WARNING! This post contains extensive spoilers for this movie. Watch the movie before reading! Or don't. You have been warned.
Netherbeast Incorporated (2007)
Rated PG-13
IMDB Says: “A quirky twist on the vampire tale, set in modern day corporate America”
IMDB Rating: 5.8/10
Metacritic Rating: N/A
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A critics, 46% audience
Solee: 2/5
Mikey: 2/5
We watched this on Amazon Prime.
Mikey: I think I know the answer, but it’s always the best way to start the conversation: Why’d you pick this particular movie today?
Solee: I was in the mood for something funny! And this had one of the
Daves We Know AND Jason Mewes! For that matter Darrell Hammond and Judd Nelson are pretty funny, too. So … that was pretty much it. It looked like it would be silly.
Mikey: I think it met that criteria. Unless you have something to say about it, I’m just going to bypass the age-old question and say this is not a horror movie, it’s a comedy about horror stuff. There’s nothing scary at all, it’s just a comedy about vampires. Fair?
Solee: I think that’s a fair and accurate statement. But they prefer “Netherfolk.”
Mikey: And that is fair too. Which gets me to one of the notable elements of this movie: Exposition Explosion! Huge chunks of this movie are actually documentary-style explanations of the history and rules behind being Netherfolk, in order to explain what’s going on in the story. I really really think they could’ve made a far better movie by skipping all of that and figuring what they needed to have happen in the story to make those concepts clear instead.
Solee: It was lazy writing. It made me think of how Kevin Smith, bless his heart, thinks he writes best while super stoned. I’m imagining that the writers of this movie were totally baked during most of the process. I’m sure THEY thought this movie was really clever. I thought it was mildly amusing.
Mikey: I think that’s probably a good thought, because there were significant chunks of dialogue in this movie that I truly had no idea what they were talking about. This is a movie that is so wrapped up in itself that I felt like an outsider watching somebody else’s in-jokes.
Solee: Which is exactly what happens when you let stoners make movies. Sometimes it works … sometimes it doesn’t. Another “lazy writing” thing that bothered me: they used the term “Retardation” for the mental decline that happens to some vampires. They make the excuse that the term has “been around awhile” to get around the fact that they are using a pretty offensive word. If this was a movie made in the 70s, sure. That was a word they used more frequently then. NOW, though? We know better and it just comes across as lazy and rude to use the word even though you know you have to make an excuse for using it.
Mikey: Yeah, interesting that they included in the script the acknowledgement that they did know better, but used it anyway. But after I throw in this one sentence: [the chef was the worst actor ever, on par with Ripper from
The Altar], I want to switch to praising the writing and acting to say that there were some funny lines, mostly from Darrell Hammond. “There are many reasons the tortoise beat the hare, poor sportsmanship and narcolepsy among them.”
Solee: [My theory regarding the chef is that he was a relative … or a contest winner.] “You wouldn’t eat spaghetti with a skateboard, WOULD YOU??”
Mikey: I wouldn’t. So, back to heaping condemnation on this, I would like to point out that the whole movie had the look and feel of a stage play. It was very… just badly made. Bad editing, writing, cinematography, lighting. It just looked bad. And some bad acting, but as that list of names you mentioned shows, many of the people in it were quite good.
Solee: I enjoyed the main guy, played by Steve Burns, very much and the relationship that developed between him and the resident human, Pearl, was actually pretty sweet. But there were some terrible choices made regarding the craft. Like sound! Why did it sound like cheap porn so much of the time?
Mikey: Right, the music was not good either. I’m confused as to the story of this movie’s creation. That is a documentary I’d watch. It seems like somebody really untalented was somehow able to convince a whole slew of high-end professionals to get involved. But then he didn’t add on any high-end professionals on the production side of things, just his buddies from the frat house. I have a feeling a skilled editor could’ve brought this movie up by about 50% alone, though there were some real flaws in the writing itself.
Solee: OH! I was just reading the trivia on IMDB to see if it mentioned any juicy gossip, but all I learned is where I recognize Steve Burns from! Do you know what else he’s done?
Mikey: I do not know!
Solee: BLUE’S CLUES!
Mikey: OH NO WAY! I totally recognize him now! Another top professional in his field!
Solee: It’s quite a leap from toddler TV to spoofy horror film. Or … maybe not? Haha!
Mikey: In other actor news, I have two remarks: Dave Foley is exactly who you want any time you want a sad sack office worker who is feeling really fed up with his coworkers. Also, Jason Mewes did a good job - he brought a certain feeling to his role that made it feel like he was ad-libbing, because it was so infused with his personality instead of just being a random dude. I have to wonder if Eye of the Jackal was ever written down anywhere.
Solee: Yep to both of those. I kinda love Dave Foley. He just seems like Good People, you know? Maybe it’s that he’s Canadian?
Mikey: Canadians are always nice, it’s actually the law up there.
Solee: *briefly distracted researching how to move to Canada* AND I was happy to see Jay Mewes looking so healthy. I’m not sure I could handle his personality in real life, but I was really scared we were going to wake up to learn about an overdose or a suicide for a few years there. I am glad he seems to have his life back on a better track. Or did 10 years ago. So I have two important discussion questions!
Mikey: And I have zero more notes, so let’s discuss!
Solee: Question, the First: do you prefer your monsters Traditional or Deconstructed? This movie took the idea of vampires and tossed it on its ear. How did that sit with you?
Mikey: I am in favor of it. I don’t want a half hour of video essay about it, though. I can figure it out from context, just tell me the story! I find the traditional monsters tiresome in general, and I think you can do a lot more with something new. Especially vampires which feel really lame to me in general. Do you like the new or the old?
Solee: I am a bit of a traditionalist most of the time. I read somewhere that people with anxiety like rewatching the same shows over and over (or rereading books I suppose) because there’s comfort in knowing how things are going to work out. I feel a little like that with the basic monsters. I like knowing the rules. That being said, just like with yesterday’s movie, I was jealous of the writing. Not because it was so good, but because it was so original. I liked that everything was just to the side of what you expect. Like reading a Douglas Adams book.
Mikey: Yes, this was somebody’s pet idea that they had spent a lot of time thinking out. Which is fun, I like to check that out.
Solee: I suppose this is one of the benefits of letting stoners make movies. ;) Question Dos was actually presented in the movie by Mr. Claymore on his final deathbed: How would you live differently if you had forever? (He’s comparing it to the age-old question of how one would change their life if they only had one day left, so feel free to address that as well.)
Mikey: Boy, I have given the “six months to live” notion some thought in the past, but I think if I had forever to live, it would change nothing. Unfortunately, I, like nearly everyone, already live like I’m going to live forever. We should be thinking with the proper perspective on how many years we have left (not freaking out that it’s so short, but just respecting the actual amount), but we just go on, assuming it will never end. For the short-time-left question, I can only conclude that I would be absolutely horrible at it. I have no special dreams to quickly resolve, nor holy shrines I need to visit. I’d probably spend it wallowing in grief over my upcoming demise, and crying about all the things I’ll never get to do, instead of just doing some of them. Not great. You would do better, right?
Solee: I really like your point about how we already live. It’s true. We (humans in general, white Americans specifically) tend to consider ourselves invincible. I suspect that after the first hundred years or so I’d start to get bored. I’d probably end up taking on all kinds of hobbies and learning them about half-way before moving on to something new. As far as only a day to live … that’s not much time. I couldn’t “see the world” or check a bunch of things off of a last minute bucket list. I can honestly say that I’m pretty much already living the life I’d live if I only had 24 hours left, too, which kind of makes me feel better. There would be some really good food and time with you, that’s for sure.
Mikey: Oh yes, food! I would probably spend my entire final day agonizing over which restaurant I needed to go to, and end up dying early of starvation.
Solee: Haha! We’d spend all day telling each other “I don’t care, you choose!”
Mikey: Psh, not if I’m dying! But that doesn’t mean I can figure out which is the one best choice!
Solee: WAIT. Is only one of us dying in your scenario?? Because I was assuming some kind of end-of-world situation. OBVIOUSLY, if you’re the only one dying, you get to choose.
Mikey: No, I understand, you just don’t want me to inconvenience you in my final hours. I’ll drive myself to the morgue.
Solee: Dude. You’re not gonna last 24 hours.
Mikey: Well, we’ve chatted past the edge of this movie now, so let’s wrap it up with a rating before I get in trouble. What do you say?
Solee: I WANT to be kind to this movie … but I’m not sure it ultimately deserves it. There were some positives, but overall, it was disappointing. And for the purposes of BHE, it was a total loss. I am going to have to give it a 2 with my most sincere apologies to the cast, all of whom, I’m sure, would be lots of fun to party with.
Mikey: I am right there with you. This is a 2. It’s not an
Altar-level disaster, but it is far from good, and I don’t recommend it. Don’t let Dave Foley fool you! It’s mildly funny between being deeply confusing and off-putting.
Solee: So I guess we’re going to go to the far other end of the horror spectrum for the next one. You know, as a palate cleanser.
Mikey: Can’t put too many comedies in our horror marathon. So tomorrow, we’re going to finally succumb to the endless peer pressure. Ever since 2014, when
The Babadook was released, I’ve gotten comments every single year that I should review it (usually, as it was this year, from more than one person the same year!). I’ve always skipped it because I’ve already seen it myself. But since you’re with me this year, and it has been several years since I saw it, it’s time to silence the voices in my head!
Solee: OOH. This should be fun. I know absolutely nothing about this movie. I’ve heard the name before. I think.
Mikey: Well, it’s all right there in the title - it’s about a babadook. See you then!
