Is it vewy scawy?

Vampire frenzy is sweeping the box office with the release of Twilight. And yeah, I admit it. I've read the books to see what all the hubbub is about.

Was I slightly reminded of some books I read in middle school and high school? Yes.

Does the series realistically portray (and therefore transport you back into) the cliquishness, innocence, buzz of "firsts" dramas many of us experienced or at least were aware of in high school? Kind of.

Still, the series fumbled in its language and didn't grab me to the point that I was hooked. Reminds me of my relationship with {uh oh. here I go} Harry Potter.

This post doesn't mean I won't eventually go see Twilight or rent it. It's probably a fun watch. It does mean that I 'm not running to go see it.

However, this post is for a different, less flashy type of vampire tale:
Let the Right One In



Saw it last night at the Tara. It wasn't what I was expecting which is why it took a few hours for me to realize how bruising the movie actually was. I didn't find it vewy scawy as the trailers seemed to indicate. It was beautiful, sad, eerie, quiet and a little gory.

The film not only captures the loneliness and precarious relationships of the characters, but also the Scandinavian melancholy that sets in with the winter. The cinematography is lovely and chilling and unfurls all of those small details. I think that the subtitles take away from the movie since the tension in the character's faces often affect you more than the words they've chosen to translate.

I read a few reviews this morning while thinking more about it and Carina Chocano hit the nail on the head in the LA Times Review with this single sentence:

The double-edged title — which refers to a bloodsucking technicality that says vampires must be invited into a victim's home before they can attack — raises the question of who we allow into our lives when our options are limited.

Now let's see if I like the book ;)