Hump-Day Harangue: The "Let Me In" Trailer--OK It Won't Suck, But Is It Necessary?

Let's get this out of the way right off the bat, because I've been sitting on this and mulling it over for quite a while. As many of you know, and have probably seen elsewhere, the first official trailer for Let Me In, Matt Reeves adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist's Swedish novel Let the Right One In, was unveiled earlier this month. For those who haven't seen it yet, here it is:



To merely refer to it as an adaptation of the novel is to be a bit coy however, as we all know that the book was, only two years ago, adapted into a superb Swedish film by Tomas Alfredson. It was a film which many called the greatest vampire movie of all time, and I would personally rank among the best films I've seen in recent years, perhaps second only to There Will Be Blood as the best film of the '00s. It was powerful, it was moving, it was expertly acted and directed, with an unforgettable score and a timeless quality few contemporary films maintain.

And so, to a certain extent, we must admit that Reeves' Let Me In is just another in a long line of English-language horror remakes put together in the wake of a successful foreign film, much as we saw with Quarantine ([REC]), The Ring (Ringu) and many others. Yes, Reeves claims to be going back to the original source material, but you and I both know that this movie would not have been made were it not for Alfredson's film. So what do we make of it?

Granted, my knee-jerk reaction is to lament the inanity of the American movie machine, which seems to have lost all faith in American audiences consuming anything that isn't completely spoon-fed to them. I mean, why not simply dub these successful foreign films into English if you're so worried about Americans not wanting to read subtitles? Did they remake The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in 1968 with all American actors? I guess the closest thing I can think of to this modern phenomenon is the way the original Gojira was ruined with new footage to appeal to American audiences in 1956. Is that really the model to be emulating?

But on the other hand, everything I've seen regarding this American version has been impressive. Chloe Moretz of Kick-Ass seems pitch-perfect as Eli (or Abby if they insist) and this Kodi Smit-McPhee kid they got to play Oskar (Owen...sigh, what's wrong with Oskar??) also seems up to the task. Checking out the trailer also gives me even more hope that this will be a good movie--the look is right, it seems to be faithful to the material, and the relationship between the two leads feels right. Also, love that Morse code ending. This does not seem (too much) like a watered-down Americanization. Some of the calm beauty of the Swedish film seems to be replaced with the typically dire, potboiler tone most Americans are more used to, but that could very well be the way the trailer is edited. And of course, Eli has been unequivocally confirmed as a girl, which was to be expected.

Still, one has to ask, why bother? If the reason is to truly go back to the book and do something different, they don't seem to going about it that way at all. Watching that trailer felt very much like watching Alfredson's film, down to specific moments and shots being mimicked (much like Quarantine did.) Sure, they're apparently exploring some stuff from the novel that wasn't in the other movie, such as the ultra-bizarre Hakan subplot, but quite frankly, from what I've seen, that doesn't seem to be playing much of a major part. Rather, it seems mainly to be aping Alfredson's work. And if that's the case, no matter how great it is, I'm still going to be walking away scratching my head wondering why it was even attempted. Or more accurately, I'll be shaking my head, knowing precisely the only reason it was attempted: another easy payday.

I'm so on the fence about this project, it's not even funny. Let the Right One In is a movie that's very close to my heart, and sure, I know the old saying, no matter what they do with it, the original still exists for me to enjoy. I just can't decide whether I'm happy about this new version or not. It does seem intriguing and well-made, I just hope that Reeves and company live up to their promise and give us something fresh and new--the novel is fertile enough ground to allow that--rather than just another spoon-fed American remake.

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REMINDER: For those who feel they missed out on the greatness that was Kevin Geeks Out!, I encourage you to get down to 92YTribeca in Manhattan this Friday night for the encore presentation of Mr. Maher's most acclaimed shlockfest of them all: Kevin Geeks Out About Sharks! I attended the initial presentation, and I can tell you it's a night you will carry with you till you sleep in Davey Jones' locker. Shark cupcakes will be provided for all, plus the first 10 people to arrive get a copy of the sold-out comic book Grizzly Shark and Sea Bear!

Kevin Geeks Out! returns for one night only, so don't miss out, dweebs! Get the ticket info and stuff at Kevin's blog.

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Chloe Moretz Goes Vamp in Reeves' Let Me In

By Paige MacGregor

The first image of Chloe Moretz in Matt Reeves’ Let Me In appeared online Friday courtesy of Entertainment Weekly (although the image quality isn’t great because it was only available in print and therefore had to be scanned for the internet). Moretz is best-known for her recent breakout role as the controversial foul-mouthed, gun-toting superhero Hit Girl in Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass. When not decked out in a black mask and purple wig, Moretz looks like any other 13-year-old girl; vulnerable and innocent, perfect for her role as the unassuming yet inherently creepy young girl named Abby in Let Me In.

The image doesn’t give us much information about Reeves’ film, a remake of Swedish vampire movie Let the Right One In (based on the book by John Ajvide Lindgvist), unless you’re already familiar with the original. The blood dripping down Moretz’ chin in the still, however, does indicate that the actress gets to do some vampy stuff; and given her credentials, we’re hoping it’s more along the lines of Kick-Ass than Twilight. Regardless, the image confirms that Moretz really is involved with Let Me In (Let Me In is slated for release this October, and it was hard for me to believe I’d get another dose of the young actress in the same year as Kick-Ass), which has me much more excited about Reeves’ remake than I otherwise might be.

Despite the fact that I was bored by Let the Right One In (I know, I know, it’s an amazing movie and I’m going to re-watch because everyone tells me that it’s so good), I’m expecting quite a bit from Let Me In given the immense talent of Chloe Moretz, who reminds me of a young Natalie Portman in The Professional. I’m particularly curious to see Moretz’ portrayal of Abby, a mysterious girl who befriends the film’s protagonist, a 12-year-old outcast named Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Let Me In will follow Owen, a lonely boy who spends his days plotting revenge on the children that bully him and his nights spying on the other inhabitants of his apartment complex. Owen meets and befriends Abby, a girl around his age who only comes out at night and always with bare feet, seemingly impervious to the effects of the elements.

Peter Hall of Cinematical.com had the opportunity to speak with Matt Reeves at SXSW, and at that time the director made comparisons between Chloe and Linda Blair in The Exorcist:

"When I was working on Chloe I kept saying, it's not about playing a vampire,
it's about taking her and making her real and to deal with those darker sides of
ourselves, the primal nature. When you think of the Exorcist you think of Linda
Blair and pea soup and all this madness, but really if you look at the first
half of that film, the stuff between her and Ellen Burstyn is so naturalistic
and so real. She's incredible in it! People think 'Oh, it's the Exorcist and
she's just doing crazy,' but she's so terrific in it and so believable as this
young, 13-year old girl. That was really what I meant in the approach of trying
to get into that tone. To take this story as if it were utterly real, and if
it's real, that would be horrifying."

For more information on Reeves' film, visit the IMDb page for Let Me In.

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Hump-Day Harangue: Might the American Let the Right One In Actually Be... Good??

Normally, I use this space as a platform from which to launch my vitriol at this or that outrage going on in the world of horror. But this week, it was suggested to my by BJ-C of Day of the Woman that I use the Hump-Day Harangue as a force for good. And so help me, I shall. Because I'm daring to hope here, and I'm bucking the trend of negativity on one particular hot-button issue going on right now in the online horror community.

I'm daring to hope that the imminent American remake of Let the Right One In... will actually be good.

Granted, there is much working against me in this foolish hope. The very notion, for example, that the title has been changed to the dumbed-down "Let Me In"--a variant translation that loses the nuance and the Morrissey reference--is repellent to me. But I'm trying my best to look past that. I'm trying to keep an open mind here.

This was exactly the opposite of what I did when Quarantine was vomited forth in the wake of the international adulation surrounding [REC]. I adore [REC] and to this day, I have not even seen Quarantine. That one was a bitter pill to swallow.

Similarly, last year, I absolutely fell in love with Let the Right One In, and have championed it ever since. I felt it was robbed at the Oscars, and that it deserved a full-scale American release. So you can imagine my initial depression upon learning that it, too, would be getting the instand-English-language-remake treatment.

But folks, one can only be outraged for so long. Instead, i'm trying to channel my energies toward hoping that Matt Reeves and company do the novel proud. I'll say this: I enjoyed Cloverfield, Reeves most high-profile effort to date. I know there was a bit of a backlash against it, but I found it to be an enjoyable popcorn flick, though admittedly haven't been driven to watch it again since seeing it in the theater.

I guess that's reason to be concerned, since the original Let the Right One In is a film of far greater richness and depth than Cloverfield. It is not a popcorn flick, nor should it be directed as such. Hopefully, Reeves has it in him to wow us with something more evocative and though-provoking than his previous work.

I'll admit, what first got me wondering if this remake could potentially be worthwhile were the amazing posters and one-sheets that were released (leaked?) to the web earlier this week. While some Vault Dwellers have expressed to me their displeasure with them, I found them to be pretty impressive, as did BJ-C, another died-in-the-wool LTROI worshipper and remake-basher. They seemed to capture some of the "soul" of the Swedish original, if that can be said of a poster.

I know, that's a pretyy flimsy reason to hold out hope for a movie. But what is my other option? To let the bile build back up again as I lament the dumbing down of the American movie industry, and the lazy moviegoing audiences that allow it to get away with travesty after travesty? My doctor's been telling me to watch my stress levels, thank you very much.

All I'm hoping for is something that even approaches the original. The movie is going to happen, so at least I can hope for the best. I'll go on record as saying that I actually enjoy the American remake of The Ring better than the original Japanese--so who knows?

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