"Let The Right One In" EXCEEDS expectations

I would like to first and foremost thank TxTMovieClub for making my experience

Vampire mythology has been a cinema joy with the likes of Bela Lugosi to Ann Rice's popular novel adaptation Interview With The Vampire for as many years as Dracula himself has been around ;). This in particular is the time of season for pale skin, having to be invited in, masses of people who are left bloodless, and a little vampire romance.

On the horizon of the inevitable blockbuster, the adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight (and the fans by the thousands prepared for the film) coming out, and also what they are calling the return to excellence of HBO's "original" series', TrueBlood. Vampires are taking a bite out mainstream cinema, television, and books everywhere!

But somewhere in the craziness of fangirls galore, slowly crept a Swedish film entitled "Låt den rätte komma in" or Let The Right One In. This film is fantastically dark and original and gives an ominous "Pans Labyrinth" feeling. I will now give my ::slips into my professional suit:: synopsis before I kick my shoes off and take a bite into what I really thought (haha okay enough vampire jokes)

Fragile 12 year old Oskar is frequently bullied by his peers at the local school. Oskar has a curious streak to all the local murders of these exsanguinated teens and adults. The curious, yet lonely boy is surprised when he meets up with the new neighbor girl. She's smart, intense, very pale, doesn't care it's Sweden and there is 20 feet of snow, of course never is seen during the day, and her name is Eli. As the murders continue; a man found in frozen ice, and a young man found hanging by his feet bleeding from a tree. Still obsessed with these murders and also fights with the demons of his school bullies, he reaches out to the mysterious Eli for support to stand up for himself! This artistic, powerful film is filled with proof that photography, breathtaking acting, body language, and a stylized form of horror that is rarely used makes for a phenomenal film.

::slips out of professional suit and put on pj's::

Guys, seriously... we've heard the girls scream for the Twilight cast, we have watched Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Gary Oldman playing some of our favorite vampires. But it's not until you see it from the view of cinema of a foreign country. I think the best way I can put it, is that the film other then AMAZING, was great in the way that where in the American films about vampires everything is IN YOUR FACE and very blatant and openly gory.

This is going to sound odd I think to some of you, but I'm going to try to make my point the best way that it's in my head. I found a parallel of how this film is made in comparison to a film like Interview With The Vampire, or what I anticipate Twilight to be (of course I can't be quoted b/c I haven't seen it but you get what I mean). Okay.. you know the difference between "drug" movies that openly PREACH that drugs are bad, and it basically has a subtitle on the bottom saying "DONT DO DRUGS DONT DO DRUGS DONT DO DRUGS", and then there's the films that portray drugs in a way where they aren't preaching that they are bad, but just show the outcome and let you decide for yourself.

Though this film isn't about drugs. The parallel that I was driving at is that, this "vampire" film, doesn't throw anything at your face It's the underlining symbolism and the ability that the writers and director allows you to put everything together yourself; almost noir style.

I am so excited about this film and I'm still tingling since seeing it.

I don't want to give away spoilers UNTIL the movie officially comes out on Friday.
But discussion questions... what is your favorite vampire story/book/movie? Who plays the best vampire?

And of course anyone who saw the movie COME HERE!!! I have a tendency of starting discussions and not having anyone respond :-/

XOXO
Rand