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Cloverfield Director To Remake Let The Right One In

I saw Let Me In again for the first time since theaters tonight (awesome cover art btw). The other two people I watched it with had never seen it before and thought it was quite good.

I really, really enjoyed it. In fact, I hate saying this, but I think I like it better than LTROI. While LTROI still has the better early scenes between Oskar/Eli when they first meet outside and play with puzzles....I think the big emotional scenes between Owen and Abby are much more mature. The element of evil that is introduced in this film with the mother's emphasis on religion and Reagan at the beginning is paid off nicely with Owen questioning his own morality and righteousness. It's just so well done.

The swimming pool ending is still better in the original, but LTROI ends on such an upbeat note while LMI is so melancholy and ambiguous. The audience can choose if it is a love story (as it clearly is LTROI) or manipulation. There is something haunting about that.

Anyway, I really like this movie. It teases the mind, in my opinion.
 
Fair enough. But I would defend it by saying that both versions want to leave it up for the audience's interpretation. Is Abby in love with Owen or just using him as a protector/procurer of blood? It is up to you. Did Abby really love the father character or was he just a tool trapped in a terrible life? How physical was their relationship? What is Owen's fate.

Abby is so intriguing because you don't know whether she is a victim or once-a-victim and now just a monster and user...a true villain. We are fascinated by her because we're not sure. And that is why it is told from the boy who would be subservient's point of view. That is why the movie is great.
Indeed. The ambiguity has spawned quite a few debates on the IMDB board for LMI (daily in fact). I definitely lean toward the "happy ending"...but the clues are there for the "evil Abby" version too.

I saw Let Me In again for the first time since theaters tonight (awesome cover art btw). The other two people I watched it with had never seen it before and thought it was quite good.

I really, really enjoyed it. In fact, I hate saying this, but I think I like it better than LTROI. While LTROI still has the better early scenes between Oskar/Eli when they first meet outside and play with puzzles....I think the big emotional scenes between Owen and Abby are much more mature. The element of evil that is introduced in this film with the mother's emphasis on religion and Reagan at the beginning is paid off nicely with Owen questioning his own morality and righteousness. It's just so well done.

The swimming pool ending is still better in the original, but LTROI ends on such an upbeat note while LMI is so melancholy and ambiguous. The audience can choose if it is a love story (as it clearly is LTROI) or manipulation. There is something haunting about that.

Anyway, I really like this movie. It teases the mind, in my opinion.
I own both movies and consider it a blessing to have two really good/great movies to go to for this story. Each will help keep the other fresh for me since there is a very different approach to the characters in each movie.

LTROI is one of my favorite vampire movies of all time and LMI is one of my favorite movies of all time.

My sister in law just called me last night asking questions about LMI since she just watched it. I had to tell her there are no definite answers. She immediately insisted that I had to come over and watch it with her so we could discuss it. I love how much of a "talking movie" LMI is.
 
Indeed. The ambiguity has spawned quite a few debates on the IMDB board for LMI (daily in fact). I definitely lean toward the "happy ending"...but the clues are there for the "evil Abby" version too.


I own both movies and consider it a blessing to have two really good/great movies to go to for this story. Each will help keep the other fresh for me since there is a very different approach to the characters in each movie.

LTROI is one of my favorite vampire movies of all time and LMI is one of my favorite movies of all time.

My sister in law just called me last night asking questions about LMI since she just watched it. I had to tell her there are no definite answers. She immediately insisted that I had to come over and watch it with her so we could discuss it. I love how much of a "talking movie" LMI is.

I do like how it is causing people to think. Some flippantly say Abby is evil (or not), but they tend to refuse to see much in any story or one in a remake. And while LTROI is open to interpretation, the children are clearly in love and Oskar is such a desperate, unhinged character in LTROI, any life with Eli (eternal or not) is better than the one he has. With Owen it is potentially a tragedy, even if Abby does love him.

I'm not saying LTROI is a lesser film. It is visually stunning and features far superior cinematography. The delicate wide shots in the brightly lit snow are haunting. However, I find Moretz and Scott-McPhee found more of a childhood innocence and tenderness in their characters (which makes Abby even more disconcerting if you think it is an act).

Anyway, having rewatched it again the other thing that really elevates it is the relationship Abby has with "the Father" or Thomas. While he clearly once was in Owen's shoes, which angers LTROI fanboys (to be fair he comes off as the pedophile Hakan is in the book), I think it creates some real pathos for him. The intimate nature he has with Abby suggesting not just a servant as in LTROI but friendship, love and possibly more is handled so subtly and painfully. His murders are also so well designed to cause the audience to begin rooting for him as the second identical mruder goes wrong. It reminds me how HItchcock would implicate audiences slowly in a number of his movies and force them to root for the killer(s). And then that amazing car crash shot....

It is a really good movie. Too bad nobody has really seen it and those who do are mostly going to not give it a chance because they had already seen LTROI first. Oh well.
 

Eh. Glad to see some much deserved love for LMI, but the Saturn awards being genre specific always weakens them. Also Kick-Ass being labled a thriller and Moretz not getting a Supporting Actress nod for supporting in it over Mirren's mugging cameo in Red is full of fail in my opinion.
 
Anyway, having rewatched it again the other thing that really elevates it is the relationship Abby has with "the Father" or Thomas. While he clearly once was in Owen's shoes, which angers LTROI fanboys (to be fair he comes off as the pedophile Hakan is in the book), I think it creates some real pathos for him. The intimate nature he has with Abby suggesting not just a servant as in LTROI but friendship, love and possibly more is handled so subtly and painfully. His murders are also so well designed to cause the audience to begin rooting for him as the second identical mruder goes wrong. It reminds me how HItchcock would implicate audiences slowly in a number of his movies and force them to root for the killer(s). And then that amazing car crash shot....

It is a really good movie. Too bad nobody has really seen it and those who do are mostly going to not give it a chance because they had already seen LTROI first. Oh well.
It seems to be doing ok in a "cult" kinda way. There is a group of LMI fans that regularly get together online to watch movies together now (Of course LMI and LTROI are often a part of this). The chat room on the LMI website is usually hopping. (www.bemealittle.com)

You may or may not be aware of the fact that Reeves is a huge Hitchcock fan....so the "Dial M for Murder" angle is no accident. It's so odd to actually feel sympathy for a guy like Thomas and to actually root against an innocent cop. LMI has some real "British" roots....Hammer being a Brit studio of course...and the Hitchcock influence all over the place.

Eh. Glad to see some much deserved love for LMI, but the Saturn awards being genre specific always weakens them. Also Kick-Ass being labled a thriller and Moretz not getting a Supporting Actress nod for supporting in it over Mirren's mugging cameo in Red is full of fail in my opinion.

LMI and Chloë Moretz got some major love from the Virgin awards too.

Girl of the year: Chloë Moretz
Best Action movie: Kick Ass
Best Horror movie: Let Me In
Biggest Badass – Hit Girl from Kick-Ass
Coolest Fight – Hit Girl vs Goons from Kick-Ass
The Next Big Thing – Chloë Moretz

http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/awards/movie-awards-2011-winners.php?page=8
 
Ah but was Nicholas Cage recognized for Kick-Ass? He was great and it may be his last great movie has his career is in freefall and next stop will be a Fox primetime drama. Bad Lt. and KA are the last ones.
 
I LOVED this movie. I dont care if it's a remake or if the original is superior or not, i felt this was a breath of fresh air in the vampire genre that has become so damn trendy.
 
I LOVED this movie. I dont care if it's a remake or if the original is superior or not, i felt this was a breath of fresh air in the vampire genre that has become so damn trendy.

but it was not a breath of fresh air since it came out after the swedish movie. :yay:
 
Bought it when it came out and finally got around to watching it. I never saw the original one but it must be something amazing if people liked it more than LMI. Chloe has quickly jumped up to the top of my must see actress list.
 
Ah but was Nicholas Cage recognized for Kick-Ass? He was great and it may be his last great movie has his career is in freefall and next stop will be a Fox primetime drama. Bad Lt. and KA are the last ones.
That thought makes me sad. I hope you are wrong about that. :csad:

Maybe they can pull the classic comic book resurrection and bring him back for Kick Ass 2? ;)

but it was not a breath of fresh air since it came out after the swedish movie. :yay:
The closer you look at the two movies, the more you realize they are different. Even the scenes that look very similar on the surface are played very differently. (I've got an idea on that point) Each of the four main characters is different in all three versions of the story (two movies and the novel). The vampire is actually a different gender in LMI. Which of course makes the relationship with the boy a very different animal.

Bought it when it came out and finally got around to watching it. I never saw the original one but it must be something amazing if people liked it more than LMI. Chloe has quickly jumped up to the top of my must see actress list.

Both movies are great and I own them both. The cool thing is they give you two different takes on the tale. I do think LMI is the better movie (superior acting all around being one reason), but LTROI is also very good. I recommend it.

On Moretz, I didn't even know she existed until last August. I'm totally impressed. Can't wait to see what she does next. The Scorsese movie next Fall might get her some more attention along with Hick this year.
 
The swimming pool ending is still better in the original


I agree. Oskar doesn't even appear to be aware of what is happening on the surface in the original. The original scene has a sense of calmness and tranquility with only a distance sound of vibration as to whats going on the surface separated by water, it's otherworldly. The camera remaining still also helps give the idea of being tranquil.



The closer you look at the two movies, the more you realize they are different.

I think there isn't enough diffrence to the point, it's pointless. Can't help but watch this movie and compare it unfavourably. I have nothing against remakes as long as they are good and do enough to distinguish themselves (Battlestar Galatica for example).

There really isn't that much of the difference with the original movie culture wise that an American (or British as I am) audience can't watch it, understand it, and enjoy it. So, what's the point? It's the same with Documentary movies, before Michael Moore (love him or hate him) hardly any would get shown in a theatre to a mainstream audience, even then, they need a star power behind them to even get shown to a bigger audience (usually with some celeb doing the narration). Are people really that close minded?
 
With the state of vampire fiction and the vampire trend nowadays, yes this movie was a breath of fresh air regardless if it was a remake and especially if the gender of the vampire is different in both movies
 
With the state of vampire fiction and the vampire trend nowadays, yes this movie was a breath of fresh air regardless if it was a remake and especially if the gender of the vampire is different in both movies

Both Let The Ring One In and Let Me In are contemporary romantic vampire fiction like Twilight aren't they? It's part of the trend isn't it? Albet it much better.
I wouldn't be suprised if "Let The Right One In" was not remade because it's an awsome movie, but because Twilight is sleeping on a boat load of cash.
 
I agree. Oskar doesn't even appear to be aware of what is happening on the surface in the original. The original scene has a sense of calmness and tranquility with only a distance sound of vibration as to whats going on the surface separated by water, it's otherworldly. The camera remaining still also helps give the idea of being tranquil.
My issue with that scene in LTROI is that Oskar appears to have the power to stay underwater for 10 minutes. He's not remotely out of breath when he comes to the surface. Great scene though.

I do like the little touches LMI added though. Having Owen run and get dragged back was brutal. Also having the bully use Owen's own knife against him was a nice addition.

Uninspired Cup said:
I think there isn't enough diffrence to the point, it's pointless. Can't help but watch this movie and compare it unfavourably. I have nothing against remakes as long as they are good and do enough to distinguish themselves (Battlestar Galatica for example).

There really isn't that much of the difference with the original movie culture wise that an American (or British as I am) audience can't watch it, understand it, and enjoy it. So, what's the point? It's the same with Documentary movies, before Michael Moore (love him or hate him) hardly any would get shown in a theatre to a mainstream audience, even then, they need a star power behind them to even get shown to a bigger audience (usually with some celeb doing the narration). Are people really that close minded?
The point would be people like me who enjoy the remake more. (We count too)

I would say that you have to watch the two movies on a very superficial level to miss the differences. I'll demonstrate with two scenes that are the most similar between the two movies in a separate post.
Uninspired Cup said:
Both Let The Ring One In and Let Me In are contemporary romantic vampire fiction like Twilight aren't they? It's part of the trend isn't it? Albet it much better.
I wouldn't be suprised if "Let The Right One In" was not remade because it's an awsome movie, but because Twilight is sleeping on a boat load of cash.
Not true in this case. The machinery for LMI began turning in early 2008. Twilight was not released until November of 2008.

And it was actually the Swedish producers of LTROI that were shopping the rights to English language studios before LTROI was even released into theaters. They tried selling it to American studios before British studio Hammer bought it. (Your countrymen) Just the fact that a British studio was able to purchase the rights illustrates how it wasn't viewed as a "cash cow". Hammer wasn't going to be able to outbid a big US studio. And then to further illustrate why it was made, LMI was not a mainstream film in any sense of the word. Hammer wasn't "all about the money" obviously. I'm sure they would have loved to make more...but they didn't even try to appeal to the mainstream with LMI.
 
Here is a little ongoing project of mine. Many seem to miss the differences between LTROI and LMI, so what better way to point them out than to use the most similar scenes? :)

Interesting that I had to go 18 minutes into what is claimed to be a "shot for shot copy" by some people before I found the first real candidate.
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(12 minutes into LTROI)

View at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xh5tp7_let-me-in-let-the-right-one-in -comparison-part-1_shortfilms


So let's do it! I even wrote a theme song for the occasion (if you can call that little thing at the beginning "writing"...it took about 10 seconds to come up with).


These are the first two scenes between the kids in each film. Seems like the best place to start. I like these scenes a lot. I think we get some real interesting clues about the personalities involved. They are very similar...but also very different. The average movie watcher might think these two scenes are exactly alike. But we like to think of ourselves as above average around here, don't we?
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These are my impressions. (and only mine)

Scene 1: The kids meet

Photography
The first thing I notice is the very different use of color between the two movies. LTROI is more white, black, and grey. LMI is more amber and brown. I think this makes the scene more "warm" in LMI and more "cold" in LTROI. Neither is "right" or "wrong" obviously...let's get that out of the way up front. But movies are a visual art form. Setting a mood is an important part of the process. That's why people get paid to light a movie. I prefer LMI because "warm" works for me. Somehow it makes the scene feel more intimate to me....like I'm in the scene instead of just watching it. I could see how someone else would prefer the "cold" approach though.

Music
LTROI uses no music. This allows ambient sound like feet in snow to shine through in a nice way. The quiet gives the scene an eerie quality throughout. LMI has a gentle score at the beginning when Owen stabs the tree. It fades away with a creepy "wind" sound as the camera pans to reveal Abby watching him. I love that moment. I like what each movie accomplished. I'm not sure I prefer one approach over the other in a big way here. I do like that Abby's arrival somehow causes music to leave the world in LMI. It makes her slightly more "spooky" to me. In LTROI I kinda feel like both characters are slightly creepy.

Dialog
I apparently got the magnolia LTROI subtitles here. (dammit) I'll try to get the others for later videos. Go here for the comparison of the subs: http://let-the-right-one-in.com/woofy/

The dialog is important in my view. Eli strikes me as having slightly more suspicious behavior. The endless debates about the motives of the vampire make this no small thing. The fact that Eli can make a joke makes me think of him/her as less "sad". That's the part the magnolia subs left out
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"I live right here, in the jungle gym." It's an aggressive type joke when you say that to someone moments after meeting them. (It's at this point that I wish I could speak Swedish...who knows what I may be missing)
I happen to like "sad" with this character so I prefer Abby not making jokes at this point. (She gets to make a joke later in the movie after Owen can cheer her up) Adds more of a sense of loneliness, hopelessness, and makes me think she has been around a long time. When she says "I can't be your friend" I believe she means it.
Also very important is the establishment of who is watching who. In LTROI, Eli knows exactly where Oskar lives and he knows almost nothing about him/her. In LMI, Owen knows exactly where Abby lives and she knows almost nothing about him. So if you had to choose which vampire is casing a boy to "manipulate", it would be Eli here. He/she has obviously been watching Oskar. Again, this isn't "right" or "wrong"...some people love the idea of an "evil" vampire.

Costumes
The girls are dressed in a different way. Eli is wearing boys clothes, Abby is wearing girls clothes. Eli looks poor and unkempt. Abby looks even poorer. The lack of shoes for Abby is a nice detail. Makes me think of her as being very out of touch with society. Neither vampire looks like they keep themselves clean. Abby is also wearing a hood, which makes her seem more shy to me.
The boys also have some differences. Oskar has the normal clothes you would expect and a BIG knife. Owen has his "spaceman jacket" on and a little knife. Does "size matter"? I think it does.
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Oskar appears to be much more serious about being a serial killer to me. Add this to his creepy scrapbook and the kid is a little more frightening than Owen.

Acting
Kare gets a bad rap from some people (including me), but he does have some good moments here. I like his "hmt" after seeing Eli for some reason. I also really like the way he seems stunned after Eli informs him they can't be friends and "that's just the way it is". He pauses to think....and finally makes darn sure she knows he didn't really want to be her friend anyway. The negatives in this scene are the lack of character he puts into "What do you mean?" after Eli says "I can't be your friend". Kare also steps all over Lina's next line right there which causes Lina to repeat it. That reminds you as a viewer that you are watching "acting". A reshoot should have been done there. Overall, he comes off as a strange little kid who is a bit slow to me. But not unlikable. I see him as pretty aggressive compared to Owen. His declaration at the end came off as "offensive" to me. Him striking back at Eli.

Kodi is really good in this scene. His timing is impeccable. When he points out that he lives next door to Abby and notices he is pointing with the knife, you can see the embarrassment on his face as he realizes what it must look like to her. His character is played as the one more open to a friendship. His "Why not?" is played very well. He's a kid that has no friends, but even he can't believe what he just heard. Owen too lets Abby know that he really had no desire to be her friend, but he also adds an "idiot" to the end that is meant for his ears only. I wonder if he isn't directing a little bit of that at himself. The tree suffers more abuse from Owen at the end. I get more of a "angry at the world" vibe from Owen. He seems more sensitive and vulnerable than Oskar to me. His declaration at the end came off as "defensive" to me. Him salving his wounds.

Eli is only seen from a distance. Hard to really see any details about what she/he is feeling. Lina does get a little stunt work in here. She jumps off the top of the jungle gym. I suspect wire work, but it looks cool. Eli comes off as pretty aggressive in the scene to me. The "leap" happens, Eli approaches Oskar in a very bold and assertive way, and informs him they can't be friends.

Abby is played as curious and sad by Chloë. I get the feeling she may have been about to attack Owen or on her way to hunt elsewhere before being taken aback by his strange tree attack. We get a better view of her face which allows her to use her eyes and face better than Lina was able to. Chloë Moretz is very good with her facial expressions so this is a very good thing. I love the way she ponders Owen just as she is leaving....as if she doesn't know quite what to make of him.

One word sticks out to me in these two scenes. "Nothing". I really really like the way Abby says it. There's a deep well of despair in that word as if she is describing her LIFE instead that particular moment. Not being Swedish I don't know if ending the word on an uptick is supposed to mean something different than it sounds to my English ears. But it sounds less "sad" when Eli says it. I also wish I could hear Lina say it instead of the actress they got to dub it.

Direction

The main difference I see is that Reeves wanted to focus on the emotions of the kids and allowed them to be seen in close-up with plenty of time to express emotions. Alfredson appeared to be setting a mood more than building character. We don't see Kare's face for most of the scene and Lina is never seen in close-up. It's things like that which give the edge to LMI for me. Reeves expected the kids to carry the scene in an intimate way and they delivered.

Edge
LMI. I prefer almost everything about it.


Scene 2a Vampire enters

Photography
Same as above.

Music
LTROI opts for minimal music here. It works well. It seems to swell up slowly in the background and supports the whole scene very quietly. It keeps a feeling of tension going along with some "sweet" melody.
LMI gets the same effect but we also get the little "wind" sound when Abby arrives again. This time she doesn't kill the music though.

Dialog
The dialog is very similar between the two movies here. It's the acting that alters the meaning.

Costumes
Same as before. Eli in boys clothes, Abby in girls clothes and barefoot. Owen still in his spacesuit.

Acting
Eli appears to have softened considerably from the first meeting. He/she is acting way less aggressively. We get some better shots of Lina this time and she comes off as very timid and fragile. I got the feeling he/she just wanted to be left alone in an emotional sense.

I really like the little shot of Chloë face when she shows up at the beginning in LMI. She was able to project a feeling of apprehension not shown in LTROI. I actually again wondered if she was contemplating having Owen for lunch....but in a "resigned to my fate" sort of way. When she suggests that Owen leave, I felt it was to get him away from her in a more physical sense.

Kare has another interesting moment here. Right after he says "I've lived here longer than you" he gets a smug look on his face. A "take that!" moment. This further cements my impression of him as "offensive" toward Eli.

Owen again seems more "defensive" a character than Oskar. This is all because of Kodi's vulnerable looking face and acting. I can still feel the fresh wounds from the earlier meeting with Abby.

Direction
This time Alfredson gave us some close-ups of Kare and Lina and it helps give them more opportunity to convey some character moments. He also gave more buildup to the kids first speaking to each other. I found that very effective.
Reeves continues what did with their first meeting. The kids carry the scene again.

Edge
Tie. But I really like what Kare did in this snippet. The increased intimacy in this scene in LTROI was more to my liking over the previous scene.


Scene 2b Rubik's Cube

Same photography and music as above obviously.

Dialog
The theatrical subs claim Oskar says "You can give it back tomorrow." but he only says two words. The magnolia subs say "Til tomorrow". That may be more accurate in this case. Also the magnolia subs make more sense when Oskar says "See you Monday" as opposed to "See you tomorrow" since "tomorrow" had been previously ruled out. Again the weakness of not speaking the language rears its head.
Eli and Oskar have a nice back and forth where Eli reveals that he/she may not be there long. I like what that adds to the character of Eli.
The two different answers to "Aren't you cold?" are interesting. I like both for different reasons.
LTROI's "I guess I've forgotten how" speaks to Eli being very old while LMI's "I don't really get cold" is another one of those honest forlorn answers from Abby. The line does fit in LMI better since Abby is barefoot and we see that's what prompts Owen to ask the question.
Another subtle difference is that Abby does not respond when Owen says goodbye while Eli does. In Abby's case, this could be due to vampire lore that states vampires are fascinated with puzzles. (something I just found out about) But it could also mean that Abby isn't quite willing to be friendly with Owen yet.

Acting
Oskar shows the first signs that he may have a sweet side. He offers Eli the Rubik's cube. But he's not going too far with it...he doesn't actually turn to face Eli, just looks over his shoulder at him/her. Kare is good in this snippet too. Watch him close when he decides to get a good sniff of Eli. It's a small thing, but I like how he did it. His reaction to Eli's confusing "I guess I've forgotten how" is very well done. You can see "WTF?" written all over his face. I'll even say Kare outshone Lina in this part.

Lina gets some close-ups, but I don't think she did a whole lot with it. She appeared to just deliver the lines there. (Or whoever the actress was that said the lines) Her sweet face tells us a lot of course...and maybe that's enough. I feel sympathy for her. Kare carries the scene believe it or not.

This is one of those character moments that Chloë provides throughout the movie. When Owen first turns to look at her, she backs away sharply. Chloë at first displays trepidation and anxiety....which she turns into a quiet determined wariness at the very end (note the subtle jaw-clench). That's the kind of acting I enjoy most. She said nothing with her mouth and a page of dialog with her face.

Kodi makes Owen a sweeter kid than Kare does. He has a more friendly posture toward Abby and actually rises to sit closer to Abby when showing her the Rubik's cube. I really like how he delivers "You smell kinda funny."

Direction
I especially like how Reeves gave us a shot of Abby watching Owen walk away. The two directors seemed to emphasize different things. Alfredson paced the beginning of this sequence slower, Reeves ended it slower. I don't have a real preference for either, both worked for me. Alfredson also gave us a real long shot of Eli's face when he/she was having stomach pains. Something was done to Lina's face there because it doesn't look like her. She looks older. Alfredson claims he wanted Eli to be "a very old woman in a 12 year old body" so that may be what he was trying to convey. Some real convincing pain there....physical and emotional. Of course if Reeves would have done that, he would be accused of being "unsubtle" ("Reeves needed special effects to led the audience by the hand!")
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Edge
LMI by a nose. Two great scenes in my book. Chloë's acting made the LMI version slightly better.
 
so? foreign movies count.

They do. But to see American investors take such a chance on a vampire movie and let Reeves make it with 12 year olds (they wanted Twilight) is rare. The fact that it failed is discouraging. And I personally liked a lot of things it did not in the original. I'm not saying it is better, but I do appreciate the differences and think it is a strong film in its own right.
 
so? foreign movies count.
They're different markets with different audiences. The foreign market is much more open and accepting of outside-the-box type of stories. It's hardly surprising that the original was so embraced in that market when it came out. For the American market, it's kind of a miracle a movie like this was given a wide release at all, and was allowed to be faithful to the more challenging tone of the story.

I really, really enjoyed it. In fact, I hate saying this, but I think I like it better than LTROI. While LTROI still has the better early scenes between Oskar/Eli when they first meet outside and play with puzzles....I think the big emotional scenes between Owen and Abby are much more mature. The element of evil that is introduced in this film with the mother's emphasis on religion and Reagan at the beginning is paid off nicely with Owen questioning his own morality and righteousness. It's just so well done.
Haha, this was pretty much my exact first reaction to this film. I'm rarely impressed with vampire films, but LTROI was the only one I'd ever truly loved. It was without a doubt my #1 favorite vampire film. Until I saw the remake, and much to my own confusion, actually preferred it. Took me a while to come to terms with that, lol.
 
I think there isn't enough diffrence to the point, it's pointless. Can't help but watch this movie and compare it unfavourably. I have nothing against remakes as long as they are good and do enough to distinguish themselves (Battlestar Galatica for example).

There really isn't that much of the difference with the original movie culture wise that an American (or British as I am) audience can't watch it, understand it, and enjoy it. So, what's the point? It's the same with Documentary movies, before Michael Moore (love him or hate him) hardly any would get shown in a theatre to a mainstream audience, even then, they need a star power behind them to even get shown to a bigger audience (usually with some celeb doing the narration). Are people really that close minded?

I disagree. I actually hate when someone calls any movie "pointless." It seems just because they don't think it should have been made, that validates the film's existence as insulting....or at least "pointless." If you found the original perfect and could not bear with a different version of it that is fine. But there are plenty of films that play well enough that get remade and people love. Insomnia, Infernal Affairs/The Departed, Brothers, etc.

Those aren't remade because of cultural differences, but because either filmmakers or businessmen see a creative or monetary value in remaking the story for a different audience. Most people love the Coen Brothers' True Grit. But other than the ending it is nearly a scene-for-scene remake of the 1969 film. Much like LMI it shares many of the same scenes of LTROI. The difference is in how they're executed, shot, acted, etc.

I think LMI introduced a number of elements that distinguishes it positively. While as a whole I find the cinematography of LMI to be below the standards of LTROI, a lot of it was a conscious choice on the part of Reeves to make the camera more intimate. While Alfredson preferred wide isolating frames that in brightly lit snow was sterile and lonely, Reeves preferred to make it a POV story and seeing the world through the children's eyes, particularly Owen. He is a voyeur who we see the world through. He is cut off from his parents, neighbors and authority figures. We see them solely as he does. It only passes the narration off to Abby and Thomas in key scenes and there is a visual cue of this occurring.

Thomas's murders are not shot in wide, disinterested angles that reflect a matter-of-fact coldness to the brutality and violence. Instead it is constructed as elaborate murders that we first see executed flawlessly and then slowly unraveling ending in Thomas's literal descent. These sequences are shot to first horrify the audience and slowly for the audience to root for Thomas to kill the kid and get away. It is Hitchcockian and it is great. The scene of the car crash is of equal brilliance as the swimming pool one-shot in the original film.

Then in general Thomas and Abby have a far more intimate relationship. We know their history, but given that Eli is really a boy in LTROI, it is likely that Hakan is really a monster in the original film. That would explain why she had no sympathy or tenderness for him and draining him was more of an entitlement than a moment of reluctant sadness. This also gives ominous undertones for Owen's fate. In the original the ending (which I prefer) is all sunshine with smiling children and happy music. In the remake we do not see Abby's face in the swimming pool scene or again for the rest of the movie, just Owen at her blood soaked feet and a look of obsessed devotion on his face. The music is more melancholy and he is humming the unsettling "eat some now, save some for later" as he rides off to his ambiguous fate.

There are other things like the framing device at the beginning, the removal of extraneous subplots that I thought weighed down the original (Virginia and Lacke, the cheesy CGI cat scene, etc.) and the introduction of evil. The author said he set it in his hoemtown in the 1980s because they "had no Churches and thus no history," implying they were unready for the kind of destruction Eli and Hakan would bring. In LMI, Owen has a religious mother who is not there. He lives in the days of Reagan. The evil empire speech is on the TV saying Americans are inherently good, but Owen doesn't feel that with his thoughts of murdering his bullies or his bullies in general. Also, he steals money from his mother and looks at a picture of Jesus watching him as he does it, showing he understands his weakness. When he sees a vampire his first thought is not to keep it to himself but seek counsel from first his passed out, alcoholic religious mother and then his father. It is implied if just one of them could have reached out to him he may have gone a different way. But the possible evil Abby represents and he feels himself is shunned by his father. He then goes to see Abby on his own feeling isolated and begins to seal his presumable doom.

They are actually quite different movies.
 
Those aren't remade because of cultural differences, but because either filmmakers or businessmen see a creative or monetary value in remaking the story for a different audience. Most people love the Coen Brothers' True Grit. But other than the ending it is nearly a scene-for-scene remake of the 1969 film. Much like LMI it shares many of the same scenes of LTROI. The difference is in how they're executed, shot, acted, etc.
Agreed. I love the first True Grit and LTROI...and the remakes were both awesome. Having another storyteller take a crack at a great story certainly isn't a bad thing. That's why we still have Shakespeare.

Thomas's murders are not shot in wide, disinterested angles that reflect a matter-of-fact coldness to the brutality and violence. Instead it is constructed as elaborate murders that we first see executed flawlessly and then slowly unraveling ending in Thomas's literal descent. These sequences are shot to first horrify the audience and slowly for the audience to root for Thomas to kill the kid and get away. It is Hitchcockian and it is great. The scene of the car crash is of equal brilliance as the swimming pool one-shot in the original film.
Interesting that a movie made by a British studio and directed by a guy who filled the movie with techniques pioneered by a British director would be referred to as an "American remake" by so many. Heck...half of the four main cast members aren't even from the U.S.

Then in general Thomas and Abby have a far more intimate relationship. We know their history, but given that Eli is really a boy in LTROI, it is likely that Hakan is really a monster in the original film. That would explain why she had no sympathy or tenderness for him and draining him was more of an entitlement than a moment of reluctant sadness.
I actually went to the trouble to time it when Thomas and Hakan offer their necks to Abby and Eli to see which vampire took the offer quicker. It wasn't close. Abby took about 10 seconds...Eli took 3 seconds. That's a huge difference on film.
When he sees a vampire his first thought is not to keep it to himself but seek counsel from first his passed out, alcoholic religious mother and then his father. It is implied if just one of them could have reached out to him he may have gone a different way.
That occurred to me too. If Mom had woken up...the whole movie would probably have changed. In her drunken state, she probably would have sat Owen down and given him an hour-long sermon on evil. Most likely she would have talked him down and even convinced him he didn't really see what he thought he saw....but that he should stay away from "that evil girl" anyway.

They are actually quite different movies.
Indeed.
 
Watched this tonight, never seen the swedish version and never read the book but thought this movie was great, Chloe and Kodi were both superb, both are going to be very good actors,

8.5/10.
 
Man I just saw this and it was a great movie. Really cool story, great acting. Im not surprised this didnt do that well though, I am surprised this didn't get more award love.

The ending is actually really haunting when you think about it
Owen could very well end up like Richard Jenkins's character
 
Very interesting read Jeet. Will you be doing more?

I wish they had used the jump off the jungle gym in the remake. I read that it was one of the few cgi shots they did to show off how otherworldly she was.
 

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