Fangdom
Vampires
Dysfunctional family takes on a whole new meaning in mockumentary, Vampires.
Vincent Lanoo's aptly titled third feature film follows a family of vampires living in Belgium in a society where the species are 'out of the coffin'.
Lanoo's witty dark comedy offers a scenario where vampires live somewhat integrated with their frail former selves - humans.
As the film opens we learn that this is not the first attempt to record this documentary on the lives of vampires, but rather the first time a human crew has successfully finished the job. We begin as the crew meet their subjects, the St Germains family; mother Bertha, father Georges and troublesome teen siblings Samson and Grace.
To the viewer safe in the real world (tucked up in the comfort of ACMI's cinema seats), Lanoo prays on our wonder. His method is to raise a series of hypotheticals, providing the answers along the way via interviews with the characters and recording the events of their daily (or nightly) existence. Vampires explores the idea many of us have pondered before: what if vampires and humans really ever co-existed?
What the crew discovers is a dysfunctional family dealing with the same social anxieties as mortals, plus a few of their own. Vampire clichés are turned on their head and they are not as alien to humans as we might think. There's a new power structure operating and new laws to be broken but the old chestnut of 'inter-racial relationships' is a delicate new area to be dealt with.
How would a vampire teen be rebellious and troublesome to their parents? Would she wear pink, date a human and repeatedly attempt suicide in an effort to return to mortal life? Not in other vampire flicks. In Vampires the typical teen scene ensues - a car for your sweet sixteenth? No, but Daddy is taking you to a coffin dealer!
Vampires' amalgamated society makes it feel at times more like a cross between Tru Blood and a gory, morbid episode of TV's Modern Family than a spoof film. However, it's been described as Spinal Tap meets The Munsters, which is much cooler.
The Australian premiere of Vampires will screen as part of Freaky Fridays on April 1 and 8 at 9.30pm. Why not suck it and see for yourself?
Published Monday, 28 March 2011
|
|
|
