Bloodsucking Bastards

An ultra-low budget horror comedy about vampires (we haven't seen one of those before, he said sarcastically), "Bloodsucking Bastards" has a clever set-up and some nifty action cinematography, but fails to say or do anything to make it stand out.

Starring the affable Joss Whedon alum Fran Kranz as Evan (can he please be in everything?), the film takes place in a dingy, windowless office building where a small group of douchebags sell crap to various companies. Co-starring Pedro Pascal ("Oberyn" from "Game of Thrones"), the film sets up a new boss who starts to eliminate employees (by death), keep them on as employees, or turn them into vampires. You see, as vampires they can be controlled and are more effective workers, so this is a plus for a sales force, but not ideal for those that would prefer to stay -- you know -- not undead.

Joined by slacker Tim (Joey Kern), sleazebag Frank (Marshall Givens), co-slacker Andrew (Justin Ware) and their boss Ted (Joel Murray), Evan is trying to climb the corporate ladder, but seems to be slipping back down it at every turn. Not only is Max (Pascal) hired to take the position he was angling for, but his ex Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick), also known as the head of Human Resources, is currently pissed off at him. So when Max takes over and his co-workers show up dead or with a spooky newfound confidence, Evan realizes something is amiss.

That's all there really is to this comedy, which strives for an "Office Space" meets Edgar Wright-type vibe but doesn't quite match that show's charm. While it is sort of successful and intermittently amusing, ultimately it's just not all that funny or original. There are some clever corporate/vampire gags, but none of it is used as effectively as it could have been.

It's certainly not directed poorly by Brian James O'Connell, but to be fair it really does look cheap. The office building looks like a set built quickly in a warehouse. But, hey, they had a dream and they got it done, and have a pretty good cast of actors to fulfill it. You can't blame them for doing the best they could with the budget they had.

A mild distraction, this will probably be funnier for straight, white, male corporate types than anyone else. For the rest of us, it might pass the time on a rainy Saturday afternoon while doing laundry.