"Let The Right One In" vs. "Let Me In" [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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Worf101
10-12-2010, 05:37 AM
If you recall my original review of "Let the Right One In" from a couple of years ago, you know I loved this movie. It was a Sweedish film released in 2008 which chronicled the life of small high school student who's ignored at home and bullied at school. His life is one un-ending cycle of abuse and neglect until new neighbors move in, an older man and young girl who appears to be about his age.

What unfolds is a story of love, betrayal, commitment and revenge. While I thought the movie was great I didn't expect it to get the "hollywood treatment" so soon. Released under the title "Let Me In", the U.S. version tells basically the same story with some major differneces.

1. Blood!!!! In this post "True Blood" world movie goers want their Vampire flicks buckets o' blood. The Original Sweedish film is singular in it's eschewing of the stuff, the American remake swims in it.

2. Adults: In the Sweedish film the Police are never involved, in the remake the local Police Detective drives the narrative in many ways.

3. Parents: In the remake, you never see the protagonists parents. You see his alcoholic mother's body but her face is deliberately obscured. The vampire girls "father" is shown in detail.

4. Politics: In the remaike the film is set in 1983 and the opening sequence features Regan on the Television talking about the nature of "evil".

Which was better?
I prefer the original myself but only slightly. Because it was foreign and fresh, I had no clue and no expectations. I was able to immerse myself in the story completely because I had no idea as to where it was going to go. I found the performances in the original more believeable and nuanced. I also liked the almost complete lack of blood. I did like the manner in which the new version clearly stated how neglected some kids are and how bullying often goes completely unnoticed by parents and school officials, with disasterous consequences.

I did NOT like the use of CGI in the attack sequences, it looked poor and rushed, definately low grade special effects. Still in all I'd recommend you rent "Let the Right One In" and seel "Let Me In" both are good films and should do your own comparison.

Worf

Kam
10-12-2010, 08:20 AM
If you recall my original review of "Let the Right One In" from a couple of years ago, you know I loved this movie. It was a Sweedish film released in 2008 which chronicled the life of small high school student who's ignored at home and bullied at school. His life is one un-ending cycle of abuse and neglect until new neighbors move in, an older man and young girl who appears to be about his age.

What unfolds is a story of love, betrayal, commitment and revenge. While I thought the movie was great I didn't expect it to get the "hollywood treatment" so soon. Released under the title "Let Me In", the U.S. version tells basically the same story with some major differneces.

1. Blood!!!! In this post "True Blood" world movie goers want their Vampire flicks buckets o' blood. The Original Sweedish film is singular in it's eschewing of the stuff, the American remake swims in it.

2. Adults: In the Sweedish film the Police are never involved, in the remake the local Police Detective drives the narrative in many ways.

3. Parents: In the remake, you never see the protagonists parents. You see his alcoholic mother's body but her face is deliberately obscured. The vampire girls "father" is shown in detail.

4. Politics: In the remaike the film is set in 1983 and the opening sequence features Regan on the Television talking about the nature of "evil".

Which was better?
I prefer the original myself but only slightly. Because it was foreign and fresh, I had no clue and no expectations. I was able to immerse myself in the story completely because I had no idea as to where it was going to go. I found the performances in the original more believeable and nuanced. I also liked the almost complete lack of blood. I did like the manner in which the new version clearly stated how neglected some kids are and how bullying often goes completely unnoticed by parents and school officials, with disasterous consequences.

I did NOT like the use of CGI in the attack sequences, it looked poor and rushed, definately low grade special effects. Still in all I'd recommend you rent "Let the Right One In" and seel "Let Me In" both are good films and should do your own comparison.

Worf

eh. i'll wait till cable, if then. it's a business and the more support remakes are given, the more remakes will be made. sure, everything is a version of some other story, but c'mon... at least wait a few years. I loved Let the Right One In. I never understood remaking well made movies, but then again, i don't get why the genre of comedies would be made the subject of a comedic spoof movie. So what do I know?

dean_martin
10-12-2010, 09:00 AM
Hollywood knows "Let the Right One in" is an excellent film. Hollywood also knows that most teens and early twenties American kids don't like subtitles and will avoid movies with subtitles. Hollywood also knows that vampires are in now. ****! If you were Hollywood, what would you do?

I've tried to add foreign movies to my 21 year old son's collection. He resists because of the subtitles. I bought him the book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and he loved it but he won't watch the original foreign version of the film because of the subtitles. I'm going to do to him what the gov't did to Alex in A Clockwork Orange - strap him in a chair, fasten his eyelids open and make him watch 8 1/2, The Vanishing (original), Open Your Eyes, Amelie, La Femme Nikita, and Cinema Paradiso. We'll take a break then I'll get my Asian list together.

I think at some point a light turns on and subtitles are welcomed (much more preferable than dubbed voices), but it's usually after the age of Hollywood's target audience.

Kam
10-12-2010, 09:38 AM
Hollywood knows "Let the Right One in" is an excellent film. Hollywood also knows that most teens and early twenties American kids don't like subtitles and will avoid movies with subtitles. Hollywood also knows that vampires are in now. ****! If you were Hollywood, what would you do?

I've tried to add foreign movies to my 21 year old son's collection. He resists because of the subtitles. I bought him the book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and he loved it but he won't watch the original foreign version of the film because of the subtitles. I'm going to do to him what the gov't did to Alex in A Clockwork Orange - strap him in a chair, fasten his eyelids open and make him watch 8 1/2, The Vanishing (original), Open Your Eyes, Amelie, La Femme Nikita, and Cinema Paradiso. We'll take a break then I'll get my Asian list together.

I think at some point a light turns on and subtitles are welcomed (much more preferable than dubbed voices), but it's usually after the age of Hollywood's target audience.

The problem is that even if the original was made in English, it's not a mainstream movie. The one remake that makes sense to me based on that argument (which i do agree is probably made very often) is The Departed. Remaking a mainstream Hong Kong movie into a mainstream hollywood movie isn't that big of a leap (as much as i think Infernal Affairs is the superior movie). But remaking a small art-house, non-traditional (or actually more purely traditional) vampire movie into a main stream Hollywood production just doesn't work (thankfully in this case the boxoffice supports my hindsight observations).

I can't really critique it because I haven't seen this remake, but that's my point. I don't want to see it, i want to vote with my movie watching dollars on things i want to see Hollywood make, or at least attempt to make.

And Last Airbender notwithstanding, at least M. Night was trying (and arguably failing) on new* material. (*yes, i know there's nothing new under the sun). And kudos to Chris Nolan for playing the game and doing the Hollywood franchises in order to do his own movies (Inception). If i have to choose between putting my money towards two crap movies, and one is an attempt at being original, and the other is a remake of a movie that came out last year... i'll put it towards the original. (getting off soap box now!) :D