South Messenger - August 21st, 2022

PAGE 4 - SOUTH MESSENGER - August 21, 2022
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Sink your teeth into “Day Shift”
While the mining of stories in the well-worn book on
vampiric lore has never truly gone out of style within
the entertainment industry, there has been a shift in
recent years to make these creatures of darkness more
humorous, and thus more palatable, to the masses.
However, there comes a time when the fan of the vampire
wishes to see something that is edgier than these
undead lightweights, but still wants the offering to
maintain an overall sense of dangerous and mischievous
fun.
Enter “Day Shift,” a new Netflix original that
attempts to bring back a more serious type of vampire,
but not one that is so serious that it makes you dream
of closing a lid on your still breathing body just to
escape the banality (see, or rather don’t see, “30 Days
of Night”). In this film, the majority of the vampires
rarely speak; instead, they use their rapidly contorting
bodies to inflict harm, horror, and a healthy dose of
humor on the audience and on those who dare try to
kill them in this bizarrely entertaining new universe.
Leading the charge on those who dare try to kill
them is Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx), a hard-working
guy who just wants to provide a better life for his 8-
year-old daughter Paige (Zion Broadnax). On his
resume — one he freely admits should be updated and
sent out to more reputable businesses — he is a longserving
and committed cleaner of swimming pools in
the San Fernando Valley but it turns out this is just a
front to hide his primary source of income: hunting and
killing the vampires who reside in his beloved city.
In this world, killing vampires is a business — slayers
earn cash by selling the fangs of the vamps they
slaughter. And although Bud tends to kill a lot of them,
his wallet and his savings are not displaying his financial
rewards. This lack is due to the revoking of his
membership in the international vampire hunting
union and the low-ball figures he gets from black market
dealers.
Upon finding out that his ex-wife plans to relocate
to Florida with their daughter in order to save money,
Bud knows that the only thing that he can do to keep
them in California is to try to get his union job back
and kill a bunch of vampires in the process — but by the
book this time. Although Bud figures the latter will not
pose an issue, he soon discovers that there are human
entertainment
The Reel Deal
and not-so-human complications at
play on his mission to earn money
for fangs. The human complication
comes in the form of Seth (Dave
Franco), a quasi-babysitter from
the union who is meant to oversee
his work and write down all of the
code violations, and the not-sohuman
complication comes in the
form of Audrey San Fernando
(Karla Souza), a feared vampiress
who is not at all impressed with
Dedra
Cordle
Bud’s slaughtering of her kin and the bloody mess he
leaves behind in his wake.
Although it is hard to find originality within the
vampire genre — the undead creatures of the night
have been around for more than a century and there
have been just as many interpretations in books, film
and television shows throughout — this film feels familiar
yet creatively fresh, and that is due in large part to
the smart script by Tyler Tice and Shay Hatten that is
so well-played by Foxx and Franco.
I have to admit that I wasn’t really feeling this
movie until the 30 minute mark when Bud and Seth
meet for the first time. While impressed with the fight
choreography that takes place prior to this event, the
human action was lagging until these two started
butting heads and jockeying to see who could chew the
most scenery. Though this film likely could have stood
on its own with this clever script, it is these two who
really made it so effortlessly entertaining.
While this film doesn’t always stick the landing or
pull off plot beats the way it wants to, “Day Shift” is a
terrific combination of humor, ferocity, and fun. And
although it won’t be for every fan of the vampire, I
think it will be a good time for those looking to sink
their teeth into a fresh action horror that packs a bit of
a punch.
Grade: C+
Dedra Cordle is a Messenger staff writer and columnist.
Lithopolis Honeyfest
The Lithopolis Honeyfest will be held Sept. 9 from
3-7 p.m. and Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in downtown
Lithopolis. Free admission, parking, and shuttle
service. The event features bee beards, beekeepers, art,
live music, honey bake-off, Ohio Honey Show, honey
extracting, hive inspection, junior beekeeping,
American Honey Princess, food trucks, photo contest,
honey, and honey tasting. For information call 614-
769-3824 or visit lithopolishoneyfest.com.
“Saving the planet, one honey bee at a time!”
Concert in the Park
The city of Groveport’s Concert in the Park will be
held the last Saturday of the month in August in
Heritage Park, 551 Wirt Road. Bring a picnic dinner, a
blanket or lawn chair, and invite your friends and family
to this free concert series. Food Trucks will be available
to purchase food and non-alcoholic beverages from
5:30-8 p.m. Bands play from 6-8 p.m. Next performance:
Aug. 27 - The Outlaw Uprising. For information
call 614-836-3333.
Concert at Zion Lutheran
The Reynoldsburg Community Band will perform
an outdoor concert on the back lawn of Groveport Zion
Lutheran Church, 6014 Groveport Road, on Sept. 11 at
6:30 p.m.
The performance will include patriotic music and a
tribute to 9/11.
There will be a drawing for a $50 Kroger gift card
that folks can sign up to win. Miller’s Ice Cream Truck
will serve ice cream.
CW Labor Day Festival
The 100th annual Canal Winchester Labor Day
Festival will be held Sept. 3, 4, 5. Hosted by the CW
Labor Day Committee in historic downtown CW. Enjoy
three days of family fun at the oldest and largest Labor
Day Festival in Ohio. Live music, midway rides, car
show, parade, and more.
This year’s Sunday headliner is Uncle Kracker, a
country pop artist with a number of Billboard 100 hits.
For information visit www.cwlaborday.org.