i am sick and tired of the slew of supernatural films that’ve been released post - twilight , twilight included . however , what we do in the shadows has managed to change my stubborn mind , so much so that this’ll be the film i recommend to everyone from now on !
what we do in the shadows stars jemaine clement ( flight of the conchords ) and taika waititi ( boy , eagle vs shark ) . the pair also co - directed the comedy , which is filmed in a documentary - style and centres on a group of vampire housemates in new zealand whose happy home is disrupted by a new member . it debuted at sundance 2014 .
“it’s the right thing to do , and it aligns with how we want to be transparent with the filmmakers we work with , ” said paul davidson , senior vice president of film and television at the orchard . “we want to work with more companies or services like rentrak or nielsen to share these numbers so we can provide a better overview of what the business is looking like . ”
frigid , snowy northeast weather and commercial juggernaut fifty shades of grey didn’t completely undercut the specialty box office this weekend , as some newcomers grossed respectable numbers . the indie films brave enough to bow included vampire satire what we do in the shadows , debuting in two theaters for unison films in association with paladin , and grabbing the best per - screen average for a debut so far in this young year .
what we do in the shadows is one of my absolute favorite films from 2015 . i’ve seen it three times already , and it just keeps getting better . so i’m extremely excited to hear anything about taika waititi and jemaine clement’s proposed follow - up , even if it’s just a title .
one of the most enjoyable movie treats of recent times has been taika waititi and jemaine clement ' s what we do in the shadows , a terrifically made
mockumentary
about a group of vampires going about their everyday life in new zealand . anyone with the slightest liking of vampire movies is likely to have got plenty out of it .
we recently learned during an 11 questions session with clement that he and waititi also gave their mockumentary a tv treatment : they pitched a what we do in the shadows spin - off series to television new zealand that would follow the cop duo played by karen o’leary and mike minogue . but clement didn’t seem optimistic about the show getting picked up , citing a lack of funds in new zealand’s tv industry .
the what we do in the shadows blu - ray features more than two hours of uproarious bonus material including commentary by jemaine clement and taika waititi , behind - the - scenes footage , deleted scenes , video extras , interviews , promo videos and a poster gallery . the film will also be available as a single disc dvd .
jemaine clement ( flight of the conchords ) and taika waititi ( an oscar nominee for his 2005 short film ( two cars , one night ) spent a decade developing vampire mockumentary what we do in the shadows , which grossed $ 3 million during runs in australia and new zealand before coming to los angeles and new york city this weekend .
award winning production design , set photos and art work by ra vincent . ' what we do in the shadows ' was a small budget project which employed every trick there is to achieve its better budget look . from concept art to recycled building materials , this is a brief look into the art of wwdits .
are you ready for skyscraper ? we are ! see which other movies and tv shows we ' re excited about .
what we do in the shadows will be returning , this time on the small screen . the 2014 vampire comedy was a hit with critics , and now a spin - off titled paranormal event response unit is coming to television from writer - directors jemaine clement and taika waititi . the tv show will be a small - screen extension of the film .
“what we do in the shadows , ” a satirical vampire documentary from jemaine clement of “flight of the conchords” fame , sunk its teeth into $ 462 , 862 in its first week on - demand , variety has learned exclusively . movie distributors frequently cite electronic sales and cable and digital rentals of their films as evidence that the home entertainment business is [ … ]
the stinger : a closeup shot of deacon , who attempts to trance the audience into forgetting what they saw in the movie .
the show will focus on two police officers , mike and karen , who specialize in problems related to supernatural phenomena . the series will be six episodes long . waititi’s other directing credits include hunt for the wilderpeople and the forthcoming marvel film thor : ragnarok . what we do in the shadows stars waititi and clement , along with jonathan brugh and ben fransham . the four men play vampires living in the city of wellington who share a house .
new zealand writer - director taika waititi is an extremely busy man . his new , sam neill - starring adventure - comedy hunt for the the wilderpeople opens june 24 , and he is currently prepping the marvel superhero film , thor : ragnarok . so , where does that leave we’re wolves , the sequel to the much - loved vampire comedy what we do in the shadows , which waititi codirected with flight of the conchords member jemaine clement ?
what we do in the shadows is a movie starring jemaine clement , taika waititi , and cori gonzalez - macuer . viago , deacon , and vladislav are vampires who are finding that modern life has them struggling with the mundane - like paying rent , keeping up with the chore wheel , trying to get into nightclubs , and overcoming flatmate conflicts .
a mock documentary about wellington vampires , “what we do in the shadows” begins with a title card jokingly crediting the pic to “the new zealand documentary board” — the first and nearly the last gag related to its would - be comic conceit . taika waititi and jemaine clement direct themselves as , respectively , viago , aged 379 , and vladislav , 862 , [ … ]
look at what i found in the fruit bowl today . eyes , nose and even scary teeth .
the show concerns two police officers , named mike and karen , who specialize in dealing with supernatural phenomenon . clement is best known for being half of the comedy duo flight of the conchords while waititi’s other directing credits include the recent hunt for the wilderpeople and the upcoming marvel superhero sequel , thor : ragnarok . what we do in the shadows starred waititi , clement , jonathan brugh , and ben fransham as vampires who share a house in the city of wellington .
can’t wait for we’re wolves to see darby in another taika waititi project ? good news : the comic actor plays a survivalist type living in the new zealand bush in hunt for the wilderpeople .
written and directed by waititi and flight of the conchords star clement , fans of the show will already understand and anticipate the flavour of comedy what we do in the shadows will bring – dark , witty , clever , sly – and it does not disappoint . following in the same style as other mockumentaries released over the years , the film proves that you can take the most surreal , silliest topic and turn it into a believable subject .
. . . . what ? from what few reviews i could find , it is better than it looks . that said , the pick of the week is still
this very counterpoint is one of ray carney ' s favorite rhetorical devices , waging his long , valiant campaign against the unthinking pieties of mainstream opinion – opinion which marginalizes cassavetes in favor of what carney denounces as virtuoso kitsch : the
idealist conception of meaning
evinced by citizen kane et al .
where hollywood is centripetal , focusing ever more tightly in on a central figure or situation , cassavetes is centrifugal . focus gives way to circulation ,
carney tells us in his new study of shadows .
while most american films define experiences externally ( we are what we do or what happens to us ) , the experiences that matter in a cassavetes film are internal ( not what we do but what we are ) . characterization replaces eventfulness .
crucially , because they are performative , not metaphoric ,
[ cassavetes ' films ] deny the viewer an archimedean stylistic point outside of the perceptual flow by which he can get theoretical leverage on it . cassavetes is doing nothing less than offering a new understanding of experience .
( if we can understand
understanding
without theoretical leverage ? )
if you’re a fan of flight of the conchords , you’ve probably heard a thing or two about the “hilarious” ( quoted from nearly every review ) vampire “mockumentary” what we do in the shadows . written and produced by ( and starring ) taika waititi and conchords ‘ jemaine clement , the film premieres in nyc today — friday the 13th — following successful runs overseas , and an equally successful kickstarter campaign for us distribution .
that’s why clement and waititi’s idea of having a few vampires living together under one roof like a twisted sitcom family is so refreshing . what we do in the shadows is a tale about vampires , young and old , who , despite being technically “dead , ” reveal that there’s more to their existence than just sucking blood and wreaking havoc .
according to radio new zealand news , new zealand on air ( nzoa ) has picked up a six - episode spin - off of what we do in the shadows entitled paranormal event response unit , which was conceived by clement and waititi . the show will features “police officers karen and mike , who ‘keep us safe from supernatural phenomena in their own police reality series’ , nzoa said . ”
following the critical success that the original feature film what we do in the shadows was met with around the world back in 2014 , the spinoff comedy procedural series paranormal event response unit should provide for plenty of novel material for waititi and clement to further explore . the new show has yet to secure a domestic distributor , though you might be able to bet good money that netflix - or any other prominent streaming service - might be interested given the built - in popularity of the property involved .
june 19th , 2014 ( wide ) ( new zealand ) september 5th , 2014 ( wide ) , released as what we do in the shadows ( australia ) october 30th , 2014 ( wide ) ( germany ) june 26th , 2015 ( wide ) ( taiwan ) july 2nd , 2015 ( wide ) ( mexico ) . . . show all releases
the cops from shadows are getting their own tv show . think mulder & scully but in a country where nothing happens . urltoken
spinal tap meets the only way is transylvania in this kiwi vampire spoof . flight of the conchords star jemaine tells us what’s at stake…
what we do in the shadows writer and star jemaine clement has told the seattle times that a follow - up film is already in the early planning stages . while stumping for people places things — his detour into romantic comedy territory—clement said the sequel will focus on the werewolves - not - swearwolves led by rhys darby’s anton . so it looks like viago ( taika waititi ) was wrong about that whole “ nobody likes werewolves ” thing .
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and thankfully for fans of his 2015 breakout hit what we do in the shadows , it sounds like waititi has not shelved plans to make a sequel to his popular vampire mockumentary . the next movie — which waititi had previously announced would be called we’re wolves and focus on the werewolf support group from the first film — is still on the back burner for waititi and writing partner jemaine clement as the director told ign ( via / film ) , it’s just a matter of letting the process unfold .
and the title of this movie ?
it’s going to be called we’re wolves , like ‘we are wolves . ’
waititi said .
we’re wolves .
step down , all other titles of upcoming films , we ' ve found our winner ; particularly after previous suggestions the film would be called the thematically fitting , yet far less delightfully punful , what we do in the moonlight . waititi is set to direct the upcoming thor : ragnarok ; though he confirmed we ' re wolves will mostly likely be the next project he embarks on after wrapping the marvel blockbuster . another project currently on his slate is a wwii comedy
about a kid in the hitler youth
, though he gave no further details on when that might occur .
acerbic as clement is in all his guises , there’s a difference between what he does with mckenzie and what he does with waititi . “me and bret usually talk about music , ” he says . “me and taika would always do theatrical stuff , running around , miming , putting on voices . me and bret would just sit there . ” what we do in the shadows is certainly very silly , to the point of being playful with things others might be delicate about . deacon , it turns out , was once part of hitler’s secret vampire army . did the pair not have any trepidation about mining the nazis for jokes ? “no , ” says clement . “but other people were concerned , especially americans . when we tested it in new zealand it got a big laugh … with our friends . but we had one american editor and an american producer who both said , ‘that’s not funny . ’ we were going , ‘yeah , but the joke is he’s assuming people haven’t heard of world war ii , ’ and both americans said : ‘but we do know the nazis lost world war ii . ’”
this is freaking hilarious . i stumbled upon this movie by accident in the middle of the night and was not expecting what i saw !
viago , deacon , and vladislav are vampires who are finding that modern life has them struggling with the mundane—like paying rent , keeping up with the chore wheel , trying to get into nightclubs , and overcoming roommate conflicts . featuring an outstanding ensemble cast and “comic acting of an extremely high order” ( wall street journal ) , what we do in the shadows is an original and wildly entertaining comedy .
what we do int he shadows
puts a huge spin on it ' s genre , creating a documentary style film about a fictional world of vampires as they travel the streets at night and sleep in their home together during the day . this plays out almost like a wholly dialogue driven feature , with just one difference , everything . this is a very clever ( albeit oversaturated ) story that i really enjoyed . about halfway through the film you get the sense that they have nowhere else to go with the story and that definitely shows in it ' s mere 20 - minute running time . well scripted and plotted out well enough , this film has a little something for everyone to
sink their teeth into .
to mockumentary fans , this film could be their dream . to myself ,
what we do in the shadows
works very well at what it sets out to do , but ultimately falls a little flat in some aspects . a very fun and slightly original film that i can recommend watching around halloween .
one of the pleasant surprises of 2014 was taika waititi’s vampire mockumentary , what we do in the shadows . the comedy followed four vampires—viago ( waititi ) , vladislav ( jemaine clement ) , deacon ( jonathan brugh ) , and petyr ( ben fransham ) —who share a flat in modern - day wellington , new zealand . it was a quirky , funny little comedy that found a cult following and helped waititi land the director’s chair on thor : ragnarok .
new zealand writer / director taika waititi ( hunt for the wilderpeople ) turned quite a few heads with the release of his 2014 mockumentary horror comedy what we do in the shadows , which has since proven to be a critical success that launched his career to dizzying new heights . with his sights currently set on entering the marvel cinematic universe in a big way with the release of his first superhero movie , thor : ragnarok , later next year , everything is looking up for waititi in more ways than one .
a very funny kiwi take on vampire lore and its application to the modern world , taika waititi ' s and jemaine clement ' s what we do in the shadows introduces a quartet of vampires who share the same wellington house and , like any other flatmates , squabble over the chores - - the difference being that tidying up is a good bit more gruesome in this household than in most . ace writing and comic performances ensure love from the geek sector , while the presence of flight of the conchords co - star clement both behind and in front of the camera should help attract attention beyond that realm .
we are delighted that jemaine clement and taika waititi are bringing their talents to smaller screens in paranormal event response unit . and we loved the only in aotearoa web series so are delighted it is transitioning to television ,
she said .
released in 2014 , “what we do in the shadows” was shot in documentary style and followed four vampire roommates living in the inner - city of new zealand . the film earned $ 6 . 9 million worldwide opposite its $ 1 . 6 million , instantly sparking fan desire for a followup tv series or sequel . while the movie focused on the vampires , waititi explains the show , titled “paranormal event response unit , ” will be a bit more procedural based as it follows karen and mike , the two naive police officers whose duty is to keep residents safe from all paranormal shenanigans .
was absolutely hilarious , with surprising moments of almost horror . exactly what i expected .
we are still blown away by the massive support we received from you guys . keep sending us pics of your rewards . it makes us happy to see them .
if we see two or three more comedies this year that know what they ' re doing the way this one does , it ' ll be a very good year indeed .
sometimes first love is found in the most unlikely of places , like in the carpark outside the te kaha pub .
what we do in the shadows is a black comedy horror mockumentary which follows three colorful , but lovable vampire flatmates : viago , deacon , and vladislav in their struggles to fit in in modern day wellington . when their extra eight - thousand - year - old flatmate petyr ( pronounced
peter
) , attacks and turns twenty - something human hipster nick into a vampire , the guys must teach him the ropes of vampirism and guide him through his new found eternal life . in turn they are forced to learn a thing or two about modern society including technology , the internet , and proper clubbing .
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there ' s so much more to what we do in the shadows than that synopsis implies . despite the rather simplistic and straightforward premise waititi and clement , who co - wrote the screenplay and co - direct for the first time , have packed their film with ample amounts of intriguing lore and vampiric humor . every detail of the vampire myth is touched upon in their screenplay , often turning the popular beliefs about the mythological creatures on its ear . the team at work here has clearly done their homework and all for the better of their film ' s comedy .
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while what we do in the shadows is silly and fun , here and there a profound melancholy underscores the horseplay , with immortal angst , romantic longings and murderous guilt popping up and giving the film some existential weight . “we want people to see it like that , but no one’s really mentioned that before , ” says clement . “we did intend to have parts that are sad , to have it about something . i think this film is a lot about middle age . reflecting on regret , on your life , on not being able to get over things that you thought you’d be able to move past . the studenty stuff was from when we came up with the idea , and the stuff about seeing sad things in your life comes from us being older . ”
taika waititi ’s best year ever just got even more amazing . not only has the new zealand filmmaker released the crowdpleaser indie hit “hunt for the wilderpeople , ” which broke box office records in his home country , and started production on marvel blockbuster “thor : ragnarok , ” but he’s also now confirmed that cult favorite “ what we do in the shadows ” is getting a television spin - off . waititi and his “flight of the conchords” co - creator jermaine celement had been vocal about interest in taking the film to television , but now the spin - off is officially moving forward .
despite the fact that waititi is now a full - fledged marvel studios canon director alongside the likes of james gunn ( guardians of the galaxy ) , the russo brothers ( captain america : civil war ) , and joss whedon ( avengers : age of ultron ) , many of his fans will undoubtedly still think of him first and foremost for his offbeat sense of humor and irreverent comedy set pieces . on that note , the latest word has the previously reported spinoff to waititi ' s what we do in the shadows moving forward in a differrent direction .
so there you have it . we’re wolves . can’t be more straightforward than that .
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basically the story of a man forced to finally see the injustice around him . riley’s movie is designed to do the same thing to you . …
remained in first place on the per theater chart with an average of $ 20 , 478 in 39 theaters . the only other film in the $ 10 , 000 club was
other festivals : > movie moles – sydney film festival , july 21 , 2014 > the low down under – miff 2014 : stephen’s 2 line review , august 3 , 2014 > the essential – miff 2014 : what we do in the shadows by bradley j . dixon , august 8 , 2014 > 4 : 3 – dungog festival by conor bateman , august 31 , 2014 > urltoken by syno nyhm , september 1 , 2014 > stream magazine : graphic review from the torino film festival , december , 2014
i’ll watch the film regardless of who’s in it , but i sincerely hope that head werewolf rhys darby comes back . in the meantime , waititi has to make a small - budget buddy road comedy called thor : ragnarok , so we still have a bit of time before we’re wolves gets started .
from such unpreposessing ideas as a largely plotless vampire mockumentary are desperately funny films spawned . the irresistible kiwi comedy what we do in the shadows sets the tone with its first visual gag – a taloned hand emerging from a coffin , to press stop on the bleating alarm clock that’s been set for sunset at 6pm . we’re told that the filmmakers have gained special permission not to be eaten , and thereby have access to a quartet of flatmates with ages ranging from 183 to roughly 8 , 000 . the three who can speak are viago ( taika waititi ) , deacon ( jonathan brugh ) and vladislav ( jemaine clement ) . then there’s petyr ( ben fransham ) , a nosferatu - like wizened ghoul who sleeps behind a stone slab in the cellar , and signally fails to do his share of housework .
the six - episode tv series will be made in new zealand , the home country of shadows co - directors jemaine clement and taika waititi , for new zealand tv . so there’s no guarantee it’ll be available for viewing elsewhere , though there’s a solid chance the popularity of the original film—and the magic of the internet—will ensure that shadows fans in other parts of the world will be able to check it out , too .
as funny as this film is , though , it never skimps on the classic , horror elements that made the vampire film such a popular sub - genre in the first place . the three leads , each with their own hilarious eccentricities , are still bloodsuckers through and through . waititi and clement take as much care in the frights of their film as they do the laughs , more often than not the two juxtaposing against one another for added , hysterical value . even the fourth vampire in the flat , petyr , an 8000 - year - old vampire who has long since given into his more savage needs , has the classic , nosferatu look that made fw murnau ' s 1922 film so timeless , but this , too , is made light of in casual and painless ways . believe it or not , waititi and clement have their cake and eat it too on multiple occasions throughout what we do in the shadows .
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oh , and you thought
werewolves , not swearwolves
was a strong pun ? taika waititi and flight of the conchords ' jemaine clement continue to tease the prospect of a sequel to their cult hit vampire mockumentary , what we do in the shadows . though clement had previously suggested any new narratives would focus in on the movie ' s clan of werewolves , as led by anton ( rhys darby ) , who spends the majority of his time harrassed and attempting to keep in line his band of forgetfully foul - mouthed shapeshifters ; waititi has now confirmed to crave online their plans to
write a werewolves spin - off
.
what we do in the shadows chronicles the adventures of four vampire roommates trying to get by in a modern world that ' s not always hospitable to the undead . clement and waititi , creators of the hbo hit series
flight of the conchords ,
co - wrote , co - directed , and co - star in this hilarious send - up in which an endearingly unhip quartet of friends reveal to us or , rather , to the documentary crew that ' s filming them , the details of their daily - make that nightly - routine . ranging in age from 183 to 8 , 000 , and in appearance from adorably youthful to nosferatu - crusty , they squabble over household chores , struggle to keep up with the latest trends in technology and fashion , antagonize the local werewolves , cruise clubs for lovely ladies , and deal with the rigors of living on a very , very strict diet .
after two weeks of doing highlights for limited release , i ' m thinking of sticking with the format . if the film can ' t get at least five reviews on rotten tomatoes , it likely won ' t find an audience in theaters . i was thinking of only talking about films with overwhelmingly positive reviews , but some weeks that would be none . this week , there are only two . what we do in the shadows ( reviews ) and gett : the trial of viviane amsalem ( reviews ) . the latter has better reviews , but the former has more popular appeal . more . . .
as important factors in works like hbo ' s
flight of the conchords ,
eagle vs shark , and boy , it ' s become a foregone conclusion that anything waititi or clement put their names to is sure to bring the funny in droves . no exception here . what we do in the shadows is frightfully funny , the humor often slipping into dry wit rather than slapstick visuals . there is an apparent effort in keeping every character within the film as fresh and as realistic - to this universe , anyway - as possible . despite its brisk running time waititi and clement create a believable , lived - in world for their vampire characters complete with societal awkwardnesses , long - lost loves , and , yes , those damned werewolves .
“jemaine [ clement ] and i are trying to write a werewolves spin - off , ” waititi said , adding that it will “most likely be the next thing” after he completes his marvel duties . “it’s going to be called ‘we’re wolves , ’ like ‘we are wolves . ’ we’re wolves . ”
according to thr , waititi will be teaming up once again with former what we do in the shadows co - star , co - writer , and co - director jemaine clement ( flight of the conchords ) to work on a spinoff tv show called paranormal event response unit . the series will be produced for $ 1 million by nz on air for a series of six 30 - minute episodes centering around hapless police officers karen and mike - who had minor roles in the original feature film - as they make their way throughout wellington to keep residents safe from all manner of mythical creatures .
fans should also know that there may be a movie sequel to wwdits on its way , entitled we’re wolves and featuring the pack of werewolves that show up in the original .
and china lion had its largest debut with somewhere only we know , opening in 46 theaters . the feature grossed $ 335k , averaging $ 7 , 282 .
it’s still in the works . but the jemaine [ clement ] and taika works is a very long and slow machine — we put an idea in one end , and it takes about six years to come out the other end . and sometimes it doesn’t even come out . and sometimes it comes out as a different idea . so we’ve out the idea of we’re wolves into the machine , and it’s now slowly going through the sausage maker . so in a couple of years i think it will come out as a script and we’ll shoot that . or maybe it will just come out as some t - shirts .
the other three gather for a meeting . viago and vlad chastise deacon because he hasn ' t done the dishes in five years . deacon argues that vampires shouldn ' t have to do chores .
was the only film in the $ 10 , 000 club over the weekend earning an average of $ 21 , 275 in four theaters . however ,
so much so that not only do the werewolves like him , but he actually manages to bring the two groups together with their mutual love of stu .
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shadows takes what could have been a one - joke sketch and turns it into a very funny , and occasionally even touching , take on brotherhood and friendship . . . it ' s certainly more authentic and realistic than recent seasons of the real world .
buzzing comedies such as the spy who dumped me await you in our summer movie guide . check in for all the info you need .
could still overtake it for the best weekend of all - time in the month . watching people suffer is apparently a thing in february .
a mock documentary about wellington vampires , “ what we do in the shadows ” begins with a title card jokingly crediting the pic to “the new zealand documentary board” — the first and nearly the last gag related to its would - be comic conceit . taika waititi and jemaine clement direct themselves as , respectively , viago , aged 379 , and vladislav , 862 , amiable bloodsuckers who share a flat along with “bad boy” deacon ( jonathan brugh ) , 183 , and the 8 , 000 - year - old petyr ( ben fransham ) . some genre fans who prefer the silly to the satiric may bite , but the anemic pic isn’t remotely weird or witty enough for cult immortality .
director taika waititi has promised there will be blood in the snow at next month ' s sundance film festival in utah .
a squad of maori troops in wwii europe silently entertain themselves in a destroyed house while waiting to enter the coming battle .
if twilight made you queasy and dark shadows felt like a missed opportunity , this pitch - perfect genre spoof is worth relishing .