Netherbeast Incorporated (2007)

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

The best way to describe Netherbeast Incorporated is like this : The Office with vampires.It results to be an unusual but entertaining combination although the potential could have been exploited better.The idea behind this movie is pretty ingenious and,thanks to the very good cast there are many sympathetic and funny scenes.Plus,this movie makes some incisive commentaries on the corporative mentality of our days,with the vampires subtext working as a metaphor of many situations from an office.But,while the screenplay offers many positive elements,it also shows many negative elements.The story does not always flow naturally and it sometimes feels diffuse.The mythology the screenplay uses to explain the origins and methods from the vampires results arbitrary and unnecessarily complex.It seems screenwriter Bruce Dellis had the necessity of inventing new rules and dug conditions with the only function of adding tension and drama to a formula which would have worked better with a simpler focus.I had previously mentioned the cast is very good.Veteran comedians Darrell Hammond (known for his extraordinary parody of Bill Clinton in Saturday Night Live) and Dave Foley (famous for his participation on the excellent sitcom Newsradio) bring excellent performances in this movie,but I think the members from the cast who mostly stand out are Steve Burns and Amy Davidson.There are also some famous actors in this movie (Robert Wagner,Judd Nelson and Jason Mewes) but their performances are short on time as well as on enthusiasm.They just did not seem to be too interested on their characters.I liked Neatherbeast Incorporated and it kept me entertained.But its potential could have gone more far away and the fails from the screenplay I mentioned avoid me to stay completely satisfied with this movie.Still,this film deserves a recommendation.

A bloodsucking corporation is nothing new, but a corporation full of blood suckers is interesting and really quite funny.There were really not outstanding performances in this film, although Amy Davidson was cute as the human hire in the corporation. Most of the cast contributed to the humor, so it was a group effort.The PowerPoint's throughout were really funny and added to the comedic atmosphere of the film.The corporation is dealing with a CEO with Alzheimer's, while a hostile takeover is happening.It was definitely a different approach to the vampire story.

I had this movie described to me as a vampire comedy, so I figured I'd like it. It isn't, and I didn't.The thing is, these creatures aren't vampires - they're a new type of creature that I hadn't heard of yet. Which is great, 'cause we need some original ideas in a world of remakes and sequels. Unfortunately, though, since these are new creatures the filmmakers spend most of the movie explaining to us who they are, their history, their likes and dislikes, how they live, how they die, etc. This goes on . . . and on . . . and on. It constantly interrupts the movie. The filmmakers try to make these scenes of exposition visually interesting but it all comes across like a Powerpoint presentation.Exposition aside, the story itself is pretty good but I would have liked to have had things explained in a more sophisticated way.The comedy is there in spurts but it is too uneven throughout the film. The opening scene and the film's climax are the two funniest things in the film. Throughout the rest, though, it felt like a big inside joke that I wasn't in on. Some scenes fall completely flat, some resort to toilet humor, and some make no sense.As far as actors go, Darrel Hammond is funny doing what is essentially his Bill Clinton routine from SNL. His opening scene is hilarious, but unfortunately he takes a backseat quickly. David Foley is completely wasted in a flat role. I couldn't believe that they bothered to cast one of the funniest men alive and have him do nothing interesting. Jason Mewes pops up for a pointless buddy role halfway through the film. Judd Nelson definitely steals the show as the movie progresses and is at his best in the film's climax.My other gripe is that the chemistry between the lead actor and the main girl felt very forced. I didn't buy their relationship for some reason.Overall, it provides a few laughs but feels like a missed opportunity. I would suggest it on DVD only to fans of independent cinema who can get over things like horrible lighting and camerwork. This is one of those movies that will probably get a cult audience but everyone else will hate.

I saw this as part of the AFI Dallas film festival. The movie looks good - it was shot in high-definition video - and it has a zany premise. Imagine a company run entirely by vampires, and all the twists on the usual office environment that that entails. Then one of the managers loses his mind, some of the other workers turn up dead (with stakes driven through their hearts, of course), and he hires a non-vampire to replace one of them.Genius performance from Darrell Hammond as the company's president, who underplays his entire character and starts spouting off pointless corporate buzzphrases as he gets dumber and dumber. Steve Burns also does well as a do-gooding office drone who is left to train the new hire.I thought the movie did a little too much explaining when it came to the backstory and some of the truths and myths about vampires. The story would get on a roll, get some good laughs in, and then suddenly it would stop down for 1-2 minutes at a time to fill in some details that you didn't always need. (Although one of them was hilariously random - apparently one of our former U.S. Presidents was a vampire.) I could have used a lot more Jason Mewes, too.Overall it's good entertainment and probably destined to have a long life in midnight-movie series.