Tag: what we do in the shadows

“Sadie When She Died” by Ed McBain (1972)

I didn’t mean for July to turn out the way it did. This first short story has all the elements–murder, mistaken identity, revenge, cops, procedure. It’s crime fiction the way that most of what I experienced this month is crime fiction. But this particular story gets to the heart of something. What is love? How is love expressed, and when is it too much or the wrong way to love? I get swooped up in the romanticism as much as anyone, but I can’t help but agree with Sheena Melwani’s dad.

The Crazy Kill by Chester Himes (1959)

Love gets even more twisted in this one. Love for a spouse, for god, for a community. The elements that drive us to commit the unspeakable. The focus on Harlem as a living place with real people strikes me as a huge shift for the time.

The Dark-Adapted Eye by Ruth Rendell (1986)

Back to the English countryside for this one, albeit with a more modern eye on events that unfold across a century. Tracing a line from family member to family member, looking for the missed signs and secret connections. I come from a large extended family as well and as I wander further away from them, I wonder what am I losing, what have I gained?

Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith (1950)

A story about taboos in more ways than one. Repression as a catalyst for deviant behavior feels like a subject I can’t comment on with confidence, but we’ve all seen it enough in fiction. Considering the date on this one, this has to be one of the earlier mainstream depictions of two men who are drawn together by the unstoppable force of unfulfilled longing. Something is missing and they want desperately to find it. It has some Hannibal vibes, which I will get to shortly.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012)

To be accepted for all of one’s disgusting mediocrity, to be bound to the one we deserve. I’m not sure what Flynn intends with Nick, the shitty husband character. He sucks. To hear his thoughts in the novel, I’d think he shouldn’t be with anyone. But I’ll admit some projection on my part when I read about this guy. The “villain” of the story is feels more natural, following one’s nature to the inevitable conclusion.

Prehistoric Isle in 1930 dev. SNK (1989)

I needed a break. This game was just fun and short and goofy as fuck. The player is a biplane flying across an exotic landscape and shooting all manner of dinosaurs and cave men and mutants. Games of this vintage aren’t known for interesting endings but holy shit, this was a good finale.

CARRION dev. Phobia Game Studio (2020)

If you ever wanted the perspective of the thing in The Thing, you could read “The Things,” or play this game. They absolutely nailed the fluidity of being an imagined tentacled biosmass with a case of vagina dentata and bottomless appetite. The Metroidvania aspects works really well in the context of being a lost and hungry predatory alien, although there were times when I wish I had a map. But the blind exploration makes this out to be more Another World than Castlevania. It’s a cool contrast to be a kind of laser-focused being without the kinds of ulterior motives as all the other murderers in this month’s stories.

Night of the Hunter dir. Charles Laughton (1955)

This movie is wild for the first two thirds or so. It starts off like an episode of The Andy Griffith Show, then starts dipping into some dark German expressionism and stageplay drama, along with a creepy whistleman lurking around some kids. Then they pull a Hays Code and ruin the ending. Still an interesting movie given the time in which it was released.

In the Mouth of Madness dir. John Carpenter (1994)

This is, by far, the most Lovecraft movie I’ve ever seen. It hits all the notes and and even has the kind of dour finale you usually get in HP’s work. Throw in some Lynchian quaintness and it comes around to some slow but satisfying burn.

Sorcerer dir. William Friedkin (1977)

My dad would be into this. That’s the first thing that came to mind. It’s the kind of gritty macho adventure story we used to watch together in the eighties and nineties. Predator, Indiana Jones, etc. The tension is off the charts. And you don’t see the core events of the movie coming, with even the title remaining a mystery until far into the runtime. Friedkin apparently followed up The Exorcist with this one and didn’t land it at the box office, although it’s now considered an important work.

Paperhouse dir. Bernard Rose (1988)

Hey check that out, more German expressionism. I originally thought it looked distinctly Tim Burtonesque but found out that it goes much further back. There are odd angles, sets that look distinctly like warped stageplay displays. It’s a fitting movie for the time–dark fantasy aimed at children. The director went on to helm Candyman, another connection to notable horror in this very bloody month.

Strangers on a Train dir. Alfred Hitchcock (1951)

The movie’s not as good as the novel, leaving out the tension that builds between the main characters and completely altering the ending. But then the ending in the novel isn’t as dramatic as Hitchcock’s signature stellar finale, but has a lot more to say. I suppose the medium dictates the message.

Gone Girl dir. David Fincher (2014)

The other book-to-movie combo that I checked out this month, and another of many duos who are bound together in their disdain and obsession. Affleck didn’t match Nick’s literary strain from the novel, though he certainly makes for a mediocre husband type. On the other hand, Pike did great work in the role of Amy. She harnesses all the qualities and voice of the character.

What We Do in the Shadows – Seasons 1-2 (2019-2020)

My favorite television show this year? I can’t believe it’s this good. Everyone is fantastic and hilarious, and I have a crush on Natasia Demetriou’s character that is solely a nostalgic throwback to my affection for weird goth girls in high school. Guillermo, holy shit he’s great! He and Nandor form another interesting pair. Jackie Daytona shows us the way.

Hannibal – Seasons 1-3 (2013-2015)

I participate in a Slack channel about Mads Mikkelsen. That’s it, just Mads. I joined because he has the excellent “Mister Doctor” dialogue in Doctor Strange and people seemed to be really into him. I didn’t quite get it until watching Hannibal. The three season dance between the two main characters is some of the most intricate courtship I’ve ever watched. But it’s also Hannibal, so you know, there’s murder and blood and dismembered bodies displayed in all sorts of creative ways. It’s a wonder this lasted as long as it did on network television. Now I want season 4 gotdangit.

The Last of Us Part II dev. Naughty Dog (2020)

This one’s under the cut because I have extensive and spoiler-filled scattered thoughts on this video game.

I played and completed this in a marathon two-day session. Do not play this way. You will long for the end, and perhaps this isn’t a game meant to be experienced all at once. It’s crushing.

My first and strongest reaction was, “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME.” I played three days in Seattle as Ellie. It is DONE. But then Abby reenters the picture, and they reset the clock to the beginning of the excursion in Seattle from her perspective. I must concur that video games are too long. The pacing is off, the Abby section drops in and completely kills the momentum. This should have been DLC or a separate release. I mean, Christ, the player has to experience the same three days again. Most of Abby’s three days was a real slog with just a few highlights in the action and fights she experiences. It all seems designed to consider all sides at a time when that isn’t working out so well.

Naughty Dog abuses the cut to black. It has weight and meaning in TLOU because it is seldom used, but in this game they go nuts with it and just confuse the player about when the game is actually over.

Santa Barbara was fucking amazing. I mean in the sense that it is so excruciatingly designed and rendered that it made me sick. Why was it so fucking good? Why? The events that took place there were secondary to just walking along in that suburb as Abby. I wondered if Ellie might find some California wine as she made her way through the Spanish style villas. I’m tempted to go back and replay those scenes just to dwell in that space.

They repeat the climactic fight between Abby and Ellie, perhaps to show when each has moved on, but it feels redundant and frustrating to go through it again. It’s too much, man.

I wonder about this game without the combat encounters. A walkthrough mode. Just walk through desolate, beautiful spaces.

“Sadie When She Died” by Ed McBain (1972)

I didn’t mean for July to turn out the way it did. This first short story has all the elements–murder, mistaken identity, revenge, cops, procedure. It’s crime fiction the way that most of what I experienced this month is crime fiction. But this particular story gets to the heart of something. What is love? How is love expressed, and when is it too much or the wrong way to love? I get swooped up in the romanticism as much as anyone, but I can’t help but agree with Sheena Melwani’s dad.

The Crazy Kill by Chester Himes (1959)

Love gets even more twisted in this one. Love for a spouse, for god, for a community. The elements that drive us to commit the unspeakable. The focus on Harlem as a living place with real people strikes me as a huge shift for the time.

The Dark-Adapted Eye by Ruth Rendell (1986)

Back to the English countryside for this one, albeit with a more modern eye on events that unfold across a century. Tracing a line from family member to family member, looking for the missed signs and secret connections. I come from a large extended family as well and as I wander further away from them, I wonder what am I losing, what have I gained?

Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith (1950)

A story about taboos in more ways than one. Repression as a catalyst for deviant behavior feels like a subject I can’t comment on with confidence, but we’ve all seen it enough in fiction. Considering the date on this one, this has to be one of the earlier mainstream depictions of two men who are drawn together by the unstoppable force of unfulfilled longing. Something is missing and they want desperately to find it. It has some Hannibal vibes, which I will get to shortly.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012)

To be accepted for all of one’s disgusting mediocrity, to be bound to the one we deserve. I’m not sure what Flynn intends with Nick, the shitty husband character. He sucks. To hear his thoughts in the novel, I’d think he shouldn’t be with anyone. But I’ll admit some projection on my part when I read about this guy. The “villain” of the story is feels more natural, following one’s nature to the inevitable conclusion.

Prehistoric Isle in 1930 dev. SNK (1989)

I needed a break. This game was just fun and short and goofy as fuck. The player is a biplane flying across an exotic landscape and shooting all manner of dinosaurs and cave men and mutants. Games of this vintage aren’t known for interesting endings but holy shit, this was a good finale.

CARRION dev. Phobia Game Studio (2020)

If you ever wanted the perspective of the thing in The Thing, you could read “The Things,” or play this game. They absolutely nailed the fluidity of being an imagined tentacled biosmass with a case of vagina dentata and bottomless appetite. The Metroidvania aspects works really well in the context of being a lost and hungry predatory alien, although there were times when I wish I had a map. But the blind exploration makes this out to be more Another World than Castlevania. It’s a cool contrast to be a kind of laser-focused being without the kinds of ulterior motives as all the other murderers in this month’s stories.

Night of the Hunter dir. Charles Laughton (1955)

This movie is wild for the first two thirds or so. It starts off like an episode of The Andy Griffith Show, then starts dipping into some dark German expressionism and stageplay drama, along with a creepy whistleman lurking around some kids. Then they pull a Hays Code and ruin the ending. Still an interesting movie given the time in which it was released.

In the Mouth of Madness dir. John Carpenter (1994)

This is, by far, the most Lovecraft movie I’ve ever seen. It hits all the notes and and even has the kind of dour finale you usually get in HP’s work. Throw in some Lynchian quaintness and it comes around to some slow but satisfying burn.

Sorcerer dir. William Friedkin (1977)

My dad would be into this. That’s the first thing that came to mind. It’s the kind of gritty macho adventure story we used to watch together in the eighties and nineties. Predator, Indiana Jones, etc. The tension is off the charts. And you don’t see the core events of the movie coming, with even the title remaining a mystery until far into the runtime. Friedkin apparently followed up The Exorcist with this one and didn’t land it at the box office, although it’s now considered an important work.

Paperhouse dir. Bernard Rose (1988)

Hey check that out, more German expressionism. I originally thought it looked distinctly Tim Burtonesque but found out that it goes much further back. There are odd angles, sets that look distinctly like warped stageplay displays. It’s a fitting movie for the time–dark fantasy aimed at children. The director went on to helm Candyman, another connection to notable horror in this very bloody month.

Strangers on a Train dir. Alfred Hitchcock (1951)

The movie’s not as good as the novel, leaving out the tension that builds between the main characters and completely altering the ending. But then the ending in the novel isn’t as dramatic as Hitchcock’s signature stellar finale, but has a lot more to say. I suppose the medium dictates the message.

Gone Girl dir. David Fincher (2014)

The other book-to-movie combo that I checked out this month, and another of many duos who are bound together in their disdain and obsession. Affleck didn’t match Nick’s literary strain from the novel, though he certainly makes for a mediocre husband type. On the other hand, Pike did great work in the role of Amy. She harnesses all the qualities and voice of the character.

What We Do in the Shadows – Seasons 1-2 (2019-2020)

My favorite television show this year? I can’t believe it’s this good. Everyone is fantastic and hilarious, and I have a crush on Natasia Demetriou’s character that is solely a nostalgic throwback to my affection for weird goth girls in high school. Guillermo, holy shit he’s great! He and Nandor form another interesting pair. Jackie Daytona shows us the way.

Hannibal – Seasons 1-3 (2013-2015)

I participate in a Slack channel about Mads Mikkelsen. That’s it, just Mads. I joined because he has the excellent “Mister Doctor” dialogue in Doctor Strange and people seemed to be really into him. I didn’t quite get it until watching Hannibal. The three season dance between the two main characters is some of the most intricate courtship I’ve ever watched. But it’s also Hannibal, so you know, there’s murder and blood and dismembered bodies displayed in all sorts of creative ways. It’s a wonder this lasted as long as it did on network television. Now I want season 4 gotdangit.

The Last of Us Part II dev. Naughty Dog (2020)

This one’s under the cut because I have extensive and spoiler-filled scattered thoughts on this video game.

I played and completed this in a marathon two-day session. Do not play this way. You will long for the end, and perhaps this isn’t a game meant to be experienced all at once. It’s crushing.

My first and strongest reaction was, “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME.” I played three days in Seattle as Ellie. It is DONE. But then Abby reenters the picture, and they reset the clock to the beginning of the excursion in Seattle from her perspective. I must concur that video games are too long. The pacing is off, the Abby section drops in and completely kills the momentum. This should have been DLC or a separate release. I mean, Christ, the player has to experience the same three days again. Most of Abby’s three days was a real slog with just a few highlights in the action and fights she experiences. It all seems designed to consider all sides at a time when that isn’t working out so well.

Naughty Dog abuses the cut to black. It has weight and meaning in TLOU because it is seldom used, but in this game they go nuts with it and just confuse the player about when the game is actually over.

Santa Barbara was fucking amazing. I mean in the sense that it is so excruciatingly designed and rendered that it made me sick. Why was it so fucking good? Why? The events that took place there were secondary to just walking along in that suburb as Abby. I wondered if Ellie might find some California wine as she made her way through the Spanish style villas. I’m tempted to go back and replay those scenes just to dwell in that space.

They repeat the climactic fight between Abby and Ellie, perhaps to show when each has moved on, but it feels redundant and frustrating to go through it again. It’s too much, man.

I wonder about this game without the combat encounters. A walkthrough mode. Just walk through desolate, beautiful spaces.