Let the Right One In -- Swedish Vampire Movie [Archive]

Amnesiac

10-22-2008, 08:15 PM

A must see.

http://media.tribecafilmfestival.org/images/LETRIGHTONEIN_STILL041.jpg

Yes. It seriously sucks this won't be seen by many before Halloween. I am extremely hyped for it, too.

More fantastic stills:

http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/915/915231/let-the-right-one-in-20081001000739515.jpghttp://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/915/915231/let-the-right-one-in-20081001000736827.jpghttp://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/915/915231/let-the-right-one-in-20081001000744155.jpg

And a great little snippet from a review (http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/tad2008-let-the-right-one-in/):

So how would I review Alfredson’s film? Imagine if you will that you’re sitting down at a table with the director and begins to tell you this beautiful story about a girl he fell in love with when he was twelve. Each moment is so innocent and tender. Then, he reaches across the table and slaps you in the head and says, ‘Vampires!’. He then talks about where he grew up and the long, cold winters. The sound of the snow as it crunched under his boots and the thrill of running through fresh powder. Then, he reaches across the table and slaps you in the head and says, ‘Vampires!’. He bares his soul and he talks about the bullies in school and how they used to tease him and harm him. Each incident bears terrible heartache but he got stronger and stood up to them. Then, he reaches across the table and slaps you in the head and says, ‘Vampires!’. You start to get the idea. Alfredson has done the unthinkable and weaved a tale of childhood romance that is so delicate and intricate then punctuated it with vampire mythology and folklore. Alfredson has made a vampire film the way that Takeshi Kitano made his Yakuza films like Fireworks, Sonatine and Boiling Point. The same way that Kitano created soothing and quiet films then punctuated them with acts of violence is very much the same way I feel Alfredson created his masterpiece. It is soft when it wants to be and it is hard when it has to be.

Believe the hype. This is the best film of the year!

And last but not least, the red-band trailer (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/dor/objects/14262808/lat_den_ratte_komma_in/videos/let_the_right_one_in_101508.ht ml).

Can't wait.

number8

10-31-2008, 12:24 AM

Just saw it. Reaaaaaally good.

Watashi

11-05-2008, 12:34 AM

I really liked it. I don't think it's best of the year material. I could have done without the CGI cats. That was silly.

Lucky

11-07-2008, 03:55 AM

Are there plans for more expansion or a DVD release date yet?

MacGuffin

11-07-2008, 04:03 AM

Are there plans for more expansion or a DVD release date yet?

It is expanding further at the end of the month and comes out on dvd in February of 2009 if what I read is correct; I hope to see it soon.

Bosco B Thug

11-08-2008, 02:59 AM

Me and my friend figured this out immediately once the credits started rolling: it's The Curse of the Cat People for sad, picked-on... blood-thirsty 12-year-old boys. And it's pretty unshameful about it, which is a good thing actually.

It's not bad. It's the delicate "through-the-eyes-of-children" film you should expect, it looks great, and it has a surprisingly subversive attitude toward 12-year-olds and their burgeoning pubescence and physiological potency (1. A main theme of the film is pretty much, "Adults are worthless"; 2. Jeez, 12-year-old near-nudity is way f*king creepy).

But it's not as impressively crafted or compelling and engaging as it should be. Honestly, I was kind of bored and uninterested throughout the first third or so of the film. It gets better as it goes along, though.

NickGlass

11-08-2008, 11:43 PM

I really liked it. I don't think it's best of the year material. I could have done without the CGI cats. That was silly.

It was a cartoonish scene, as were most of the moments that repeated vampire mythology. Fortunately, the filmmakers were sharp enough to avoid laying out vampire ground rules--even if a few lines, instead of the whole script, came off a bit clunky--in favor of exploring the ideas of adolescence and isolation.

Judging from the angsty and snowy-Stockholm opening, I expected a moody, well-shot and subdued Swedish vampire tale, but what surprised me the most was the film's challenging, deliberately ambiguous views of justice and, perhaps, sacrifice. I certainly think this is one of the better films I've seen this half of the year.

Bosco B Thug

11-09-2008, 02:21 AM

the film's challenging, deliberately ambiguous views of justice Yeah, the way this film emancipates the pre-teen wth both wanted and unwanted adult treatment was, as I've said, really effing creepy-wierd and uncomfortable. And yeah, elevates the picture a lot.

I liked the photorealistic CGI cats, they were ironically freaky looking. Maybe Alfredson also liked that weird unreal vibe they inadvertantly bring.

Number8, spot-on review of the film, btw.

Spinal

11-15-2008, 03:15 AM

I've only seen two screen shots of this movie and that was enough to get me really, really excited to see it. Maybe next week.

Ezee E

11-15-2008, 12:50 PM

:pritch:

It's playing here!

Ezee E

11-26-2008, 06:09 AM

Good stuff. Outside of the cats. Could've done without the cat fight.

However, the prelude, with the cats' fur standing up was well done.

Philosophe_rouge

11-26-2008, 07:42 AM

Ezee E

11-26-2008, 12:37 PM

I actually saw it tonight too, I could ignore the cats mostly, though it's easily the weakest part of the film. I found it to be very affecting, and as with most great films, it leaves me thinking and yearning for more.
And as I think about it, the scene with the cats doesn't even have to be there. Everything would've really remained the same.

Spun Lepton

11-26-2008, 11:28 PM

Whoa, yeah, this is definitely going on my "to-see" list.

Amnesiac

11-26-2008, 11:42 PM

I still haven't seen this. I don't even have the slightest clue as to when it's coming to my area. :sad:

number8

11-27-2008, 01:56 AM

I still haven't seen this. I don't even have the slightest clue as to when it's coming to my area. :sad:

It'll arrive in your town on DVD, the week that the remake hits your local multiplex.

Yxklyx

11-27-2008, 04:34 AM

This looks really good. Anyone here seen Larry Fessenden's Habit from '97? An excellent indie and modernized version of the vampire genre.

Amnesiac

11-27-2008, 04:40 AM

It'll arrive in your town on DVD, the week that the remake hits your local multiplex.

Yeah, that would suck. They really should let this film breathe a little before churning out a remake. But, I guess there's no stopping them...

Grouchy

11-27-2008, 11:57 AM

The ironic part is that when the remake comes out it's gonna be labeled as a Twilight rip-off.

Wryan

11-27-2008, 09:37 PM

Slight spoilers ahoy...

Hardly an accident that our two leads glow like angels--or at least otherwordly somethings--during some of their nighttime courtyard meet-and-greets. Both children are as reassuring in their ways, as both are frightening in their ways. If you ask yourself at the end whether Mookie did the right thing, here too you wonder if Oskar let the right one in. Consider the fate of Eli's familiar (really, longtime friend/lover/Oskar's future incarnate). The intensity of the film, and there's hardly a better word for it, sneaks via the crunch of packed snow and the grumblings of serious gastrointestinal distress. The film wisely deploys spare special effects and allows them to hit their targets with minimal effort and maximum subtlety, with one forgivable feline misstep. Leandersson--with her Linda Blair face, string hair, and rheumy eyes--suggests the ancient weariness of a waifish, drowned corpse. She makes a tremendous impact, and her fleet physicality distresses but beckons. I appreciated that the children were allowed their imperfections and repulsions. This is a taut, chilly young romantic maturation that creates just the right pangs and hits all the right notes, and you walk out believing that you've seen something that feels wholly accurate.

Spinal

12-01-2008, 03:14 AM

Very different than I thought it would be. Also very enjoyable. Took me a while to adjust to the film's pacing and plot direction, but the film gets more and more captivating as it goes. We are given just the right amount of information and the character motivations seem logical and true. Minor characters unexpectedly step to the fore in later scenes and all in all, a successful picture of a community is created. Many memorable scenes that use familiar mythology in ways I've never seen before. Good stuff.

megladon8

12-11-2008, 11:25 PM

That was really good.

I have a lot to write about it, so I'll work on a full review. I'm afraid nothing I observed or have to say will be particularly original or striking, but I find the whole review-writing-process to be a great way to reflect on what did and didn't work for me. And there is definitely more of the former than the latter.

It's not perfect, but it's certainly one of the best films I saw this year. Just beaten out slightly by The Dark Knight (predictable, I know :P)

Haunting.

Sycophant

12-11-2008, 11:29 PM

Every time I hear about this movie, I want spaghetti. I don't know why.

I would also like to see it. Turns out it started here recently. I think I will.

megladon8

12-11-2008, 11:33 PM

Every time I hear about this movie, I want spaghetti. I don't know why.

I would also like to see it. Turns out it started here recently. I think I will.

Jen once described Takashi Miike's Audition as "a slow burn".

I would use those words to describe this film.

It's deliberately paced, and very rewarding.

Watashi

12-12-2008, 12:03 AM

Jen once described Takashi Miike's Audition as "a slow burn".

I would use those words to describe this film.

It's deliberately paced, and very rewarding.
So meg, did you catch that the vampire is actually a boy on your first viewing? It took me a second watch to understand it.

Grouchy

12-12-2008, 12:04 AM

So meg, did you catch that the vampire is actually a boy on your first viewing? It took me a second watch to understand it.
What?

megladon8

12-12-2008, 12:09 AM

So meg, did you catch that the vampire is actually a boy on your first viewing? It took me a second watch to understand it.

Um...what?

The crotch shot clearly showed a vagina. And if you're referring to the part where she says "I'm not a girl", wasn't she just saying like "I'm actually an old woman"?

Watashi

12-12-2008, 12:09 AM

What?

Eli was originally a boy. Remember when Eli said "what makes you so sure I'm a girl?". Also, the quick shot of Eli's castration confirms that he was a boy trying to imitate being a girl to woo/gain sympathy from his/her's former lovers. The director confirms all of this.

Watashi

12-12-2008, 12:12 AM

Here's the interview to confirm this. (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/38870)

Grouchy

12-12-2008, 12:14 AM

I completely missed that. Thanks!

I'll have to watch this one again.

megladon8

12-12-2008, 12:15 AM

Wow, I totally didn't pick up on that.

When it showed the flash of her groin, I thought it was a vagina, with very short pubic hairs. I figured that with her being permanently 12 years old, she was stuck at that age of stuff just starting to grow in.

However, since you mention it, I don't find this has much impact on the story. Perhaps it does in the book (which I'm now very interested in reading), but in the film it seems almost inconsequential.

Spinal

12-12-2008, 12:17 AM

If this is true, then I don't think the film does a very good job of communicating it.

Grouchy

12-12-2008, 12:26 AM

If this is true, then I don't think the film does a very good job of communicating it.
Or maybe it adds something to the story, but doesn't completely change it, so it's not necessary to put it at the forefront.

Just sayin'. I could see the particular shots in question leaning one way or the other, but there's direct confirmarion that the director wanted to convey that added level of meaning.

megladon8

12-12-2008, 12:30 AM

I'd say it adds more to Oskar's sexual awakening, and also adds some extra potency to the film's look at the general confusion created within a young man's mind during this tumultuous period in their life.

But it doesn't add anything to the overall narrative, no. At least not as the film presents it - as I said, it's apparently a much larger part of the book.

Ezee E

12-12-2008, 12:42 AM

The movie itself seems to leave it up more for your own interpretation then an actual "is it a he or a she"

However, the scene at the end, with the boy watching the main character swim, later to be pushed out by the bullies, is something that hasn't been mentioned yet.

Spun Lepton

12-12-2008, 12:45 AM

Excellent flick. The languid, introspective pace started to wear on me a bit, however fitting it was for the winter setting. The sound design on the movie was fan-freaking-tastic. All of Eli's mouth and stomach noises gave her an eerie, sinister air that I really admired.

I think the CG cats were a bad decision -- they yanked me right out of the movie. They needed to think of a better way to injure that character. The cats just didn't work.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed it. 8/10 easy.

megladon8

12-12-2008, 12:46 AM

The movie itself seems to leave it up more for your own interpretation then an actual "is it a he or a she"

Well, it seems like it's a definitive statement in the film, it's just done subtley.

And spoilers, dumbass. :P

However, the scene at the end, with the boy watching the main character swim, later to be pushed out by the bullies, is something that hasn't been mentioned yet.

What of it?

Spun Lepton

12-12-2008, 12:50 AM

So meg, did you catch that the vampire is actually a boy on your first viewing? It took me a second watch to understand it.

I caught it.

Spinal

12-12-2008, 01:33 AM

I thought the cats were just fine. Cool scene.

Amnesiac

12-12-2008, 04:47 AM

That was really good.

Out of curiosity, what area are you from and did it only hit your local theater recently?

Bosco B Thug

12-12-2008, 05:53 AM

Here's the interview to confirm this. (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/38870)
Whoa! I don't know anyone who caught that. I don't know if I should look at the film that way or not, but I guess I have to because the director confirms the fact. But the film hardly communicates it at all! I feel like if it's imperceivable to a majority of the audience, it's like the fact doesn't exist. But it's true that it doesn't really change the story in any way, so I guess there's nothing wrong for people who learn this after the fact accepting it in their analyses of the film...

Mysterious Dude

12-12-2008, 06:10 AM

Amnesiac

12-12-2008, 06:16 AM

Apparently, it's pretty clear in the novel that Eli is a boy, but looks like a girl. The movie, I would argue, is not clear about it at all, especially since Eli is played by a girl. I'm not quite sure why they're so vague about it.

...Okay, I read that part of the interview and I gotta' say, I didn't expect that.

So Alfredson made it so that this detail is very subtly communicated, I guess. Interesting. Either way, having now found out about that, I'll inevitably be watching the movie with this little tidbit in mind.

number8

12-12-2008, 06:22 AM

If anything, it takes away a lot from the film. I'm gonna choose to ignore this revelation.

Bosco B Thug

12-12-2008, 06:35 AM

Apparently, it's pretty clear in the novel that Eli is a boy, but looks like a girl. The movie, I would argue, is not clear about it at all, especially since Eli is played by a girl. I'm not quite sure why they're so vague about it. Ah, this is true... maybe even the most important issue. Don't know why it wasn't the first factor to pop into my head. The casting call probably was for a girl. Would it have been too much harder looking for an androgynous boy? I suppose it serves as a cool abstract-theatrical gesture, and a boy just would not work as well in pulling off the "love story" aspect of the film (now don't ask me why that is, I'm struggling trying to tease out this fact as we speak), and it definitely doesn't seem like Alfredson is the type to cheaply try and "conventionalize" the story, but it's undeniable Alfredson is to some extent "neglecting" that angle.

Luckily, I'm not too into the film, and I feel the movie would retain pretty much its same degree of depth whether with or without the plot point.

Bosco B Thug

12-12-2008, 06:47 AM

If anything, it takes away a lot from the film. I'm gonna choose to ignore this revelation. Yeah, I think I might agree with you here. Part of the film's appeal is the masculine role a young girl gets to play, so willingly accepted by her not masculine, but not completely effeminate either, allured boy friend. I definitely think the film is much more universal if it sticks to being about the "feminine" characterization and not the "gay" characterization ("feminine" encompasses the gay stigma, not so much the other way around).

megladon8

12-12-2008, 02:06 PM

Out of curiosity, what area are you from and did it only hit your local theater recently?

I'm from Ottawa, but I'm in NYC right now.

D_Davis

12-12-2008, 02:33 PM

I'm in Seattle, and I think it already played here.

I think it would be awesome if this movie was actually called, Let the Right One In: Swedish Vampire Movie.

Ezee E

12-12-2008, 02:40 PM

Ha. I'll bet a good amount of the hits on this thread were solely because it said "Swedish Vampire Movie"

EvilShoe

12-12-2008, 02:41 PM

What? I'm surprised people here didn't pick up on that... revelation.

Not sure what's the point of it, though.

Spinal

12-12-2008, 02:53 PM

What? I'm surprised people here didn't pick up on that... revelation.

I don't know how you could leap to that conclusion based on what the film provides.

EvilShoe

12-12-2008, 03:02 PM

I don't know how you could leap to that conclusion based on what the film provides.
I assumed as much because of her/him saying "I'm not a girl", coupled with the disfigured crotch. Then again: I have to admit that the thought of "I'm not a girl" meaning "I'm a woman" never crossed my mind.

Spinal

12-12-2008, 03:09 PM

I assumed as much because of her/him saying "I'm not a girl", coupled with the disfigured crotch. Then again: I have to admit that the thought of "I'm not a girl" meaning "I'm a woman" never crossed my mind.

Yes, I immediately thought that she was referring to her age and not her gender. The shot of the crotch is too quick to convey the appropriate information. We see what we might expect to see. No penis on a girl. The first thing I connected it to was the boy's sexual awakening, rather than that I was looking at a post-op tranny.

Spinal

12-12-2008, 03:10 PM

I'm in Seattle, and I think it already played here.

I think it would be awesome if this movie was actually called, Let the Right One In: Swedish Vampire Movie.

That will be the name of the Wayans Brothers spoof film: Swedish Vampire Movie.

Wryan

12-12-2008, 03:11 PM

I assumed as much because of her/him saying "I'm not a girl", coupled with the disfigured crotch. Then again: I have to admit that the thought of "I'm not a girl" meaning "I'm a woman" never crossed my mind.

"I'm not a girl" doesn't mean "I'm a woman," it means "I'm a vampire/creature." That's how I saw it. Besides, the shot of the crotch is so fast that it's perfectly reasonable to assume it's a prepubescent vagina and not that it's "disfigured." I dunno. I don't think this really improves or hurts the film either way.

Spinal

12-12-2008, 03:17 PM

I agree that it makes little to no impact on the film and the director was right not to allow it to take over the larger issues at hand.

EvilShoe

12-12-2008, 03:20 PM

Yes, I immediately thought that she was referring to her age and not her gender. The shot of the crotch is too quick to convey the appropriate information. We see what we might expect to see. No penis on a girl. The first thing I connected it to was the boy's sexual awakening, rather than that I was looking at a post-op tranny.
I just find it odd, that's all. Not calling anyone stupid, just worrying about my own mental health for being the only one to come to such a conclusion.

Ezee E

12-12-2008, 03:38 PM

I'm with Spinal on his idea of it.

However, there are still some homosexual undertones, such as when she asks him the same question and he thinks about it for a while, and mostly shrugs it off, and the scene at the end with his friend dancing at the pool.

Spinal

12-12-2008, 08:48 PM

I just find it odd, that's all. Not calling anyone stupid, just worrying about my own mental health for being the only one to come to such a conclusion.

You win! :)

ledfloyd

12-13-2008, 07:37 AM

i saw this tonight. one of probably four films i've seen this year i'd call great.

number8

12-13-2008, 11:00 PM

DVD and Blu-Ray March 10th. I shall freezeframe the crotch shot on Bluray and study it.

Amnesiac

12-13-2008, 11:28 PM

DVD and Blu-Ray March 10th.

I really hope I can see it in theaters before then.

It's cool that it's coming out on Blu-ray, though.

ledfloyd

12-14-2008, 02:49 AM

this film won't get out of my head. so haunting. i need to backread this thread.

Boner M

01-13-2009, 03:09 AM

If anything, it takes away a lot from the film. I'm gonna choose to ignore this revelation.
I think yours is the reaction that Alfredson wants. It helps us relate to Oskar's point of view, in which Eli's gender/orientation is ignored as an organizing principle in their relationship, allowing for their connection to deepen.

Anyway, this was great. Really sucked me in, in a way that few recent films have.

Spinal

01-13-2009, 03:15 AM

Any one else read the book? It's really great as well. There's one plot difference that is fairly major.

Håkan survives the fall from the hospital window and is on the loose and infected for most of the rest of the story.

Watashi

01-13-2009, 03:19 AM

I have a feeling this movie will have a bigger fanbase once the DVD comes out.

Also, I feel once it comes out of the underground and connects with the average mainstream audience calling it "awesome" and "badass", the majority of the original fanbase will slowly falter away.

Boner M

01-13-2009, 03:23 AM

Derek

01-13-2009, 03:29 AM

Also, I feel once it comes out of the underground and connects with the average mainstream audience calling it "awesome" and "badass", the majority of the original fanbase will slowly falter away.

A very thoughtful, respectful post. There are a lot of MatchCutters who cannot think for themselves and whose opinions about films are formed based solely on how the public at large responds to them. I thank you for your tireless quest to stop these backlashers. Rep coming your way.

But seriously, can we stop with this incessant badgering of MC posters who dare to change their opinion on a film or *gasp* dislike a critical favorite? This is MatchCut, not Gossip Girls ferchrissakes.

EDIT: Missed bonerz post, but I'm glad I'm not the only one sick of this anti-elitist bullshit that is ironically enough elitist in itself. Just stop.

Watashi

01-13-2009, 03:29 AM

I wasn't speaking to anyone here.

Watashi

01-13-2009, 03:30 AM

I just honestly think that's going to happen. I wasn't taking an aim at anyone. Way to go for the random jab, Derek.

Watashi

01-13-2009, 03:33 AM

EDIT: Missed bonerz post, but I'm glad I'm not the only one sick of this anti-elitist bullshit that is ironically enough elitist in itself. Just stop.

What the hell, man? I didn't even read boner's post when I posted in this thread. How is my post anti-elitist? If anything, I'm anti-anti-elitist. You need to stop as well.

Jesus.

Spinal

01-13-2009, 03:33 AM

The only foreign films that connect with mainstream movie goers are things that tend to tug at the heart strings, sentimental romances or war films. This film is never going to be Cinema Paradiso.

Derek

01-13-2009, 03:34 AM

I think yours is the reaction that Alfredson wants. It helps us relate to Oskar's point of view, in which Eli's gender/orientation is ignored as an organizing principle in their relationship, allowing for their connection to deepen.

I like this line of thought and it makes sense that the subtlety with which gender/orientation is dealt with jives with Eli's naivety rather than being clear so we can judge/study him. Identification works much better than clinical detachment in this case.

Boner M

01-13-2009, 03:36 AM

I just honestly think that's going to happen. I wasn't taking an aim at anyone. Way to go for the random jab, Derek.
Why is that relevant, though? What's the use of predicting, let alone discussing non-existent backlashes?

Spinal

01-13-2009, 03:36 AM

Amelie?

... is a sentimental romance.

Spinal

01-13-2009, 03:37 AM

Why is that relevant, though? What's the use of predicting, let alone discussing non-existent backlashes?

It is worth considering what Armond White would do in this situation. If the hipsters abandon Let the Right One In and it is embraced by the masses, will he have to offer a retraction?

Watashi

01-13-2009, 03:37 AM

Why is that relevant, though? What's the use of predicting, let alone discussing non-existent backlashes?
Because it's happened before in the past? Multiple times? I didn't say there will be backlash. I'm just saying that the original supporters won't be as vocal anymore because "everyone likes that film". Especially when Matt Reeves' remake comes along.

Spinal

01-13-2009, 03:39 AM

Especially when Matt Reeves' remake comes along.

Stop reminding me.

Derek

01-13-2009, 03:43 AM

I just honestly think that's going to happen. I wasn't taking an aim at anyone. Way to go for the random jab, Derek.

I suppose it was silly of me to think that by addressing a non-mainstream audience that has seen and liked this film that you would in any way be addressing MatchCut. It's those other non-mainstream audiences that liked this films that your post was condemning.

I didn't take your post personally at all since I didn't like this film nearly as much as some here. It's the spouting (and I never said from just you...I meant "stop" in general) about these apparently non-existent people whose opinions about films are determined based only on how the majority perceives them that I find annoying. Where are these zombies anyway?

Watashi

01-13-2009, 03:46 AM

I suppose it was silly of me to think that by addressing a non-mainstream audience that has seen and liked this film that you would in any way be addressing MatchCut. It's those other non-mainstream audiences that liked this films that your post was condemning.

I didn't take your post personally at all since I didn't like this film nearly as much as some here. It's the spouting (and I never said from just you...I meant "stop" in general) about these apparently non-existent people whose opinions about films are determined based only on how the majority perceives them that I find annoying. Where are these zombies anyway?
It's slowly creeping out. I think the popularity of Twilight is actually helping LtROI with the over-exposure of the vampire mythos. People are just checking out anything with vampires in them (and I can show you proof by working with them).

Watashi

01-13-2009, 03:48 AM

I don't want to fight, Derek, but it seems we have this elistism vs. mainstream argument once a week now.

Match Cut: One Big Family of Love

Derek

01-13-2009, 03:51 AM

It's slowly creeping out. I think the popularity of Twilight is actually helping LtROI with the over-exposure of the vampire mythos. People are just checking out anything with vampires in them (and I can show you proof by working with them).

This explains why more people are seeing LtROI. This does not explain why people who already have seen and liked LtROI will cease doing so once more people see it.

Watashi

01-13-2009, 03:55 AM

This explains why more people are seeing LtROI. This does not explain why people who already have seen and liked LtROI will cease doing so once more people see it.
I didn't say that they would start hating it, just not being more vocal about their initial enthusiasm!

I mean I love Pulp Fiction and Fight Club, but I hardly ever seem that much eager to talk about it nowadays since everyone does.

Watashi

01-13-2009, 03:55 AM

Who knows, maybe the average joe will hate the film.

I'm just a poster on the interent.

Derek

01-13-2009, 04:18 AM

I didn't say that they would start hating it, just not being more vocal about their initial enthusiasm!

I mean I love Pulp Fiction and Fight Club, but I hardly ever seem that much eager to talk about it nowadays since everyone does.

Isn't that like human nature? To respond strongly to certain things at first and eventually come back down to earth as time passes, lose interest in constantly defending the things you love once they no longer need your defense? It's like saying "I'll bet people won't doing Daniel Plainview impressions and screaming 'I drink your milkshake!' in the year 2012 as much as last year." :)

Ezee E

01-13-2009, 04:42 AM

If more people see it, awesome. That's all that really matters.

If they like it a little less, that'll just mean they thought it was "good."

I'm fine with that.

Kurosawa Fan

01-25-2009, 09:33 PM

Some quick thoughts before I sit down for dinner, starting with the bad (MILD SPOILERS AHEAD):

First, can we please ban filmmakers from using a solved Rubix Cube as a way to show that a child/person is special? Man I can't stand that.

Second, CGI cats? Major misstep. Nearly everyone in the theater was laughing. Hard. And it really broke the tension the film had been building. Not permanent damage, but unfortunate nonetheless.

Third, tacking on the father's drinking problem was sloppy.

Fourth, I think the money shot was unnecessary as well. It didn't have its intended effect, instead bringing some chuckles and gasps from the crowd. We got the point when she said she wasn't a girl.

Beyond those small issues, I thought the film was fantastic. Very interesting, very unique. It had great atmosphere. I was literally cold while watching the film, like a deep cold. It was tense, well-acted, especially considering the amount of kids in the film, and genuinely creepy at times. Funny thing was, I was expecting on two different occasions to come in and say I found the end unsatisfying (they tricked me with fake endings, either that or I was just impatient), but stretching things to that final scene erased that sentiment. Clearly one of the better films released this year. I can't wait to watch it again with my wife, who couldn't join me this afternoon.

Spinal

01-25-2009, 09:49 PM

First, can we please ban filmmakers from using a solved Rubix Cube as a way to show that a child/person is special? Man I can't stand that.

Second, CGI cats? Major misstep. Nearly everyone in the theater was laughing. Hard. And it really broke the tension the film had been building. Not permanent damage, but unfortunate nonetheless.

The Rubik's Cube thing is right out of the book. Still a valid criticism, but it was the author's idea.

I really liked the effects used to make the cats. I seem to be alone on this though.

Kurosawa Fan

01-25-2009, 10:05 PM

The Rubik's Cube thing is right out of the book. Still a valid criticism, but it was the author's idea.

Fair enough. The author deserves the blame. Was the book better than the film? Something I should seek out?

I really liked the effects used to make the cats. I seem to be alone on this though.

Wow. This is surprising. They looked so cartoonish it was impossible for me not to laugh.

number8

01-25-2009, 10:18 PM

The best use of rubix cube to show a person is smart I can think of is in the Wanted comic book, when The Professor is driving around in a limo and the car is literally covered in a sea of solved rubix cube. I was disappointed they didn't do that with Morgan Freeman in the film.

Ezee E

01-25-2009, 10:22 PM

I can't wait to see it again, but the cat deal is the one misstep in that movie that carries over since I've seen it.

I really want to read the book.

No problem with the Rubik's Cube. I haven't seen it used THAT much, and the way it's used in this movie, is more like an actual game, instead of the way it's used in say... A Pursuit of Happyness.

transmogrifier

01-25-2009, 11:58 PM

It's okay. Hard not to see it as merely a self-consciously deliberate take on old cliches though. I would like to have had the film explore the idea of Oskar being taken for a ride by Eli more though; that it was all an elaborate dance to find a replacement minder or something (especially considering the original minder was completely incompetent). That would have been interesting, but the film ends on a more whimsical, hopeful note that doesn't sit right.

And the whole thing with the bullies was annoying. Why does sexual awakening always have to be connected to "getting revenge on a cliched tormentor"?

Spinal

01-26-2009, 12:07 AM

Was the book better than the film? Something I should seek out?

Both are very good. Yes, it's a great read.

Kurosawa Fan

01-26-2009, 12:22 AM

I would like to have had the film explore the idea of Oskar being taken for a ride by Eli more though; that it was all an elaborate dance to find a replacement minder or something (especially considering the original minder was completely incompetent). That would have been interesting, but the film ends on a more whimsical, hopeful note that doesn't sit right.

I actually like that this is a bit ambiguous, as if maybe she entered into things with that frame of mind, but developed a greater bond with Oskar along the way. Focusing on that element would have made Oskar just a sucker along for the ride, and much of the youthful spirit would have been sacrificed. I like it as an afterthought, or as a lingering question as you leave the theater.

transmogrifier

01-26-2009, 12:38 AM

I actually like that this is a bit ambiguous, as if maybe she entered into things with that frame of mind, but developed a greater bond with Oskar along the way. Focusing on that element would have made Oskar just a sucker along for the ride, and much of the youthful spirit would have been sacrificed. I like it as an afterthought, or as a lingering question as you leave the theater.

But, along with the question of gender, then aren't we dangerously close to a film with no thoughts of its own, but rather half-formed ideas that never get taken anywhere? Because that's kind of how I felt; it is so non-committal to anything but it's own unique mood, I really didn't feel any energy coming from the characters and their motivations. It was a bit of a drift through complications resulting from the original screwed up "harvest" in the forest.

Amnesiac

02-20-2009, 03:19 AM

I finally saw this a couple of weeks ago.

Captivating and enchanting, with some moments that verge on the sublime. I can't wait to get my hands on the Blu-ray so that I can better formulate my thoughts on it.

As of right now, with all the insinuations towards the homosexuality of certain characters, I was thinking that...

Eli's androgyny might fit into a thematic framework revolving around the acceptance of sexual difference. At one level, Eli is the undead, and at another, she is adrognyous. Perhaps Oskar's unflinching acceptance of her status despite these factors that solidify her difference may tie into the broader, underlying sentiment at the heart of the film. Especially when one considers the latent, or more overt, homosexuality of a few other characters.

Also, the cats were fine. Judging from the comments I heard, I had expected a lot worse. That scene was actually pretty disconcerting.

Spun Lepton

02-20-2009, 10:16 PM

megladon8

02-20-2009, 10:22 PM

This isn't the type of movie I imagine mainstream audiences calling "badass".

Also, anyone who changes their opinion on a movie - whether to be more positive or more negative - in order to combat popular opinion is such a tool I will refuse to even acknowledge their opinion as valid.

Wryan

02-20-2009, 11:54 PM

I was with the cat scene until she sledded down the stairwell with cats clinging to her.

Then I completely lost it.

Pop Trash

03-12-2009, 05:33 AM

Finally got to see this. It was...good. Maybe very good. Not sure yet. I think the main misgiving I have is that there were some rather confusing things that were cleared up by reading user comments on IMDB by people who read the book. I generally like ambiguity in films but I think in the case of LTROI, it got to the point of a general lack of clarity by the part of the director. The main issue is how he dealt with the (apparent) fact that:
Eli used to be a boy. The controversial vulva shot didn't tell me anything while I was watching it other than Oskar was just trying to have a peek at her privates as boys are prone to do. That and I thought "hmm that shot won't make it into the Hollywood remake." You couldn't even see her scar on my 26" TV. Also the relationship with her older "caretaker" was foggy in the film as well. I guess in the book it clears this up more but while watching the film it took me a good while to realise that he wasn't even related to Eli.
Still, good film and on a technical level it is superbly made and often quite poetic with the visuals. It's also one of the only vampire movies I can think of that doesn't show the vampire condition as being cool, sexy, or scary. Rather just a depressing existential crisis one has to deal with. I wonder if Eli thought of offing herself like the blonde woman and getting burnt up by the sun just to end it all?

Yxklyx

03-12-2009, 12:45 PM

I found this to be a very slow and empty film. A big meh from me. If you liked this though be sure to check out Habit, also dealing with contemporary vampires.

balmakboor

03-12-2009, 05:24 PM

It looks like Netflix will be sending this next on Bluray. I've been kicking myself for missing it when I was in Southern California for Christmas.

DavidSeven

03-13-2009, 03:56 AM

Good, well-crafted film. It didn't quite hit my excessive expectations, but still a worthwhile film. The plotting was shaky, and it just missed on some opportunities for a transcendent moment. The strengths are definitely in its consistent and effective tone, wonderful photography, and simplicity (somehow leading to originality) of the story and handling of mythos. I'm with others in thinking that the idea of Oskar being bread as the new "handler" probably should have been expressed more overtly.

Pop Trash

03-13-2009, 04:01 AM

I'm with others in thinking that the idea of Oskar being bread as the new "handler" probably should have been expressed more overtly.
Maybe I'm just being optimistic, but it's possible that Eli really did love Oskar and wasn't just breeding him to be her "handler." Although, if they stay together there is going to be a strange Benjamin Button like situation where their ages won't mesh up (but technically they don't anyway)

Spinal

03-13-2009, 04:10 AM

I'm with others in thinking that the idea of Oskar being bread as the new "handler" probably should have been expressed more overtly.

I went away from the film taking the 'love' between the two characters at face value. Eli's possible manipulation of the situation didn't occur to me until later. I appreciated that subtlety. It's a film that I felt settles well with time.

DavidSeven

03-13-2009, 06:35 AM

I read it as a 'love story' too, which I think is the most logical interpretation with the information we're given. The fact that...

...Eli is a castrated boy...

...flew over my head. Didn't realize that until I skimmed the thread. Having that information takes a lot of air out of the optimistic interpretation. I actually wish the ambiguity itself, surrounding Eli's motivation, was better expressed. The ending was fine as I watched it, but in retrospect, exposing this ambiguity just a little would have made the finale a touch more unsettling, which would have made for a memorable experience.

number8

03-13-2009, 07:03 AM

Well, I still don't think Eli was manipulating Oskar to be the new handler. I think it's a mutual decision based on genuine love. In fact, I think the older handler and Eli were genuinely in love once, but like any "marriage," it was ravaged by time.

Spinal

03-13-2009, 01:19 PM

The fact that...

...Eli is a castrated boy...

...flew over my head.

Yeah, I don't think that the film successfully communicates what it intends to communicate in that instance. There's a whole flashback sequence in the book that would have been very difficult to film with child actors, but still, I think they could have given us just a wee bit more help.

Kurosawa Fan

03-13-2009, 02:18 PM

Yeah, I don't think that the film successfully communicates what it intends to communicate in that instance. There's a whole flashback sequence in the book that would have been very difficult to film with child actors, but still, I think they could have given us just a wee bit more help.

Until this moment, I had no clue that was the case. Wow. I feel kind of foolish now. Bummer.

balmakboor

03-15-2009, 03:55 AM

Good to hear that I'm not alone in missing the intent of the "money shot." That aside, I loved the movie. I'm sure I'll watch it again while I have it.

balmakboor

03-15-2009, 04:24 AM

By the way, thanks to the Internet, I found out something about the ending.

I was wondering during the credits what they said to each other in Morse Code. They both tapped out "Kiss" (at least according to Wikipedia).

Bosco B Thug

03-16-2009, 06:37 AM

I found this to be a very slow and empty film. A big meh from me. If you liked this though be sure to check out Habit, also dealing with contemporary vampires. I don't think it's empty, and I'm glad this sort of emotionally lofty and patient horror film is being embraced by all sorts of people, but I'm also glad someone else feels this way. The film is a bit lethargic and dull around the edges, and when it does finally perk up, it's usually for some easy morbidity.

Ezee E

03-25-2009, 04:24 AM

Watched this again, and liked it even more the second time. Spinal nails it as far as the ending being hopeless with Oskar being the new caretaker, and the whole movie being a wonderful setup to that.

Could Eli be ploying the entire time to see who will take care of her? She always set up Oskar for trouble, and was watching the entire time until he got into trouble himself. A Medusa of sorts?

What is strange though, is the behind-the-scenes. Alfredson thought it was a happy ending as the two are brought together. No mention at all of the boy/girl thing, but I'm still convinced that Eli is a girl. She had surgery done to prevent her from ever having kids. Her insides may be gone or damaged completely, as evidenced by her throwing up the candy that Oskar gives her.

Great movie, may buy it someday.

Spinal

03-25-2009, 04:30 AM

The final scene in the film and the final scene in the book have one major difference ...

Oskar leaves on a train with a large suitcase, but there is nothing concrete to indicate that he has taken Eli away with him. One could imagine that this is the case if you've seen the movie, but it's doubtful that this was the original intent. In the book, it is implied that Eli will be there to watch over him throughout his life, but there is little to suggest that they will live a life together.

Dead & Messed Up

03-25-2009, 04:52 AM

Watched this again, and liked it even more the second time. Spinal nails it as far as the ending being hopeless with Oskar being the new caretaker, and the whole movie being a wonderful setup to that.

Now that I think about it, this whole "new caretaker" thing is a bit of a ripoff.

http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/manos/mike.jpg

megladon8

03-25-2009, 04:56 AM

I found the flashes of "old Eli" pretty scary.

Ezee E

03-25-2009, 10:19 AM

Where were the flashes of old Eli? I don't recall any.

number8

03-25-2009, 04:59 PM

Don't get this movie on DVD:

http://iconsoffright.com/news/2009/03/let_the_wrong_subtitles_in_to. htmlhttp://iconsoffright.com/news/2009/03/let_the_wrong_subtitles_in_to. html

They're going to release a new version that fixes it soon.

Ezee E

03-25-2009, 07:32 PM

number8

03-25-2009, 07:34 PM

Stupidly pasted the url twice. Here:

http://iconsoffright.com/news/2009/03/let_the_wrong_subtitles_in_to. html

soitgoes...

03-25-2009, 07:43 PM

Stupidly pasted the url twice. Here:

http://iconsoffright.com/news/2009/03/let_the_wrong_subtitles_in_to. htmlThat's a shame. Not about the url, but the lazy subtitles. I wonder quite often when watching foreign films whether or not I'm missing something that gets lost through translation.

Kurosawa Fan

03-25-2009, 07:44 PM

Stupidly pasted the url twice. Here:

http://iconsoffright.com/news/2009/03/let_the_wrong_subtitles_in_to. html

Wow. Those are horrid.

Dead & Messed Up

03-25-2009, 07:49 PM

Those are the ones I watched. I remember being confused by that "Sorry" comment.

It couldn't begin to mask how awesome the movie is, but it was distracting every now and then.

Wryan

03-25-2009, 07:50 PM

Wow. Those are horrid.

But also kind of awesome..."What the hell?"

number8

03-25-2009, 07:56 PM

Anyway:

"'We've been made aware that there are several fans that don't like the version of the subtitles on the DVD/BR. We had an alternate translation that we went with. Obviously a lot of fans thought we should have stuck with the original theatrical version. We are listening to the fans feedback, and going forward we will be manufacturing the discs with the subtitles from the theatrical version.

There are no exchanges. We are going to make an alternate version available however. For those that wish to purchase a version with the theatrical subtitles, it will be called out in the tech specs box at the back/bottom of the package where it will list SUBTITLES: ENGLISH (Theatrical), SPANISH.'"

soitgoes...

03-25-2009, 07:59 PM

Kurosawa Fan

03-25-2009, 08:03 PM

So because of their laziness you would need to double-dip. Fuck them.

Yeah, it's nice that they would fix the problem, but to tell all those fans that they're stuck with the crappy subs unless they pay up again is lame.

number8

03-25-2009, 08:04 PM

So because of their laziness you would need to double-dip. Fuck them.

Actually... Um, weirdly enough, this is not a case of laziness. Because they HAD a good translation before, in the theatrical, and then they decided they needed a better one so they paid someone to redo the subtitles... which turned out terrible.

I don't know what to make of it myself.

soitgoes...

03-25-2009, 08:11 PM

Actually... Um, weirdly enough, this is not a case of laziness. Because they HAD a good translation before, in the theatrical, and then they decided they needed a better one so they paid someone to redo the subtitles... which turned out terrible.

I don't know what to make of it myself.
Laziness, stupidity, ignorance. Take your pick. Either way, making the public pay a second time because you are inept is ridiculous. Whatever. I didn't buy or rent it, so for me this bother will wear away in 5 minutes.

Sycophant

03-25-2009, 08:43 PM

Unfortunately, Magnolia doing a recall or replacement program would probably break them.

Spun Lepton

03-25-2009, 09:03 PM

Laziness, stupidity, ignorance. Take your pick. Either way, making the public pay a second time because you are inept is ridiculous. Whatever.

God forbid they attempt to correct a mistake that the fans are bothered by.

soitgoes...

03-25-2009, 09:05 PM

God forbid they attempt to correct a mistake that the fans are bothered by.
You're missing the point.

Spun Lepton

03-25-2009, 09:07 PM

You're missing the point.

No, I get your point. You say this is equivical of double-dipping, when it's actually the distributor attempting to correct a mistake.

soitgoes...

03-25-2009, 09:08 PM

No, I get your point. You say this is equivical of double-dipping, when it's actually the distributor attempting to correct a mistake.Correct the mistake. Don't make the public pay twice for your mistake. That is all I'm saying.

Spun Lepton

03-25-2009, 09:08 PM

Correct the mistake. Don't make the public pay twice for your mistake. That is all I'm saying.

And how would they correct the mistake on the DVDs that have already hit the market?

soitgoes...

03-25-2009, 09:11 PM

And how would they correct the mistake on the DVDs that have already hit the market?An exchange, if you so wish to make one. Chances are most of the public won't even realize that this has happened, only the ones who bitched about it in the first place. It doesn't need to be a full recall.

Spun Lepton

03-25-2009, 09:15 PM

An exchange, if you so wish to make one. Chances are most of the public won't even realize that this has happened, only the ones who bitched about it in the first place. It doesn't need to be a full recall.

Sounds fair. Have you written the distributor to see if they'd do this for you?

soitgoes...

03-25-2009, 09:16 PM

Sounds fair. Have you written the distributor to see if they'd do this for you?
No, I didn't buy the film. I'm just aimlessly bitching on behalf of those who did. :lol: It's what I do.

Spun Lepton

03-25-2009, 09:19 PM

No, I didn't buy the film. I'm just aimlessly bitching on behalf of those who did. :lol: It's what I do.

Understandably so. I would bet that if Anchor Bay did something like this they wouldn't be so quick to do an exchange. They're the double-dipping kings.

Pop Trash

03-25-2009, 09:22 PM

Unfortunately, Magnolia doing a recall or replacement program would probably break them.
Clearly soitgoes... could care less about independent film/DVD companies. These companies probably employ 5-20 full time employees at the most and often struggle to get by, especially these days. A full on recall could put them in the graveyard next to New Yorker Films and Tartan. We should be happy Let the Right One In is doing so well for Magnolia and the DVD sales can probably help float them for at least another year or two.

soitgoes...

03-25-2009, 09:23 PM

Understandably so. I would bet that if Anchor Bay did something like this they wouldn't be so quick to do an exchange. They're the double-dipping kings.Well like Sycophant said above, Magnolia probably can't afford to lose money on exchanged DVDs. But then perhaps if their business is walking such a thin line of profitability, they should thoroughly review their initial decisions before they come back to bite them on their ass.

soitgoes...

03-25-2009, 09:24 PM

Clearly soitgoes... could care less about independent film/DVD companies. These companies probably employ 5-20 full time employees at the most and often struggle to get by, especially these days. A full on recall could put them in the graveyard next to New Yorker Films and Tartan. We should be happy Let the Right One In is doing so well for Magnolia and the DVD sales can probably help float them for at least another year or two.
Ugh.

DavidSeven

03-25-2009, 09:32 PM

I bet this happens a lot. Whenever I watch Korean films, I'm struck by how many of the nuances and how much of the subtle humor they're missing out on in the dialogue in favor of the most "accurate" translations.

number8

03-25-2009, 10:24 PM

I bet this happens a lot. Whenever I watch Korean films, I'm struck by how many of the nuances and how much of the subtle humor their missing out on in the dialogue in favor of the most "accurate" translations.

This is the tricky aspect of the argument. This sort of thing happens often. In fact, it's pretty common. They just go mostly unnoticed. In this case, someone noticed the discrepancy between the theatrical release and the DVD, then made a fuss online because the original translation is better, thus causing people to mail letters to Magnolia.

Technically, Magnolia didn't do anything wrong. It's not like the subtitles are faulty or broken--they're just bad translation. They aren't obligated to correct it, let alone offer refunds.

Pop Trash

03-25-2009, 10:50 PM

So I looked up Magnolia and according to their website they are co-owned by multi-billionaire Mark Cuban so they are probably not struggling as much as I expected. For some reason I thought they were one of those film cos that is nearly going under. (Semi) apologies to so it goes...

Bosco B Thug

03-26-2009, 12:38 AM

I bet this happens a lot. Whenever I watch Korean films, I'm struck by how many of the nuances and how much of the subtle humor their missing out on in the dialogue in favor of the most "accurate" translations.
That's really interesting, if what you're saying is, a translation can be more "accurate" of a translation, but by having to lose subtleties, connotations, or dramatic nuances in the original dialogue that have to be more liberally adapted by a translator?

Or were you just being backhanded and the translations you regard are actually just simply inaccurate and badly done?

number8

03-26-2009, 12:46 AM

I've done screenplay translation work before. You really can't translate literally when it comes to film. In some ways, I was doing dialogue rewrites as well, just to get the intention of the scenes across. Sometimes drastically changing a line, sometimes dropping and adding them.

The director had hired a translator to do this before, but he was very unhappy with the result because it made the dialogue sound really dry and witless. Mine wasn't grammatically perfect (try doing 120 pages in one night--Ugh) but he liked it much better and ended up using it for the subtitles. Heh.

DavidSeven

03-26-2009, 01:01 AM

That's really interesting, if what you're saying is, a translation can be more "accurate" of a translation, but by having to lose subtleties, connotations, or dramatic nuances in the original dialogue that have to be more liberally adapted by a translator?

Pretty much this and what number8 said. If you're getting the most literal word-for-word translation, you're missing out on a lot because not every word or phrase has a precise English counterpoint, and often, the closest technical translation isn't getting the right point across.

I think the TV show LOST does a good job of dropping out words or even translating "inaccurately" to get the right point across. The fact that it's originally written in English (then translated to Korean and subtitled) and the fact that they have a bilingual cast probably helps.

Kurosawa Fan

03-26-2009, 01:42 AM

megladon8

03-26-2009, 03:46 AM

So does this mean, then, that it's pointless to comment on the dialogue in a foreign film unless you know the language being spoken and are basing your opinion on that?

Because a lot of what makes good dialogue "good" is flow, choice of words, diction, etc. If a translator is just giving us "the overall feel of a scene" through their translation of the dialogue, then that means we're not really getting what was intended with the screenplay.

This is something I've thought about a lot, actually.

Sycophant

03-26-2009, 03:52 AM

Screenplays are worthless anyway.

There is this Stephen Chow/Lee Lik Chi movie called Love on Delivery. The first DVD copy of it that I had had mangled English. Subjects and verbs never agreed. Genders got switched around. It was nuts. But I got the point.

Then there was a "better" translation that came out a few years ago that was cleaner and seemingly more literal. But the bizarre traces of Cantonese idiom were gone and the language was all stuffy.

Both versions of the film, though, are hilarious. Because even if the words aren't that great, Chow and the other actors really sell them.

When I watch a Cantonese comedy, anyway, I know I'm missing half the jokes because of how much they love their fucking puns.

I don't really have a point here.

Watashi

03-26-2009, 03:55 AM

Screenplays are worthless anyway.

No.

Sycophant

03-26-2009, 03:56 AM

I'm overstating my point.

Dukefrukem

03-26-2009, 05:36 AM

Watched this tonight. Loved the ending and the smile in the water.

Bosco B Thug

03-26-2009, 09:15 AM

Pretty much this and what number8 said. If you're getting the most literal word-for-word translation, you're missing out on a lot because not every word or phrase has a precise English counterpoint, and often, the closest technical translation isn't getting the right point across.

I think the TV show LOST does a good job of dropping out words or even translating "inaccurately" to get the right point across. The fact that it's originally written in English (then translated to Korean and subtitled) and the fact that they have a bilingual cast probably helps.
I see, really interesting, guys.

I'm always put off when I see the translation of a pun or rhyme or some play on language in a foreign film and I realize that the English translation must have taken a lot of liberties. It's happened a lot recently, with all the Godard I've been viewing.

SirNewt

05-03-2009, 03:23 AM

Pretty good little movie. But any effect the scene of her offering him money was supposed to have was lost and I'm still scratching my head for the intent.

Amnesiac

06-30-2009, 07:14 AM

Matt Reeves is directing the remake (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/06/cloverfield-director-sinks-teeth-into-swedish-vampire-tale.html):

Reeves signed on to adapt and direct an American remake of the cult hit, now called "Let Me In," the English translation of John Ajvide Lindqvist's original novel. He recently finished a second draft of the script, currently set in Reagan-era Colorado, and is scouting locations, looking to maintain the original story's chilly, snow-swept environs. The film is scheduled for a fall 2010 theatrical release.

Reeves is also working with casting director Avy Kaufman -- who previously found kids for "The Sixth Sense" and "The Ice Storm" -- to find the two leads, which Reeves vows will not be aged-up to make the film more of a smoldering "Twilight"-style romance.

"There's definitely people who have a real bull's-eye on the film," Reeves said, "and I can understand because of people's' love of the [original] film that there's this cynicism that I'll come in and trash it, when in fact I have nothing but respect for the film. I'm so drawn to it for personal and not mercenary reasons, my feeling about it is if I didn't feel a personal connection and feel it could be its own film, I wouldn't be doing it. I hope people give us a chance."

trotchky

06-30-2009, 07:15 AM

I wonder how prominently gender will play a role in this remake.

MacGuffin

06-30-2009, 07:24 AM

I wonder how prominently gender will play a role in this remake.

I know one thing:

the vampire probably will be a girl this time!

Spinal

06-30-2009, 07:36 AM

A remake is a tall order. The locale is so integral to the film that even making that small change feels like a betrayal already.

However, it will be interesting for me to see if Reeves follows the book more closely and ...

... allows Eli's original caretaker to come back as a vampire after his fall out the window.

trotchky

06-30-2009, 07:42 AM

I know one thing:

the vampire probably will be a girl this time!

Tragically, I reckon you're right.

MacGuffin

06-30-2009, 07:43 AM

The locale is so integral to the film that even making that small change feels like a betrayal already.

Really? I mean, I can't imagine it taking place anywhere but Sweden because I've seen the movie twice and am used to it being there by now, but also because I think it fits the cold, dreary tone of the movie well. But is it integral to the movie thematically? Something to do with vampire folklore?

trotchky

06-30-2009, 07:46 AM

I'm not sure about thematically, but I felt the cold, dreary tone was essential to the film's atmosphere. Bleak place.

MacGuffin

06-30-2009, 07:49 AM

I'm not sure about thematically, but I felt the cold, dreary tone was essential to the film's atmosphere. Bleak place.

Yeah, but I'm sure the same thing could be achieved in some icy wilderness in the northeastern, southeastern part of the U.S., if they are insisting this thing get made (and really, the original is excellent, does this really need a remake? Is there any reason to believe that this is not just another Capitalist thing? Please, no new thread, either way).

Dukefrukem

06-30-2009, 12:09 PM

icy southeastern?

Ezee E

06-30-2009, 12:28 PM

Set in Colorado, which could definitely fit if in the mountains.

Spinal

06-30-2009, 03:11 PM

Really? I mean, I can't imagine it taking place anywhere but Sweden because I've seen the movie twice and am used to it being there by now, but also because I think it fits the cold, dreary tone of the movie well. But is it integral to the movie thematically? Something to do with vampire folklore?

There is something very particular about dreary Scandinavian isolation that does not really have an American equal even if you put it in the same kind of weather.

Ezee E

06-30-2009, 03:20 PM

There is something very particular about dreary Scandinavian isolation that does not really have an American equal even if you put it in the same kind of weather.
Mountain terrain in 1980's, in a place where you might be the entire winter without seeing any cars drive by, or new people? I don't know, I think it matches pretty well.

number8

06-30-2009, 05:30 PM

Cold weather? What? Are you guys forgetting that this movie takes place while Sweden was under communist pressure and had a socio-political atmosphere to it? I think that's harder to transfer than the snowy landscape.

Wryan

06-30-2009, 05:35 PM

I think that's harder to transfer than the snowy landscape.

I'm pretty sure they wouldn't.

number8

06-30-2009, 05:41 PM

I'm pretty sure they wouldn't.

I'm pretty sure you're right.

Then again, I doubt they'd keep the same winter atmosphere, either.

Ezee E

06-30-2009, 05:48 PM

I'm pretty sure you're right.

Then again, I doubt they'd keep the same winter atmosphere, either.
But it's set in Reagan-era Colorado.

Eleven

06-30-2009, 05:50 PM

This is being written and directed by Matt "Cloverfield, Felicity, and Under Siege 2" Reeves, and we're talking about socio-political atmosphere?

Dead & Messed Up

06-30-2009, 05:51 PM

This is being written and directed by Matt "Cloverfield, Felicity, and Under Siege 2" Reeves, and we're talking about socio-political atmosphere?

I find Cloverfield one of the more fascinating American horror films of the decade, primarily due to its subsumed zeitgeist imagery and tension.

Spinal

06-30-2009, 05:57 PM

Eleven

06-30-2009, 06:16 PM

I find Cloverfield one of the more fascinating American horror films of the decade, primarily due to its subsumed zeitgeist imagery and tension.

You say "subsumed zeitgeist imagery," I say "recycled, button-pushing imagery sans empathy or humanity." I thought the movie was okay, mind you, in a first-person thrill ride sort of way, but War of the Worlds and Children of Men reflected and explored the zeitgeist much more resonantly.

Dukefrukem

06-30-2009, 06:19 PM

I find Cloverfield one of the more fascinating American horror films of the decade, primarily due to its subsumed zeitgeist imagery and tension.

Ugg, I hate praising that movie to that extreme. Sure tension was present but it was so predictable. I saw it once in theaters and I have no desire to watch it again.

Dukefrukem

06-30-2009, 06:21 PM

, but War of the Worlds and Children of Men reflected and explored the zeitgeist much more resonantly.

I think I agree with this... and I hated War of the Worlds (remake).

Dead & Messed Up

06-30-2009, 06:39 PM

War of the Worlds and Children of Men reflected and explored the zeitgeist much more resonantly.

Well, sure. That's why I used the qualifying phrase, "one of the more fascinating American horror films of the past decade."

Rowland

06-30-2009, 06:55 PM

Are you guys forgetting that this movie takes place while Sweden was under communist pressure and had a socio-political atmosphere to it?Knowing this didn't add much to the film for me, unless we're merely referring to the dreariness of the film's social environment.

megladon8

06-30-2009, 06:57 PM

Knowing this didn't add much to the film for me, unless we're merely referring to the dreariness of the film's social environment.

I was going to say...I don't remember the film making the political climate an important part of the story.

Amnesiac

07-14-2009, 07:55 AM

/Film reader Adam W sent over these concept posters for Let Me In, Matt Reeves‘ remake/adaptation of Let The Right One In. From what I understand, these are promotional concepts used to sell the movie in international markets. But it gives you an idea of what Reeves might be experimenting with for the look of the film. Check out three concept posters after the jump.

Set in the snow covered mountains of a Ronald Regan-era Colorado, the Americanized adaptation is based not on the Alfredson film, but the original novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist. The character names have been changed to Owen and Abby (rather than Oskar and Eli), who will remain 12-year-olds despite gossip that the film might be teenized to take advantage of the success of Twilight. Avy Kaufman (The Sixth Sense, Garden State, Lemony Snicket) is currently casting the the two leads, and it was recently reported that Kodi Smit-McPhee (seen alongside Eric Bana in Romulus, My Father and co-star of The Road) is up for the role of Owen. The previously announced January 15th 2010 release date has been pushed back to a “Fall 2010″ TBA date, which might also give Overture Films a chance come Awards season.

http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/letmeinconcept3.jpg
http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/letmeinconcept2.jpg
http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/letmeinconccept1.jpg

Source (http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/07/13/let-me-in-movie-posters/).

For whatever it's worth at this point, I don't really like the title.

number8

07-14-2009, 08:05 AM

The second one is hilarious. "A remake of the original". Ha!

Wryan

07-14-2009, 08:57 PM

I don't recall her walking on snow without leaving prints. She Legolas or something?

EDIT: The original is only growing in quality in my mind. I don't really know if its because of this remake or not.

balmakboor

07-15-2009, 12:29 PM

EDIT: The original is only growing in quality in my mind. I don't really know if its because of this remake or not.

Yeah, I was just going to say that Let the Right One In just gets better and better over time with me. Probably my favorite movie in several years.

Dukefrukem

08-22-2011, 11:23 AM

Did we have a thread for Let Me In? I can't find it. Anyway, saw this over the weekend and this is another instance where I think the remake is just as good as the original. (the other I mentioned recently being [Rec] and Quarantine. The only difference really is the level of gore was raised several notches. It adds larger shock values to some of the scenes, mainly both hospital scenes and of course the pool scene.

soitgoes...

08-22-2011, 06:27 PM

Did we have a thread for Let Me In?
Here you are. (http://www.match-cut.org/showthread.php?t=3014)

MadMan

08-22-2011, 09:37 PM

I have a feeling that multiple viewings will perhaps result in my rating for this movie going up a bit. For now, I think a 9.0 is about right. I'm curious in seeing the remake, even though based off the trailer it looks way too similar to be really interesting, although I've heard good things.

It is a really good vampire movie, though, one that is a fairly unique take upon the genre, and I can understand the love it gets. Especially considering the recent crappy Twilight movies that have been released over the past half decade or so.

Spinal

08-23-2011, 12:59 AM

Like it or not, I think the remake is different in some pretty significant ways.

Ezee E

08-23-2011, 02:16 AM

Like it or not, I think the remake is different in some pretty significant ways.
It definitely is. Can't complain about either version.

Dukefrukem

08-23-2011, 03:16 AM

Like it or not, I think the remake is different in some pretty significant ways.

Equally awesome? Yes.

Spinal

08-23-2011, 03:58 AM

Equally awesome? Yes.

Not really.

Qrazy

04-06-2012, 06:49 AM

Qrazy

04-06-2012, 06:55 AM

The Rubik's Cube thing is right out of the book. Still a valid criticism, but it was the author's idea.

I really liked the effects used to make the cats. I seem to be alone on this though.

For me even if they had done it with real cats actually cutting someone I still would think it's a bad idea for a scene.

Qrazy

04-06-2012, 07:08 AM

Still, good film and on a technical level it is superbly made and often quite poetic with the visuals. It's also one of the only vampire movies I can think of that doesn't show the vampire condition as being cool, sexy, or scary. Rather just a depressing existential crisis one has to deal with. I wonder if Eli thought of offing herself like the blonde woman and gettingburnt up by the sun just to end it all?

This I think is one of the more interesting things about the film. Eli does not have this mentality precisely because she was turned at the age of 12. It reminded me of A Clockwork Orange the novel a bit in that regard. By that I mean one of Burgess central themes is that kids possessing a violent impulse will act out that impulse until they 'grow up'. The last chapter of the novel is Alex growing up and realizing why his earlier behaviour was wrong. Now personally I think that is a silly notion psychologically and I prefer Kubrick's ambiguous ending. However, the concept it establishes is that as children we have a much more black and white view of morality, certain violent tendencies at times and a much stronger desire for self-preservation. Suicide rates for children ages 10-14 for instance are extremely rare. Eli may be older than 12 in terms of the passage of time, but she is also locked in time. Her sense of morality is that of a 12 year old.

Qrazy

04-06-2012, 07:09 AM

What is strange though, is the behind-the-scenes. Alfredson thought it was a happy ending as the two are brought together. No mention at all of the boy/girl thing, but I'm still convinced that Eli is a girl. She had surgery done to prevent her from ever having kids. Her insides may be gone or damaged completely, as evidenced by her throwing up the candy that Oskar gives her.

I was under the impression she threw up because she can only ingest blood.