Let the Right One In

Ok... so there's going to be a remake of the 2008 Swedish vampire film which will be released this October. I actually saw this a couple of months ago on Netflix's horror section and was very enticed by it. I love foreign films for their take on genres that have been exploited over the years. The mighty vampire, one of my favorite mythical creatures, has been shown in a whole new light, however, it's not the sweet, attractive, sexy portrayal that Twilight likes to promote. 

"Drinking human blood is bad bad," so they say.
 
Anyway, the androgenous vampire girl named Abby in Let the Right One In, is thoroughly creepy and mysterious, and shall be replayed by the awesome Chloe Grace Moretz, who I just saw in Kick Ass, as 'Hit Girl'. I do love this little girls performances in that recent movie and 500 Days of Summer. She's obviously the new Dakota/Abigail Breslin. We will see her in more many films for sure.
 
Well, it's pretty much about a quiet, shy little boy , named Owen, who gets bullied from day to day, who meets a new neighbor who lives with her father. It's always at night time when he sees her, and even though he is in sweaters and Eskimo coats, she barely wears anything, and never seems affected by the cold. These two are fast friends and before you know it, people in their town are coming up missing, or found with their blood drained, sometimes hanging upside down from trees. After the disappearance of her father, Abby soon has to fend for herself and with that, Owen starts to feel that his new friend has a terrible secret. Does it alarm him? Not really, once his bullies start to experience terrible events.
 
I think it should be left alone the original was beautifully made, however, I am curious to see the American version. I just hope they don't destroy it, kind of how they did with Ju-On, the Japanese version of The Grudge.
We'll see October 1st 2010.

Clash of the Titans

Excitement for this movie was at an all time high, however, I hate to admit that I was less than impressed. The original version was visually revolutionary in it's time, so after a couple of decades it's expected for it to be remade with modern technology. With a wonderful cast including Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Sam Worthington, who is quickly becoming the new face of the silver screen, with leading roles in movies such as Avatar and Terminator Salvation, this movie was destined to be great. Liam Neeson in Zeus, king of the Gods, and is very angry with humans for not praying to him and turning against him. He thus listens to his brother, whom he betrayed at the beginning of their existence, Hades, whom he has sent to live in misery in the underworld. Something should warn him not to trust him. I sense some treachery here!

However, Zeus is not so insightful, he allows Hades to wreck havoc on humanity, in hopes that he will once again be blessed with their prayers and increase his strength. Of course, this is not the expected outcome, this only makes Hades stronger. All the while, Zeus's son, a demi-God, named Perseus has been sent by the King of Argos to stop the Gods. Wanting revenge on Hades for killing his family, Perseus accepts this quest with vigor. With a team of soldiers, and a woman who has been watching Perseus from afar, he sets off to complete a series of tasks that will ultimately help him conquer the notorious monster called the Kraken.

Nonetheless, after a plot that seems so promising, it fell short to produce the excitement I was looking for or live up to my expectations. The action sequences were so abrupt, the dialogue faulty. With that said, I am sure there will be those who are satisfied. The story has been changed here and there, characters added, and removed. It did feel a little rushed, I wouldn't have minded if the characters would have been developed a little further, sadly most of them die right after you begin to identify and like them.

There are substantial special effects that were nice to see, my favorite part being Medussa's lair. I admit, she was a pretty cool character, once again, killed way too fast. With what's in theaters right now, I would see Clash of the Titans if you are looking for a period piece with an interesting, yet flawed premise. It will quench your thirst for action.