Inside Movies & DVD with Drew McWeeny

Watch: Richard Jenkins goes hunting for humans in vampire remake 'Let Me In'

Remaking excellent foreign films so people don't have to read: Discuss.

By Alex Dorn Tuesday, Sep 7, 2010 3:21 PM

I'm curious, has anyone who reads Motion/Captured not seen "Let The Right One In?" Is talking about things that happened in a movie that came out two years ago considered worthy of a "spoiler alert" if the movie is being re-made for an American audience?

I ask this because although I have not seen "Let Me In" like some of the HItFix staff has, I know exactly what's going on in this clip that was released for public consumption today. (It was played at its panel at Comic Con.) I would guess that most American horror fans who don't have a problem with the whole "reading thing," will have seen "Let the Right One In" and will also recall a similar situation with this character out hunting. I guess I won't go into it for those who will see this story for the first time in English, no reading required.

I do admit, this clip definitely piques my interest in the new version. Something about this scene feels very different from the Swedish film. A slightly more raw and jarring sensibility that is not present in the original. I guess it feels, unsurprisingly, more "American" to me.

Matt Reeves did a great job manipulating tension in "Cloverfield" (as well as making me carsick) and appears to be fine tuning that craft here. The garbage bag mask pushes all our horror buttons (notes of "Friday the 13th Part 2" and "The Strangers") and I gotta say, the music is perfect.

Watch the new clip embedded above.

"Let Me In" will open Fantastic Fest and should be in theaters October 1st 2010

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Alex Dorn

Related Searches: Richard Jenkins, Let Me In, Matt Reeves, vampires

chris

i think perhaps the "different" vibe you're picking up on could best be described as "stupid." that was a really bad plan richard jenkins had to get that kid huh? at least, as far as the clip showed us. how long had been waiting in the back of that car? what if one of the kids had looked back earlier? what if the kid in the gas station hadn't left his keys in the car? why did it take so long to subdue the one kid anyway? good thing those two jocks happened by to distract the kid in the gas station huh!
maybe part of jenkins character in this one is that he's really bad at stalking people. the dude in the first one had kind of mixed feelings about it. but that whole scene played clichÃ©d and thick headed to me. we'll see i suppose.
September 7, 2010 at 4:20PM EST Reply to Comment
- Writing this reminded me that I actually had that same reaction to "The Strangers" all the way through... suspension of disbelief works in mysterious ways, and may work better in context? And Yes, Jenkins has to be bad at it in order to get to the ending.
  September 7, 2010 at 5:52PM EST
TC

Perhaps some of your readers just haven't been able to see every film released of merit, and yes, that includes me. So not having seen the original doesn't make us mouth-breathers who hate foreign films. I'll hope to see Let The Right One In before too much more time goes by, but it's not because I hate reading, you snarky little monkey. (A little reminder: the economy sucks and disposable income ain't what it used to be. Seeing films is a luxury these days if one is not employed.)
September 7, 2010 at 6:17PM EST Reply to Comment
BungaloBilly

I have seen the original and was not blown away by it like seemingly everyone else on the planet. I really did enjoy that clip though, always like hearing some Blue Oyster Cult and I thought the scene was quite effective and well executed. I have a feeling this remake may in fact not be as terrible as many are predicting (hoping?) it will be.
September 7, 2010 at 8:38PM EST Reply to Comment
The clip is downright silly and very generic Hollywood horror fodder. Where the original scene was rather sad, this is falling into the "this makes me angry" trope, where Jenkins is outwardly saying he wants to get caught. Where as, with the original we felt that. Thought that. Not were outwardly told that. Oh also in the movie he actually tells Abbey that. So yeah, with this remake? PASS.
September 7, 2010 at 10:01PM EST Reply to Comment
ADD644

Drew why is it people like you think all American movies are just for Americans you say Let me in is being remade for American audiences what about the rest of the world do our opinions count? answer no you and a lot of critics like Harry KLnowles are very Americancentric its not just Americans that watch these movies or visit movie websites you people are very self centred and secular typical
Arrogance you wonder why the world hates you
September 8, 2010 at 8:21AM EST Reply to Comment
- AnEditor While it doesn't have to do directly with the point you're trying to make, you may want to read the by-line to a piece before commenting. Drew didn't write this, Alex Dorn did, and by starting your comment as an attack on Drew, it makes other readers tend to discount what you're saying in general.
  September 8, 2010 at 11:17AM EST
Fawst

Wow. There's a whole lot of fail in these comments.

TC, he didn't say "if you haven't seen this, you're a mouth-breather that hates subtitles." He said he assumes most people who don't mind them will have seen this by now. You just happen to not be one of the "most" in this case. Yeesh.

ADD644, dude... seriously? Save that stuff for the CNN and Fox News comment sections. This film is specifically being made for an American audience, by an American director, with American sensibilities. It doesn't mean that people from other countries can't, or shouldn't, enjoy it. In case you hadn't noticed, the reason this remake is happening in the first place is BECAUSE people from another country loved the original (and good ol' money, that's another reason).

So you go ahead and call Americans arrogant because of your failed comprehension of what Drew wrote. I'd challenge that Americans do not have a monopoly on arrogance. Your post proves that theory.

And as far as Harry and Drew being American-centric... THEY'RE AMERICAN. Jeez, what a concept! And speaking personally, I don't ever wonder why other countries hate us. I marvel at the fact that *I* don't hate other countries.

Finally, to get to the real point. Taking this clip for what it is, an out of context glimpse into the style and direction of the film, I really enjoyed it. The look is great. The tension is there. And the in-the-car tracking shot was great. I know what this scene is emulating from the original, and it makes more sense to me than the scene in the original.

Then again, I'm an arrogant American, so I connect well with this obviously American production.
September 8, 2010 at 11:11AM EST Reply to Comment
ADD644

to you an editor i messed up on the name i thought motion captured was drews blog not the other guys he should get his own blog
Well Fawst the fact harry and drew are Americans has knothing to do with their attitudes on websites thinking its only Americans on them ie talking about release dates for american audiences only for instance and refering to people outside of america as foreign like its just americans on them arrogance and your reply is typical of the wool pulled over eyes attitude i was talking about
September 8, 2010 at 3:10PM EST Reply to Comment