Let Me In

"Let Me In" is, to me, one of the major problems seeping through American cinemas. For some reason I can't seem to fathom, Hollywood studios keep seeing the need to remake foreign films into American versions. It happened with "Funny Games" although the American remake of that film benefited by being directed by Michael Haneke who also directed the original and also starred Tim Roth.

Then it happened again with the British comedy "Death At A Funeral" the remake just recently came out starring Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan and Zoe Saldana. The most recent addition is 2008's Swedish adaptation from the book with the same title, "Let The Right One In".

The original Swedish film was arguably THE best vampire film I have seen in a very long time. It was cold, harsh and brutal. The film is about a young boy who is bullied and doesn't have any friends. A young girl moves in next to him and about the same time brutal slayings start showing up around town. The boy begins a friendship with the girl not knowing what she really is....a vampire. The original was great it had epic shots like one of a lady bursting into flames from her hospital bed.

Now we are getting "Let Me In" the American version starring (who is getting to be very overused) Chloe Moretz (500 Days Of Summer) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (who was great in the very underrated, possibly best film of 2009 "The Road"). Don't get me wrong the new one could be alright, I just don't really see the point.

Its as if people can't stand subtitles...yet you really do forget your reading them and its easy to absorb yourself into the film. The film is being directed by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves who might just be young and new enough to make this a good film and not just some studio trash horror film. Most American horror films lack what really makes a great horror film, eeriness and tension. They rely completely on loud noises, doors moving by themselves and super amounts of CGI, or graphic torture scenes meant to shock the viewer all in an attempt to scare the audience. This only works if your a preteen or trendy teenager who doesn't like to think so much (a vast amount of moviegoers sadly don't like using their heads while watching films)

I So hope that this movie avoids falling into Hollywood horror film conventions and can hold on to a scrap of what made "Let The Right One In" so good. And if your a horror fan I urge you to both read the novel "Let The Right One In" by John Ajvide Lindqvist and see the original Swedish film.

the trailer for the original is here http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3480485913/

and for the remake http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4086433305/