Teen Wolf

1985 Directed: Rob Daniel, Written: Jeph Loeb, Matthew Weisman

Score 3.5/5

This movie was filmed in November, 1984, and released on August 23, 1985. Everything about this hit the sweet spot between the 1983 video game crash and the 1985 (limited) release of the Nintendo Entertainment System. Michael J. Fox might have played E.T. on the Atari 2600 but he'd probably never heard of Mario. I don't know why this movie has me thinking of that right now. History's interesting, everything's always overlapping.

Anyway, Teen Wolf is fun. I love that it's never really an issue that Scott (Michael J. Fox) is a werewolf. No one's seriously like "lock this kid up for being a werewolf!" In fact, no one's like "wait, werewolves exist?!" It's awesome. I'm here to watch a movie about a kid that turns into a werewolf and be really good at basketball, I appreciate that they respect their own premise enough to not be dragged down by worldbuilding/lore.

The adults in this movie are hilarious. The self-aggrandizing authority figure going "you may think you're hot stuff, but I'm still the vice-principal", the coach having an open-door policy for kids to ask for help with anything and then the instant Scott does going "listen I don't have time for this, the IRS is breathing down my neck" while obliterating a piece of gum between his teeth. It all just fits together so well.

I think Scott looks dumb as hell as a wolf though. -1.5 points.

What We Do in the Shadows

2014 Directed: Jemain Clement, Taika Waitit, Written: Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi

Score 3.5/5

It feels wrong that this came out in 2014, merely one year before I started college. It's got phones with T9 keyboards built into them and a clunky Skype call. This movie feels old but 2014 doesn't even seem that long ago.

What We Do in the Shadows is interesting. It's slow paced, the characters are neurotic but easy-going. Maybe it's a New Zealand comedy thing, everything's very smooth, almost deadpan but not quite. Maybe it's just a Jemaine Clement thing. It does have a Flight of the Conchords feel (also he's got "Hiphopopotamus" listed as an "Other name" on wikipedia, very good). I've seen this movie many times before, and the real highlight this time around for me was everything surrounding Stu. "He's the reddest guy I know" is hilarious to me.

Something else I noticed this time is how every supernatural sect besides the vampires are trying to fight against their stereotypes. The werewolves are worried about tearing their clothes and chaining themselves to trees. The zombies are worried about groaning too much or stumbling around with their arms outstretched. Meanwhile the vampires are still out there dressing like medieval/victorian weirdos, with vaguely european accents and penchants for hypnotizing and drinking the blood of virgin women. It's good they've added noodles-as-worms from The Lost Boys (Schumacher, 1987) to their repertoire though.