Search results matching tags 'reviews' and 'Vampires'

"Let the Right One In": a Swedish vampire flick

MediaPhile@evpl — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 21:58:00 GMT

A Swedish vampire flick, you say? Impossible -- there is no such genre!

But here it is in the flesh. And it turns out that it not only netted a whopping 97% rating on rottentomatoes.com but "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves is making an American version to be released in 2010.

So is it worth all the hype? Well, yes and no.

I am of the opinion that American filmmaking is so good that it is hard to find a "foreign" flick that rivals our productions technologically -- in cinematography, editing, special effects, sound quality, etc. Our acting and directing techniques are also quite polished. And, of course, a ton of money is poured into most American productions, and money talks in alot of ways.

That said, this film -- in Swedish with English dubbing -- has a striking and inventive plot, an increasingly forbidding atmosphere, and two marvelous child actors -- the blonde (almost Albino) Oskar and the dark mysterious Eli who moves in next door. So what if some of the minor characters can't act and the set designs shout of production on a shoestring? It is still a really cool flick and I can't wait for Reeves' version due out next year!

By the way, the movie is based on a bestselling Swedish novel, Låt Den Rätte Komma In by John Alvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie.

"Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

myzticrhythmz@evpl — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:09:00 GMT

Okay; I admit it. I have never liked vampires. From a very young age, I have been really very scared of them.

So when the Twilight books came out, I was reluctant to take them on. Sure, Harry Potter had his Dementors, but you could be pretty sure Harry would come out okay. With vampires, though, you never know.

But folks kept requesting the books, and other adults were telling me how good they were. So, as if drawn by the proverbial apple on the cover, I bit.

This is a well-written book for teens that has some appeal for adults as well. Bella is the quintessential misfit, the new girl at school. When she sees Edward, she is instantly enthralled by him, as are most of the other girls. That Edward and his family have a somewhat "unconventional" lifestyle doesn't seem to bother Bella. How the vampires cope in the human world, as well as with other supernatural beings, kept me reading on, and also sets the stage for other books in the Twilight series.

I'm glad, ultimately, that I read Twilight. The author has a very lyrical style, and seems to deal with the supernatural in ways that people can relate to - it's not gory or sensational. And, setting aside my cynical-adult hat for a moment, I have to say that the misfit teen/grand, eternal passion theme had a familiar, wistful resonance for me, as well.