Bullet Points: Day Shift
In the tradition of companies like Cannon and Carolco, 87Eleven has become synonymous with the action movie genre in the modern era. It all started with John Wick back in 2014. Since then with the John Wick sequels and movies like Nobody, Atomic Blonde and the recent Bullet Train, 87Eleven has established themselves as a force in the action movie genre.
The latest film in 87Eleven’s action filmography is the Netflix exclusive, Day Shift…
- This Is My Jam: The movie starts off with a montage of Southern California and the sweet sounds of “California Love” and our first look at pool cleaner Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx, Collateral). But it doesn’t take long to find out that Bud is more than a pool cleaner, he is also a vampire slayer. And we get to see Bud doing his real job as he engages in an absolutely brutal battle with an elderly woman/vampire setting the bar for the FANGtastic action to come…
- But Wait There’s More: In addition to his phony pool cleaner gig and his real vampire slayer gig, Bud is also a dad to Paige. Bud’s “secret life” may have ended his marriage prematurely but Bud is doing his best to keep his relationship with his daughter strong. So when Bud’s ex-wife Jocelyn (Meagan Good) tells him she plans on taking Paige and moving to Florida with her mother, since they can no longer afford to pay Paige’s tuition or the braces that Paige is going to need. Bud, not wanting his daughter to be on the other side of the country asks for Jocelyn to give him a week to come up with the $10,000 they need to cover the tuition and the braces. This means Bud is going to have to get back in the good graces of the Vampire Slayers Union, but there are more problems on the horizon…
- The Future Looks Bright: Audrey San Fernando (Karla Souza) is a vampire who is no longer satisfied with just ruling the night, she wants it all and has developed a sunscreen that will allow vampires to roam freely, night OR day. Also under the guise of being a realtor Audrey is buying up property all around Los Angeles to house the kingdom of vampires she plans on making with her sitting on top as the undisputed queen. An ambitious vampire like Audrey is obviously going to be a problem for any vampire slayer… BUT when you throw in the fact that the elderly woman that Bud slayed at the start of the movie was actually Audrey’s daughter makes Audrey a very specific problem for Bud Jablonski and his family.
- Union Strong: With some help from his friend Big John Elliott (Snoop Dogg in western wear), Bud is able to get one last chance with the union… a union that booted his ass for a series of violations years earlier. Union President Ralph Seeger (Eric Lange) assigns Bud to the less than desirable day shift (ding!) and informs him that he will need a union representative with him at all times to make sure Bud is not violating any of the rules… that union rep is Seth (Dave Franco, Fright Night). Seth is basically a walking union rulebook and much more accustomed to his desk job than field work… making Seth a fish out of water and the Bud/Seth combo an odd couple for sure. But before it is all said and done Seth proves to be a valuable partner in Bud’s impending battle with Audrey San Fernando along with Big John and Bud’s new neighbor at his apartment complex, Heather (Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Guns Akimbo), who has her own issues with Audrey.
87Eleven has done it again… Day Shift gets high marks from me across the board and much like John Wick before it has laid the groundwork for a movie franchise. Jamie Foxx is a relatable and likable hero that is surrounded by a colorful cast of supporting characters. And all of these characters find themselves immersed in top tier action sequences with the right ratio of gore and humor mixed in through out the film.
How about I mix in some Bonus Bullet Points to wrap up this review?
- Familiar Faces: Peter Stormare (John Wick: Chapter 2 and Armageddon) plays Troy the pawn shop owner that non-union Bud uses to cash in the fangs he collects… And how can I not talk about The Nazarian Brothers!?!? The Nazarian Brothers are well known badass vampire hunters and maximize their minutes in the film. Mike Nazarian was played by Steve Howey (who will always be Kev from Shameless to me) and Diran Nazarian was played by Scott Adkins (Accident Man and The Debt Collector). After years of cranking out action films in the direct to video realm, it is nice seeing Adkins involved in a more high profile project like Day Shift.
- Soundtraxx: In addition to the 2 Pac classic “California Love”, Day Shift also featured “Check Yo Self” by Ice Cube, “Body Count’s in The House” by Body Count and “Outside the Box” by Snoop Dogg (featuring Nate Dogg).
- Directorial Debut: Day Shift is the first film directed by stunt veteran J.J. Perry.
- And the Award: … for Best Use of a Neck Brace goes to Dave Franco’s Seth. I haven’t seen a neck brace used that effectively since Bobby “The Brain” Heenan was goldbricking a neck injury in the summer of 1987.
