What We Do in the Shadows (2019) s02e09 – Witches

This episode is the “What We Do in the Shadows” equivalent of a dick and fart joke episode. Literally in the former’s case—the episode’s about a coven of witches kidnapping Laszlo (Matt Berry) because they want his immortal seed. Turns out they use vampire semen to stay young. Witches, I mean. The show hasn’t gotten to what the vampires use it for.

Anyway.

It’s an all-action episode, opening with Harvey Guillén check-in; while he’s appreciating getting breaks and a day off, he’s not thrilled with his life as a familiar anymore. He’s floundering (weird how the vampire hunter stuff has been dropped). But then we get right into the witches. Berry’s out tending his topiary garden when a goat appears and then he gets zoomed up. When the rest of the house goes looking for him, they realize what’s happened—because Berry’s wife, Natasia Demetriou, is constantly on guard for witches to be causing mischief and now she’s finally validated—there are witches about causing trouble.

Once the gang’s all together—they bring along Mark Proksch because the show’s realized more Colin Robinson, less vampire hunting (not a bad conclusion)—but Kayvan Novak finds himself similarly captured just as easily as Berry. So while they’re tied to racks with the witches getting them ready for the extraction, Demetriou, Guillén, and Proksch are trying to escape their imprisonment in the witches’ den. An incense shop is a front for the witches’ den. It’s a good bit.

There’s a lot of funny jokes in the episode, right up until the end, and it covers for it being something of a blah storyline with the witches. It’s very tidy, which is fine (because it’s so funny), but it also feels a lot like the episode’s just relying on the cast to sell whatever even without much of a plot. And the cast can do it, because it’s “Shadows.”

And it’s better than the previous episode, though similarly lost.

But they had an amazing run of winners this season, so even with Witches as the penultimate season two episode… the show’s in great shape. Also, Lucy Punch as the main witch… I mean, she’s fine… but she’s not good enough they shouldn’t have stunt cast.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010, Woody Allen)

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is an unexpected surprise. Allen mixes a very black comedy with this light, almost absurd relationship comedy. But he never goes too dark.

I’m trying to think of a example but will undoubtedly fail to explain. Anthony Hopkins marries his call girl, played by Lucy Punch. Funny situation. This marriage ruins Hopkins. It’s not quite a “just desserts” situation because Hopkins isn’t a terrible guy. No one, with one exception, really gets a deserved comeuppance. Instead, they just navigate these incredibly frustrating, dumb situations they’ve put themselves in….

Allen almost loses it all at the end–he’s using narration (from Zak Orth, who does a fine job) and it doesn’t feel quite right–but then he saves it. This save is immediately following another scene where he could have perfectly ended the film. But the save is better.

Every single performance in Stranger is outstanding, but Naomi Watts and Josh Brolin can do these types of roles. It’s Antonio Banderas who really surprised me. He’s this perfect Woody Allen leading man (even though he’s in a supporting role here). Seeing him bluster and think and speechless… it’s just fantastic.

Gemma Jones is the other principal cast member (she’s Hopkins’s ex-wife, they’re Watts’s parents, she’s married to Brolin). Allen treats her comically, until he establishes it’s her world and everyone else is living in it.

There’s some nice minor performances from Pauline Collins and Philip Glenister.

I expected something decent, but Stranger‘s great.

3.5/4★★★½

CREDITS

Written and directed by Woody Allen; director of photography, Vilmos Zsigmond; edited by Alisa Lepselter; production designer, Jim Clay; produced by Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum and Jaume Roures; released by Sony Pictures Classics.

Starring Josh Brolin (Roy), Naomi Watts (Sally), Gemma Jones (Helena), Anthony Hopkins (Alfie), Lucy Punch (Charmaine), Antonio Banderas (Greg), Freida Pinto (Dia), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Jonathan), Pauline Collins (Cristal), Anna Friel (Iris), Ewen Bremner (Henry Strangler) and Zak Orth (Narrator).


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