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*** Official LET ME IN Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

Robert Crawford

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This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "Let Me In". Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of "Let Me In" should be posted to the [COLOR= rgb(68,112,140)]Official Review Thread[/COLOR].

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


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Ken Chan

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I have never seen such shiny/reflective mailboxes (or refrigerators)


With Michael Giacchino doing the music, it sometimes felt like a weird Lost flashback. (And the bully was played by the same kid as Jack's son in the Sideways.)


I like Cara Buono; too bad you never saw her face. (I get the directorial choice though.)


I saw the Swedish film, but only have a sketchy recollection. It's difficult to judge this one on its own, since I knew what was coming. I did like the original final scene at the pool more than this one. But this one did have a pretty cool car crash.
 

Robert Crawford

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Originally Posted by Ken Chan

I have never seen such shiny/reflective mailboxes (or refrigerators)


With Michael Giacchino doing the music, it sometimes felt like a weird Lost flashback. (And the bully was played by the same kid as Jack's son in the Sideways.)


I like Cara Buono; too bad you never saw her face. (I get the directorial choice though.)


I saw the Swedish film, but only have a sketchy recollection. It's difficult to judge this one on its own, since I knew what was coming. I did like the original final scene at the pool more than this one. But this one did have a pretty cool car crash.

I agree that I liked the pool scene in the original film more, but the American remake was better in other regards.
 

Claire Panke

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Robert, I'd be curious in what ways you thought the remake was better than the original.


I like the original better (it's a question of tone more than anything) but think Let Me In is a good horror film, and I think the two young leads are excellent. I'm just disappointed it doesn't seem to be getting much of a push from the studio. This deserves to be more widely seen.


It was interesting the remake totally left Abby's gender/bender out.
 

Robert Crawford

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Originally Posted by Claire Panke

Robert, I'd be curious in what ways you thought the remake was better than the original.


I like the original better (it's a question of tone more than anything) but think Let Me In is a good horror film, and I think the two young leads are excellent. I'm just disappointed it doesn't seem to be getting much of a push from the studio. This deserves to be more widely seen.

There are a couple of ways.

First off, from the Owen/Oskar's POV, I think Owen's total isolation as a bullied child with messed up parents that are of little help to him is detailed better in the American version.


Secondly, I liked how they showed the main bully as someone that probably became one because of being bullied by his own big brother.


Thirdly, the staging of the murder attempts by Abby/Eli's protector were more interesting and scary in the American version. Also, it offered a little more insight to their relationship than the original version.


Also, I preferred how the narrative of the story flowed better in the American version more especially in regard to a police presence trying to solve these crimes which we saw very little of that in the original film.


With that said, the original version's staging of the final pool scene was superior than the American version as well as with Abby/Eli's attacks during the film.



Anyhow, that's my take so I'm sure others will disagree which is fine as film appreciation is so subjective when it comes to interpretation.







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Richard Travale

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I watched this last night and did enjoy it...BUT, I had a few issues with it.

First, Owen was a little too frail. What I mean is in the original, we had insight into Oskar as a bit of a closet nutjob with the scrapbook of murder stories to go along with his dreams of revenge against the bullies. This made him a bit less repulsed by the fact that Eli was a Vampire. In the new one, this facet was not present and Owen was truly taken aback by everything about Abby(her feeding etc...).

Second, did they need to make Abby into Yoda/Gollum when she attacked/fed? I felt that was just an excuse to throw some CGI in for the North American audience who are used to seeing the super Vamps from Twilight and True Blood.


A couple of responses to Crawdaddy's views.
I'm pretty sure that the bully in the original was also shown to be tormented by his older brother. I'll have to rewatch it to be sure.

The relationship between Abby and "Father" was far different in this one. The photos showed us they had been together since 'Father' was a child which is very different from the Swedish movie and even more different than the novel which has Hakan(the Swedish father character) as a former teacher/pedophile and that is how their relationship began. Heh, much less innocent than the American version suggests.


Anyway, the Swedish Let the Right One in is a solid 9 for me and Let me In gets a solid 7.5. Still pretty damned good.
 

Robert Crawford

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Originally Posted by Richard Travale

I watched this last night and did enjoy it...BUT, I had a few issues with it.

First, Owen was a little too frail. What I mean is in the original, we had insight into Oskar as a bit of a closet nutjob with the scrapbook of murder stories to go along with his dreams of revenge against the bullies. This made him a bit less repulsed by the fact that Eli was a Vampire. In the new one, this facet was not present and Owen was truly taken aback by everything about Abby(her feeding etc...).

Second, did they need to make Abby into Yoda/Gollum when she attacked/fed? I felt that was just an excuse to throw some CGI in for the North American audience who are used to seeing the super Vamps from Twilight and True Blood.


A couple of responses to Crawdaddy's views.
I'm pretty sure that the bully in the original was also shown to be tormented by his older brother. I'll have to rewatch it to be sure.


The relationship between Abby and "Father" was far different in this one. The photos showed us they had been together since 'Father' was a child which is very different from the Swedish movie and even more different than the novel which has Hakan(the Swedish father character) as a former teacher/pedophile and that is how their relationship began. Heh, much less innocent than the American version suggests.


Anyway, the Swedish Let the Right One in is a solid 9 for me and Let me In gets a solid 7.5. Still pretty damned good.

In the original, when the older brother asked for the keys he wasn't hostile towards his brother like he was in the American version.


I agree with you about Abby's attacks so I prefer the Swedish film in that regard.
 

Paul D G

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Normally I'm against 'pointless american remakes of perfectly good foreign films' but I liked this one enough where I wouldn't feel I had to direct someone to see the original.

I did hate the CGI attacks from Abby, tho. It looked bad and was completely unnecessary.

I really wish it was doing better at the box office.
 

Bryan Tuck

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Originally Posted by Richard Travale


The relationship between Abby and "Father" was far different in this one. The photos showed us they had been together since 'Father' was a child which is very different from the Swedish movie and even more different than the novel which has Hakan(the Swedish father character) as a former teacher/pedophile and that is how their relationship began. Heh, much less innocent than the American version suggests.


I haven't read the book, so I can't comment on that, but I felt that the Swedish film implied that Hakan and Eli had been together since he was a child. It's made much more apparent in the remake, but that's still the impression I got when I first saw the original, but maybe I need to watch it again.
 

Doug Schiller

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Originally Posted by Bryan Tuck





I haven't read the book, so I can't comment on that, but I felt that the Swedish film implied that Hakan and Eli had been together since he was a child. It's made much more apparent in the remake, but that's still the impression I got when I first saw the original, but maybe I need to watch it again.

I have read the book and seen both films and love them all equally.

Saying that, there is nothing implied in the original movie that Hakan had been with Eli since he was a child, at least in my opinion (and I have watched it numerous times). When they show you the picture of him as a child, I thought it was an interesting change since that wasn't in the book either where he is clearly a "Renfield" type character.


I saw the film opening day and loved it. My issues would be...


Location - I didn't even think it snowed in New Mexico, I think of sun and deserts. Canada would have been a more believable location to me.

Ending - it was the one area where I thought the American version would go overboard, instead he (director) went the opposite way, almost showing nothing.

Plus, unless I missed it, it removed one of my favorite shots from the original, Oskar coming out of the pool, opening his eyes to see a smiling Eli (face full of blood).


Can't wait for the Blu-Ray.
 

Robert Crawford

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Doug,


You didn't miss that shot as it wasn't in the American version. It only had the boy coming out of the pool and coughing up water while being on all fours then showing Eli/Abby's feet and legs with blood on them walking towards him from behind his position.






Crawdaddy
 

Patrick H.

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While I was overall surprised to find this a pretty terrific remake that in some ways improves upon the original, I was pulled out of the film by a couple of the CGI vampire attacks. It wasn't so much that they seemed unnecessary in comparison to the earlier film (which had its own share of questionable CGI), as I think they were just weakly-executed. What did seem a bit unnecessary was Abby's Exorcist-type transformation when a vampire...the original's more subtle approach was more effective in that regard.


Ending - it was the one area where I thought the American version would go overboard, instead he (director) went the opposite way, almost showing nothing. Plus, unless I missed it, it removed one of my favorite shots from the original, Oskar coming out of the pool, opening his eyes to see a smiling Eli (face full of blood).

Indeed, the finale of this one didn't quite measure up to its predecessor, and that's a little understandable...they clearly felt they had to try and put a different spin on it. However, the problem there is that (IMHO) the original's climactic sequence was the single greatest part of the film, and there's absolutely nothing that could be done to improve it. Honestly, if they'd just copied that shot-for-shot, I might give the edge to the American version. As it is, I think both films are about even.


And I did miss that final shot of Eli/Abby, too. It seemed a little "off" that, considering in that moment she's seemingly the heroine of the film, you don't even get to see her one more time before it ends. Odd choice.
 

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