Is a Sad Day

Due to the untimely death of Other Kitty, This 'N That Tuesday will have to wait until my eyes rehydrate. Folks, if you have the unfortunate luck to hit an animal with your car, have the decency to stop and give a shit.

So few ladies can do it right

I have been grooving pretty hard to Bat for Lashes lately. She has a new album out, Two Suns, which is very enjoyable. Soft spoken British lady meets light new wave and harpsichord. Did I mention that she is too adorable for words?



From Two Suns, "Daniel"


And one of the most awesome music videos I've seen in a while, from Fur & Gold, "What's a Girl to Do?


Later, webcomics and Against Me!

Day-Glo Colors and Sunglasses at Night

This 'N That Tuesday...on Thursday!

What? It's my blog, I'll do what I want!

Fantasy 80's Prom Playlist

1. U2, "With or Without You"
2. Psychedelic Furs, "Pretty in Pink"
3. Pixies, "Here Comes Your Man"
4. Ah-Ha, "Take on Me"
5. Violent Femmes, "Blister in the Sun"
6. The Cure, "Close to Me"
7. Rick Astley, "Never Gonna Give You Up" I loved this song long before Rickrolling.
8. Talk Talk, "It's My Life" Time to go get some delicious buffet munchies and rest your heels.
9. Phil Collins, "In the Air Tonight"
10. Human League, "Don't You Want Me"
11. Bonnie Tyler, "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
12. David Bowie, "Fashion"
13. The Clash, "Rock the Casbah"
14. Elvis Costello, "Pump It Up"
15. Michael Jackson, "Beat It"
16. Madonna, "Material Girl"
17. Billy Idol, "Mony Mony"
18. Huey Lewis and the News, "Hip to Be a Square" Thank you, American Psycho
19. Queen, "Fat Bottomed Girls"
20. Morrissey, "You're the One for Me, Fatty"
21. James, "Laid" This is a sexy prom, damn it, we want you to get some.*
22. Pet Shop Boys, "West End Girls"
23. Tone Loc, "Funky Cold Medina"
24. The Police, "Roxanne"
25. David Bowie, "Modern Love"
26. Echo and the Bunnymen, "Killing Moonlight"
27. Blondie, "Call Me"
28. Duran Duran, "Hungry Like the Wolf"
29. Prince, "Raspberry Beret"
30. Billy Ocean, "Caribbean Queen"
31. Sinead O'Connor, "Nothing Compares 2 U"
32. Thompson Twins, "Hold Me Now"
33. Talking Heads, "Road to Nowhere"
34. Peter Gabriel, "In Your Eyes"

If you can't get your hand up her dress in these two and half hours, then you're doing it wrong.

*My prom was so awkward, I ditched my date after maybe an hour and then shut the door in his face after he walked me to my house. So, as long as you don't go to prom with me, you should be fine.

Movie Monday

Movie Monday Madness!
"Where I get a lady boner for people I will never meet."

For every twenty movies that come out, perhaps one or two of them is worth the wallet-raping at the local theater. Here are my picks for upcoming films to keep an eye out for.

1. Year One, June 19
Starring Jack Black and Michael Cera
Written and directed by Harold Ramis

Oddly enough, before I had seen the trailer I thought to myself, "Man, it'd be hilarious if Jack Black and Michael Cera spoke in present-day vernacular while in the ancient past," and boy howdy, turns out the movie writers are psychic! Now, I know Cera uses the same style of dialogue for every character he plays, but I just watched Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, and I still find it hilarious and endearing. I'm pretty excited about this movie, hoping it will hail the return of Harold Ramis, comedic genius, replacing Harold Ramis, chubby failure.




2. Where the Wild Things Are, October 16
Starring Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo
Directed by Spike Jones

WOW. Just....WOW. Spike Jones is back in rare form, bringing to life one of the most beloved childrens' books of all time. This film looks spectacular, and looks to delve deeper into the characters, creating a wonderful companion to the book. I'm not one of those nazis that thinks that books should stay books; if it's done well, the movies compliment the books and you can hold them both in your hands and say, "Hey, these are some awesome things I enjoy." And I think this one's going to be a keeper.
Sidenote: How neat is this kid named Max playing Max?



3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, July 15
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman
Directed by David Yates

Those of you keeping up know that I went on a little hiatus writing this blog because I was sucked into the sixth and seventh Harry Potter books. Honestly, if I start reading, I can't stop. And the reason I started was thanks to one of these trailers.

The film looks amazing, and as the kids get older, their acting gets better and better. I'm really excited to see if Rickman is given a little more screen time to flesh out his character Severus Snape, as well as Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore. In hindsight, I think that Gambon has become a better Dumbledore than Richard Harris could have; Harris was a pitch-perfect Dumbledore when he was the ever-calm, slightly eccentric patriarchal figurehead of the school. However, Dumbledore's life becomes a bit more troubled, especially since Goblet of Fire, so I really think that Gambon's ability to play the stressed out, troubled Dumbledore has come in handy, not to mention his ability to handle the more physical demands of the role. Could you see Harris dueling Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic?

Did I mention how pissed I am that they pushed this movie from Christmas to the MIDDLE OF THE GODDAMNED SUMMER? That I have already been waiting for this film for eight months, and must continue to wait another three? CURSE YOU FILM EXECUTIVES.



4.Inglourious Basterds, August 21
Starring Brad Pitt, Samuel Jackson, Mike Myers, et. al
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino

I, uh, don't really know what to make of this. Your thoughts?




So, good times, eh? Stay tuned for This 'N That Tuesday!

This 'N That Tuesday!

TOP TEN
Alan Rickman Film Roles

"You know, Alan Rickman could read aloud from the label on a paint can, and at the sound of his voice I'd start peeling my clothes off." - Cherie Priest

"Get back kids, my awesomeness is going consume us all!"

10. Col. Brandon in Sense and Sensibility: Though, perhaps, not the best role, Rickman manages to pull off the quiet, stern, but hopelessly in love Colonel. Added bonus: Golden locks and a uniform!

9. Franz Mesmer in Mesmer: One of his few starring roles, this is...an odd movie. I watched it once, but I wasn't really tempted to watch it again. However, it's one of the few opportunities one has to stare at Alan Rickman for an hour and a half.

8. Alex Hughes in Snowcake: I haven't seen it, but it sounds pretty intense. Rickan's character picks up a hitchhiker, but in an auto accident just outside of where he's to drop her off, she dies in the crash. Stranded in the snowbound town, Rickman visits her mother, Sigourney Weaver, who is a high functioning autistic woman. Bonding ensues.

7. Phil Allen in Blow Dry: I love this movie. I don't know what happened to it. If you borrowed it, I'm going to hunt you down. Anyhoo, Rickman versus Bill Nighy in a hair cutters competition; Rickman has to prove he's still the best and come to terms with his ex-wife (the lovely Natasha Richardson), who ran off with their female model years ago, who is now dying of cancer. Don't worry, it's still mostly funny! He has scissors tattooed on his feet!

6. Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest: A spoof of the Spock character from Star Trek, Rickman pulls off the classically trained stage actor forced to don the ol' space unitard for cons and do meet-and-greets with NERDS. Oh woe. But then, you know, the aliens and the space battles. And Sigourney Weaver's boobs.

5. Metatron in Dogma: Really, can you imagine someone else as the voice of God?

4. Marvin, the Paranoid Android in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: This was really inspired voice-casting for the perpetually depressed android with a constant pain down the diodes of his left leg. 30 billion times smarter than a live mattress and the ability to make any computer he's hooked up to commit suicide.

3. Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves: Alan Rickman is probably the only reason to watch this movie, FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE ACADEMY AWARD WINNING DANCES WITH WOLVES AND STAR OF THE POSTMAN. That and the bitchin' Bryan Adams soundtrack!

2. Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series: Rickman is more Snape than Snape in the book is. If you were to compare, Rickman plays Snape with a bit more reserve, and quiet, seething hatred than in the book. He has this fabulous tick, where he cocks his head slightly to the side and looks like a bird studying your moves, deciding whether or not to swoop down and take you home for dinner (the black contact lenses really help). Unfortunately, we haven't really gotten into the Snape character in the first four or five movies, but since he plays such a prominent role in the next three, I'm really looking forward to watching the Snape character develop. Not to mention he looks so at home in black robes.

1. Hans Gruber in Die Hard: I could watch this movie over and over. Bruce Willis is fantastic, but Rickman really makes it worth it. Don't argue. Yippee-kay Yay.

Coming soon: The Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland: Okay, cheating. This movie hasn't come out yet. HOWEVER, I shamelessly admit loving all things Tim Burton, and methinks that this character will be a certain favorite. Don't worry, I don't own any Burton-themed clothing or handbags, but I do have an odd attraction to claymation.

Big ups to our fangy friends lurking in your local bellfry

My apologies, dear reader, for not updating with the promised vampire goodies as soon as I would have liked. I was distracted by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, quickly followed by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I’m sure you understand.

Well, dear reader, this has been a very enlightening post-project. I finally found some sites that list more than just Underworld and Interview with a Vampire as “the greatest vampire films E-VAR!” I rediscovered some old favorites and a few films that could be just as good as Let the Right One In. So let’s get to it, shall we?

First off, I’d like to trot out some of my favorite 80’s and 90’s comedy-camp-vamp films.

My Best Friend is a Vampire
Oh my, this takes me back.

Is it time to bring back the giant shoulder-pads and crispy hair that is supposed to look wet?

Starring Robert Sean Leonard of Dead Poets Society and grizzled-beardy television hit House, Rene Auberjonois (probably best recognized as Odo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but who has a very extensive voice-over credit list, including many Disney favorites), and David Warner (the perpetual bad guy, including THE LOBE!), this 1988 gem would actually be a great pairing with Buffy the Vampire Slayer; they follow a similar storyline formula where you have unsuspecting, “normal” teen who has a critical event and gains a new status: Vampire/Vampire Hunter, as well as gaining an arch-nemesis: Vampire Hunter/Vampire, and a dusty mentor. I haven’t seen this movie in far too long, but as a kid I would rent it over and over again from the local video store, so essentially I’ve had a crush on Robert Sean Leonard long before any of you schmucks.

Once Bitten

This 1985 breakout for Jim Carrey is one of the decade’s many notches in the sex-comedy genre. The plot hinges on the ancient vampire Lauren Hutton seeking out a virgin’s blood to drink to keep her young, but in this modern age, teenagers are sluts and virgins are scarce. Enter goofy loser Jim Carrey, who is woefully unbesmirched thanks to his prude of a girlfriend. It pretty much explains itself, and you get to see glimpses of Jim Carrey’s comedy evolution. Spoiler: He gets laid.

Love Bites

::shrug::He likes it with the brace on.

Holy cow, this movie is pretty bad, but still so good! Released in 1993, we’ve hit the age of Wall Street yuppie-ism, coasting on a booming market, cell phones, and LOTS OF HAIR GEL. Crashing directly into it is 1800s British vampire Zachary Sims, played by Adam Ant (the musician, not a children’s book character). The plot: quintessential 90’s lady accidentally falls into his crypt from her apartment built over said crypt, makes friends, and helps him adapt to the twentieth century, eventually helping him become human again (bet you didn’t know vampires could do that, huh?). Guess what? She falls in love with him along the way!

You guys, this movie is so cheesy, you’re going to need plenty of tortilla chips and salsa handy, but Adam Ant makes it more or less pretty awesome. He’s adorable, people, and he has an ACCENT, we women are putty in his dainty British fingers. His electro-synth-pop is pretty kick-ass as well, check it out!

Dracula: Dead and Loving It



This 1995 spoof has a fantastic cast: Mel Brooks, Leslie Nielsen, Peter MacNicol, Steven Webber, Amy Yasbeck, I tell you it’s SO GOOD. Occasionally, there will be a joke that falls a little flat, but oh my crap, it’s Mel Brooks, it’s pretty damn funny.

Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter
Delightfully low-budget, the tag-line for this film is The first testament says "an eye for an eye." - The second testament says "love thy neighbour." - The third testament ... Kicks Ass!!! The second coming of Jesus is fraught with renegade vampires and motorcyclin’ lesbian ninjas, blaspheming and small explosions. You’ll laugh so hard, the consecrated wine that is the blood of Christ will shoot out of your nose.

Tip: You will probably have to hit up NetFlix or a local independent video rental store to find this corker.


So! I suppose it’s on to some serious business!

Night Watch and it’s sequel Day Watch



This breakout hit from Russia single-handedly revived the Russian film industry. Set in present-day Moscow, we follow Anton, a member of the Night Watch and the side of Light, who must keep an eye on those of the Dark side to keep the uneasy truce struck between the two hundreds of years ago. However, the head of the Dark side is looking for a way to tip the scales of power via the child Yegor, a Great One, a being of great potential power who could help swallow the world into darkness should he choose to join the Dark side.

These films are best watched in Russian with English subtitles, which are actually rather creatively used at certain points in the movie, dissolving like blood or revealed in the wake of a character’s path. And though the film isn’t strictly “vampire” or completely wrapped up in vampire lore, there are vampire members on the Dark side who play a part in the downfall of mankind. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE HERE FOR. JUST LOOK AT THE TWILIGHT FRANCHISE.

Dracula’s Daughter and Nadja



Dracula’s Daughter, released in 1936, was a sequel to 1931’s Dracula. With some lesbian overtones (who doesn’t love those?), the film follows Dracula’s daughter Countess Marya after her father’s death as she attempts to shed her vampirism and become human again. Included in the plot is Van Helsing, who has been arrested for murdering the Count. Though it didn’t do too well at the box office, it received positive reviews, and is at least worth seeing as source material for Nadja.

Nadja (1994) may only appeal to people like my pal Kyle, who revels in the strange, the bizarre, and the David Lynch. A post-modern reworking of Dracula’s Daughter, Lynch acted as producer and has a cameo as a morgue receptionist, so if you’re the kind of person that enjoyed trying to untie the Gordian knot that was Muholland Drive and watched every episode of Twin Peakes, then you just may want to check this out.

Immortality, also known as The Wisdom of Crocodiles

This movie probably sucks. However, it stars Jude Law as a vampire. Ladies, and a few of you gentlemen, decide for yourselves.

Cronos



I adore chubby writer/director Guillermo Del Toro, and was unaware that he and Ron Perlman go way back, before Ron was our favorite brick-red and horned superhero, all the way to 1995 where they worked on this intriguing commentary on old age grasping at any promise of youth. Instead of a vampire bite, the “disease” is introduced via a mechanical golden scarab housing an insect that produces a solution that makes the infected person young again. However, the price to be paid is a hunger for blood.

The main character is horrified, but unwilling to part with the magical scarab. Ron Perlman portrays a thug sent to steal the youth-giving device, which looks like a marked improvement than that episode of Beauty and the Beast I saw recently. (Linda Hamilton, I hate you.)



Dracula: Pages from a Virgin’s Diary


WARNING: ART FILM! WARNING: SILENT! WARNING: BLACK AND WHITE! WARNING: BALLET!

Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’m intrigued by this 2002 take on the original Bram Stoker novel as portrayed by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Complete with title cards and other tricks of the silent film trade, this film seems like a delightful combination of old and new, including a Chinese Dracula and selective use of color. Who doesn’t want to see a Chinese Dracula dancing on his toes, wooing a chick straight out of Swan Lake?

Near Dark


As a card-carrying feminist, I have to applaud writer/director Kathryn Bigelow. It’s hard enough getting backing for a movie written and directed by a woman, not to mention a film that’s a western vampire horror fest. Starring the underused Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, and the then-unknown Adrian Pasdar (devilishly handsome Nathan Petrelli on Heroes), this movie stretches the conventions of the classic western and horror genres. There’s a traveling band of criminal vampires wreaking havoc on the small towns remotely scattered throughout the west who bring forced vampire-in-training Caleb into their fold; though Caleb is now a vampire, he clings to his humanity, and can’t bring himself to kill to eat. The fanged gang commits more and more depraved acts to force Caleb to become like themselves (an initiation ritual to cement Caleb to them and ensure his trustworthiness), which actually serves to push Caleb further away. The critical tipping point for Caleb occurs when his “new family” runs into his actual family, and Caleb must choose sides.

Granted, I haven’t seen this movie, but Bill Paxton is so crazy, I absolutely must. Of all the places in America for these vampires to roam, they choose…the desert. That small fact lets you know right off that these guys are BATSHIT. Not to mention Lance Henriksen is one of the most sinister Civil War vets I’ve seen in a while.

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens , Nosferatu the Vampyre, Shadow of the Vampire



We’ve all heard of Nosferatu, but I was unaware of how extensive its influence is on the vampire genre. Directed by F.W. Murnau in 1922, this expressionist film was an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but had to make several changes to the story because they couldn’t secure the rights to the novel. Shot on a shoestring budget, the film created one of the two vampire archetypes: the vile and repulsive rat-like count versus the more common Dracula-type: the sexually charged aristocrat with a heightened power of seduction. In Murnau’s film, Count Orlock is a slithering, sneaking corpse with elongated fingers and fangs, huge eyes, and no hair.

When he travels to Hutter’s home to capture Ellen, he brings with him a ship full of rats chock full o’ the plague. Everything about him is so vile and lowly, one could almost feel pity for him for having to live such a wretched existence. In this respect, Count Orlock has more in common with Frankenstein than Dracula.

The other historic detail of vampire lore created by this film is the Count’s fear of sunlight. Prior to Nosferatu, vampires disliked sunlight, but could tolerate it; Stoker’s Dracula even takes a stroll through town during the day (though I’m sure the constant English fog and canopy of coal smoke helped screen out the direct rays). But in Nosferatu, Ellen offers herself to Orlock to distract him while the sun comes up, causing him to disintegrate. For a creature that is such an antithesis to light and goodness, it’s a natural fit, and I find it surprising that no one thought of it sooner.

A point of interest, this definitive vampire movie was almost lost forever; despite changing names and plot, Stoker’s descendents still sued for copyright infringement and won. Part of the settlement was that all copies of the film be destroyed, but by that point, the film was so far-flung, it had been copied by enthusiasts and continued to live on. Suck on that, Stoker!

Now then, Nosferatu was a gold star in what could be called a troubled history for Germany, so, naturally, German director Werner Herzog (Vehr-nahr Hair-zog) made a tribute version, combining Nosferatu and Stoker’s original Dracula. Collaborating with the intensely insane, but intensely intense Klaus Kinski (Klowse Kin-skie) in one of five epic projects, Herzog expands the plot and delves deeper into the Count’s pitiable pathos of loneliness in the face of immortality. If you’ve never seen a Herzog/Kinski film, do yourself the favor; as a side-note, this movie was shot both in German and in English, but most critics lean towards the German version as the actors are more confidant delivering their lines in their native language.

If you know anything about Herzog (the man who ate a shoe in front of an auditorium full of film students on a bet), then this shouldn’t surprise you: in the city where they were shooting, Herzog was forbidden to release the 11,000 rats that were collected for a particular scene. So they relocated to another town, released the rats and shot the scene, but the population of rats exploded to 30,000. Children of the town skipped school for weeks to collect rats in exchange for the bounty placed on their tiny heads.
Fun Fact: Herzog is terrified of chickens, but has them in his movies, probably for some obscure, artistic reason. See if there are any in this one.

And the final block in this trifecta is Shadow of the Vampire, starring John Malkovich as F.W. Murnau and Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck. The plot: Murnau, with his crew under the impression that Schreck is just a very dedicated method actor, has hired a real vampire to star in his movie with his female lead as payment, provided Schreck cooperates and finishes the film. However, as the filming goes on, Schreck becomes increasingly erratic and hard to control, munching on crew members between takes.

Personal story-time: this movie was billed as a “black comedy” when it was released, and when I went to see it with my mom (my faithful movie-going companion), I was expecting lots of laughs. I WAS SO WRONG TO EXPECT THAT. While there are a few chuckle-worthy moments, this is foremost a horror-psychological drama-type thing, and you will be sorely disappointed if you think it’s going to be giggle-times. Also, Willem is fucking terrifying. He is even more so in this movie. (Just joshing, Willem, I love your craggy face)


So, gotdamned, kids! That was a lot of movies! We actually just barely scratched the surface here, but you know, it’s my blog, I’ll do what I want. I’m sorry for the delay, but this seriously took me a week to research and write. So be grateful.

For further vampire interest, check out these sites:
Snarkerati’s Top 70 Vampire Movies of All Time
Collection of Vampire Filmography: for all those delicious Christopher Lee Dracula flicks!

Oh man, next time, This ‘N That Tuesday!

Your first kiss was smothered in blood? Man, we've all been there!

Imagine, dear reader, that you are chained in a dungeon. The grimy prison guard in all-too-small leather underpants is steadily whipping your slightly numb, yet still stinging back. His flabby arms undulate and his glistening belly heaves as his hand brings down the braid over and over. You weep rock salt and perhaps you wish for death. Yet all around you, the other prisoners beam beatifically at their torturers, writhing in ecstasy though they receive the same beating as you. You are perplexed, but can only assume that the others have snapped and believe that the painful and degrading is pleasant and enjoyable.

Dear reader, that is what it was like to watch Twilight.

Now, imagine then that your torture suddenly ends and you fall into a cooling bath of aloe, and a Heroes-era David Bowie is sponging your wounds while Kate Winslet feeds you Italian pastries. That is what it was like to watch Let the Right One In.



The genre of vampire movies, though large, is woefully lacking in truly excellent films. No matter how strong these films may be in one area, they are almost universally flailing in one or more key aspects. Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula starred the man of a thousand faces, Gary Oldman, as the erotic, tragic, and monstrous Dracula. The film is luscious in its use of color, scenery, and music. You get to watch Anthony Hopkins go a little off his nut and Tom Waits fall straight out of the oak tree. How could you lose? Oh, that’s right, asking Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves to do British accents. Even watching topless vampire ladies unfold out of the bed and give ol’ Keanu a nip and a BJ wasn’t enough of a distraction from the ridiculous affectation.

I took the time to ask the internet what it thought the greatest vampire movies were, and I was greeted with the likes of Underworld, Blade, Queen of the Damned, Van Helsing, and Dracula 2000. ::facepalm:: Going by the choices, the genre is dominated by action flicks, erotica (thank you Alyssa Milano), or camp. The camp can be a lot of fun (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and a good ol’ fashioned survival or monster movie is thrilling and scary, but very few films actually dissect what it would be like to be or encounter a vampire in the real world. In this respect, Let the Right One In stands out as the new golden standard for vampire films.



It figures that the Swedish would be the ones to make a film that is, at its core, about two lonely individuals who are persecuted by society. Set in a land of silence and snow with only a few precious hours of blazing sunlight, this film is subtle if nothing else. The music doesn’t lead the viewer’s emotions or suddenly screech as a violent attack takes place. It’s haunting and beautiful, perfectly reflecting the quiet hamlet the main character inhabits. The loneliness felt by Oskar, an eleven year old boy, and his new vampire neighbor Eli is evident in the use of natural sounds: breathing, sniffles, heartbeats, the crunch of snow, quiet taps on the wall, as well as silence. This is something that isn’t done as much as it should. American filmgoers have been perfectly trained to be led by music playing through the entirety of the film, being told what to feel and how to react to what’s onscreen, instead of letting the action affect them. The silence isn’t boring; it’s poignant, and it makes the film’s impact felt that much harder.

Did I forget to tell you what the film is about? Sorry, my lady boner for this movie can sometimes be a distraction. The overall plot is simple: Young boy, bullied by school mates, ignored by divorced parents, and woefully small and frail, makes a new friend when the androgynous and mysterious girl who doesn’t feel the cold moves in next door. After some time, he realizes that her strange behavior stems from her vampiric nature. The confusion over having the first person he’s cared about turn out to be a hungry predator is understandably painful for young Oskar. However, being a small weakling with dreams of blood and revenge, he finds strength through her to stand up to the local bully. Despite how dangerous and obsessive their attraction is, they fit together because they are the only ones who understand each other. Bizarre though it is, my favorite scene besides the underwater pool scene is at the end where Oskar is traveling by train with Eli in a trunk beside him, and they tap out “Kiss” in morse code on the box.



I have to say that I was truly impressed with how the film was handled; everything was understated, subtle, and most of all, disturbing. The viewer isn’t inundated with gore and violence and fighting and explosions; instead we get soft guttural growls, short, dark, and faraway shots of Eli leaping onto her victims, and a conservative use of blood. Surprisingly, the ascetic style makes the film feel more realistic. It makes the characters flesh and blood and heartbreakingly sympathetic. The lack of explosions (save one combustible patient in the hospital) and action does slow down the pace of the film; however, (unless you are an action junkie) this doesn’t make the film slow or painfully drawn out. It’s a character study that touches on several themes and moral dilemmas, and is well-worth your time.

Interesting notes:
I checked up on Wikipedia, and this film is based on the 2004 novel Låt den rätte komma in by Sweidsh author John Ajvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. Naturally, the book goes further into the backstory of several characters and is more violent and gory. An interesting twist is that Eli is an androgynous boy who was castrated two hundred years ago. The film gives this informative tidbit a nod with a brief flash of Eli changing and we see her not-quite-normal, possibly-scarred privates.

The title refers to a bonus track on Morrissey’s Viva Hate called “Let the Right One Slip In,” as well as vampire lore that proposes that vampires cannot enter a home unless invited. It was a high point in the film when Oskar forces Eli to come into his apartment without being asked and what happens to her as a result.

In typical douchebag American fashion, English publishers changed the title to Let Me In, citing that the original title was too long. Thankfully, due to the success of the film, the original title has been restored.

Now, I know that there are some vampire movies of note that are pretty excellent. I'll address these the best I can next time, so stay tuned. Same bat time, same bat channel!