Let the Right One In

Finally got around to watching this little gem of a film from Sweden. It's been in my queue forever but I just haven't been in the frame of mind to watch it. I'm glad I did. For those unfamiliar with it, Let the Right One In is based on the Swedish book of the same name and follows the tale of a twelve year old boy named Oskar and a similarly aged vampire named Eli. Oskar's parents are split and he's bullied at school and is desperately seeking revenge and a friend. He finds one in Eli, who moves in next door and gives him someone to confide in and she in turn coaches him on how to fight back against the bullies. Their relationship grows while her aide/manservant tries to keep her in blood by draining it out of people he captures. Eventually, people get wise that there's something not quite right going on and this discovery threatens the relationship of the friends.

Beautifully shot and written, this movie brings vampires back to a serious romanticism that you don't find in many offerings these days. The setting of a winter covered Sweden is cold yet stunning and serves as a great backdrop for their story. Oskar just wants someone to be his friend and help him and Eli thinks she just wants to be left alone until she finds herself liking his company more and more. I can't say I'm crazy about child actors, but these two pull off their parts quite well, as do the rest of the folk their age. In addition to the story, there are some great killings, some brutal, some with a great humor (usually those involving the aide).

The film is paced rather slowly, so if you're expecting a thrill a minute ride, you're going to be in for a disappointment. Instead, everything comes together when it needs to and the dread is allowed to build and build and you wonder when everything is going to come crashing down upon them, akin to a noir film. Don't let that stop you from seeing it, as it's probably one of the best vampire films that you'll have the luxury of seeing.

There is a remake coming out, but I'd check this out first, as the new one will be by the mastermind behind Cloverfield, who handles subtlety as well as Leatherface ballet dances. Also, there's no need to remake an almost perfect vision. He claims he wants to make it more accessible to audiences. That's a change that doesn't need to be made. Support the original vision and check the Swedish version out. You can get it with subs or dubs, I understand, and either will be sublime.

The Ruins: Plants are Assholes

My wife and I needed something to watch last night as our DVR was being a douche (thanks Comcast) so we popped in The Ruins, which had sat in our inbox from Netflix for a few weeks now. For those not familiar with it, this is the second film based on a book by the author of A Simple Plan. It's also his second book, so he's batting 1.000 so far. The short of it is several young people head to a newly discovered temple for various reasons and shit starts going down. Why? Because plants are assholes.

As you might figure out from the dvd cover/movie poster, the vines/flowers that cover the entire temple are not to be trusted. Before the crew even sets foot on the temple to look for a German guy and a journalist, they are detained by enraged Mayans who try to keep them off of it. Once they put a foot on the vines, though, the warning shots become lethal and the remainder of the group has to hoof it up the temple as they get surrounded by angry villagers. One by one they fall and start to realize that maybe they should have listened to the Mayans as the vines start to wreck some people's shit.

A good movie with more suspense than gore and a cast that doesn't jump out at you with who might be the first to go and the last and they all turn in great performances. I've never heard of the director but if this is his first film, it's a doozy. Great camera work and tight editing help keep the pace terse and the tension palpable. Well worth checking out. This and Evil Dead will have you using Round Up like crazy to keep the plants at bay in your yard.