Final Paper-Let the Right One In

Society today is irrevocably in love with these mythical blood sucking vampires. Myself being one of these huge fans, I was very intrigued by the film; Let the Right One In, by Thomas Alfredson. The film was brilliantly realistic and kept the audience on the edge of their seats! Alfredson has brought such a unique film to the horror genre and has given vampires a new look.
Thomas Alfredson did a wonderful job in making this film so realistic. Being a vampire fan and having seen numerous vampire films, this specific film made me fall in love with vampires even more then before! Most of the vampire films I have seen are always drenched in gore, which is not a bad thing, and the directors make the vampires look very cheesy and typical with the whole pale skin, fangs, and extreme beauty look. However, Alfredson made his main character, Eli the vampire, look like a real life vampire. The interesting part of this movie was the fact the Eli was in fact a little girl; she was only 12 years old. Never have I seen a vampire movie where the main vampire is a young girl, they are usually adults and very sexual. Alfredson took a different approach and made the vampire a young girl. She was no typical vampire; she had a very exceptional look. Her hair was always tussled and in her face, her skin was very pale and smooth, she had dark circles under her eyes, and always had a blank expression on her
face. Eli was always quiet yet pleasant. Alfredson took a different angle when showing the attacks of her unfortunate victims. Instead of making blood squirt from every which angle during the attack, it was more settle. She would pounce on the victim and suck his blood discretely, in my opinion. He showed enough blood to make it considered a grotesque horror film, and enough to make your own blood boil under your skin. Alfredson focused on the mystery behind what Eli was, instead of the typical vampire feeding frenzy approach. Thomas Alfredson contributed a phenomenal film to the horror genre.
These days, we are all obsessed with the alluring vampire scene. Ever since the release of the fabulous movie Twilight, society has been head over heels for vampires! Why? Perhaps because we know they are so unreal and nonexistent. Everyone likes to believe in something they know is not real, it keeps your imagination alive, and leaves room for your mind to wander in a magical realm. Vampires are seen as tough, powerful, beautiful, strong, intelligent and most of all mystical creatures. These are all qualities people; women in particular, like to fantasize about. Who wouldn’t want a man or a woman with these qualities? That is why when society sees a vampire movie, you come out drooling; and I tend to find myself in despair over the fact that I will never have a vampire friend! You always want some thing you can’t have. The human eye is naturally drawn to anything withholding beauty, which is exactly what vampires are; perfectly beautiful. Vampires will continue to be a trend until someone can invent a new fascinating and desirable creature.
In a review, I stumbled across something very interesting that not a lot of people are aware of. The title of this movie, Let the Right One In, was inspired by the song titled, Let the Right One Slip In, by former singer of The Smiths, Morrissey. Not having any idea that this movie title came from Morrissey’s song is so interesting because I am a big fan of Morrissey! From looking up the song lyrics, there is a particular verse in the song that inspired Alfredson to make this movie.
“Let the right one slip in/ And when at last it does/ I’d say you were within your rights to bite/ The right one and say,/ What kept you so long?” (Morrissey)
This is a powerful verse and it is easy to see how it fits perfect for Alfredson’s film. I feel like it is addressing the fact that loneliness sometimes takes over your life, and letting the “right one in” they will set you free. This is perfectly associated with the theme of the movie because the other main character, Oskar, is a lonely young boy who is constantly being bullied by other kids at school. He is dealing with this torture at school and in turn meets Eli, his new vampire friend. The whole movie is related to this song verse because Oskar is the one who is letting the right one in. He befriended Eli and she ends up saving his life in the end, and he also gains her as his girlfriend. By letting her in his life they both benefited. She was no longer alone, considering her father had died, and now Oskar was no longer alone either. They both let each other “slip in” and now there is no telling if they will ever separate. Eli taught him how to defend himself and stand up to his bullies, both learning a lot from one another.
In The Daily Telegraph review I found something else pertaining to Morrissey that I had not known. A quote that surprisingly affiliates Morrissey to the two characters; Oskar and the stunning vampire, Eli.
“Fittingly so, for the former Smiths front man has long been a friend indeed for these who feel lonely, tentative and in need.” (Sandhu)
From this quote, it is my understanding that Morrissey himself perhaps had been very lonely throughout his life and that is why he resorted to his music. For most his other songs they tend to be about the burden of the past and home life, dramatic relationships and loneliness. The way the director related Oskar and Eli to the way Morrissey felt in his lyrics was very moving. It seems as if Morrissey is very understanding when being accompanied by ever lasting loneliness because he himself has been through a lot, which is why this verse of the song relates to Oskar and Eli so well. Alfredson did a lot of research in finding the perfect title for his film, and then building a thrilling horror film from it.

Works Cited:
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/LET-THE-RIGHT-ONE-SLIP-IN-lyrics-Morrissey/52FCF188E5D63E3E482568AB003913A3

Sandhu, Sukhdev. Newspaper ‘The Daily Telegraph’. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/sukhdevsandhu/5131859/Let-The-Right-One-In-review.html 09 April 2009.

Let the right one in

Huge fan of this movie! Horror films are my favorite genre of movies, especially movies about vampires! Thomas Alfredson did a wonderful job of making this film so realistic. Most vampire movies can be very cheesy and look super fake, but this one was awesome! The way he didn’t over do it with the blood, or the attacking scenes made it more enjoyable to watch. The fact that he didn’t make Eli look like a typical vampire was different because most movies they show fangs and make them look evil. However, Eli was a little girl and the director did not give her fangs, I liked that. He focused more on the mystery behind what she was and didn’t jump in on all the blood drinking fiestas that most vampire movies have. Alfredson made a huge contribution to the vampire horror genre of film and created a wonderfully realistic vampire film! Vampires are a huge trend right now, due to the movie Twilight; amazing movie, by the way. I think we are all crazy and obsess with vampires because we know they don’t exist. It is fun to see movies about something so unimaginable, it gives our minds a chance to wander and float around in a magical realm. Vampires are seen as so “tough” and “powerful,” two qualities that any girl would love in a man. That is why when we see these vampires in Twilight we practically drool over them! They are made so beautifully. Vampires will always be a fascination.

Medea/Medea

Eerie is what comes to mind when describing this complex and interesting play. My mind was filled with confusion throughout the play, and i left confused as well. Although i could not understand what was happening or the message of the play, i can still appreciate how complex and different it was! The set was very creepy and intriguing. The costumes, or lack of costume for some, was definitely eye catching. The fact that this play had hardly any speaking lines was what made the play so interesting and difficult to act in. Actors rely on the lines of others to know when to cue in with their next line. However, in this play that was not the case. For a good portion of the time there was not any speaking just movement, so it was definitely more difficult for the actors to know when to do certain movements or act something out. The director must have such a unique mind to think up a play like this! The actors definitely had to have rehearsed multiple times to get the timing down because it is difficult to act in a play when there are no words. They had to be aware of certain sound effects and watch for specific cues from their fellow actors. This play was so complex for everyone; in the audience and the actors especially. For the audience it was difficult to understand what was going on without the speaking of the actors. I can not even imagine the amount of effort and time these actors and the director put in to construct such a difficult play. Overall, it kept my attention that is for sure!

Spirited away

This was quite an adventurous movie! I have never seen a japanese animated film, and this being my first, it was so fun and exciting! I found myself very intrigued in the plot and was very interested in the deeper meaning behind the message underlying in this film. I feel society nowadays is very greedy, including adults and children. From the start, it shows the little girl throwing a small tantrum because she did not want to move to a new city. She is also seen throwing a tantrum when she doesn't want her parents to go down the tunnel. She is spoiled like many children today. Greed is also seen when the parents are devouring the food when they have not asked to eat it nor did they pay for it upfront! And their greed turned them into pigs. This little girl was on a mission to save her parents and then her new friend, Haku. She started off as a spoiled little girl and was then forced to face all her fears and save her loved ones. This quite a transformation for this spoiled little girl. I also liked how the director showed how young children seem to have a sixth sense when it comes to ghosts/spirits. I have always heard this and now after watching the film i can somewhat believe that. It was obvious her parenta did not trust her instincts about this place freaking her out, and in real life, i feel like parents do not listen to their children enough. The director was trying to send out many messages in this film for all ages. I would definitely love to see another film by this director!

Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN

“Sex, sex, and some more sex” is what came to mind when watching this film. People had warned me about how sexual this movie is and to my surprise it was much more then I had imagined. The first scene was a sex scene and was shortly followed with another sex scene. In all honesty, it kept my attention more. Having to read the subtitles quickly was not my favorite part of the film because it distracts me from the actual scenes taking place, but that is the price you pay for watching a foreign movie. I was a little confused about the plot and the message this movie was trying to portray. It left a lot of open ends, leaving room for your own interpretation of the ending. The thing I dislike most about movies is when the story involves someone cheating on their significant other! It makes me more paranoid that my boyfriend could possibly pull a maneuver like that on myself. Insecurity is what I sometimes feel when watching a movie like this. In this movie I especially liked how Luisa, the woman who was cheated on by her husband, decided to pick up her life and do something spontaneous to get away from her pathetic life with her scumbag husband. The whole movie was a big adventure about seizing life, and I that, I suppose, is the message I got from this film. It was very interesting and definitely kept the audience on the edge of their seats in excitement.

The Brickhouse

Inspiring, exciting, intriguing, amazing, and beautiful are a few words that come to mind when describing this film, “What About Me?” I was blown away because I had no idea what this film was about, but when it started rolling right off the bat I knew I would love it! Seeing how those two men traveled literally all around the world in search of different types of music was insane! All the places they went, all the instruments they saw, were all so different and unique for a specific sound. I especially loved the singing groups from Africa and Iceland! Their instruments were absolutely crazy and beautiful! They used bullhorns for a sound, and very tiny guitars, it was amazing. The whole soundtrack throughout the movie was beautiful and it kept me mesmerized. This film inspired to get out there and travel! I want to experience the different cultures like these men did. One of the interviewees said something that particularly caught my attention. He said, “Get out there” and that is exactly what I plan on doing. I will definitely try to study abroad somewhere again, because I have the means to do it, and after watching this, it inspired me to actually do it! This was an awesome film, very motivating and passionate. The venue itself was totally awesome as well! I love how everywhere we have been has a bar inside; you would never see that in San Diego! It makes it seem like drinking is part of the British culture, amazing.

Two Gentlemen of Verona

I was very interested when I heard this play, The Two Men of Verona, was a Shakespeare play! I have never been to any plays before, especially not a Shakespeare play. I had no expectations going into the play, just excitement to see what the play entailed. It was a rather small venue, but I liked the fact that it was so casual; to the point where you could bring your own food and eat inside the theatre! The set was small with a small backdrop and a few onstage props. Nothing compared to the play we saw before, Blood Brothers. The acting was awesome! Although, it was sometimes hard to follow what they were saying with all the Shakespeare language, but I was able to understand what was going on because of the acting. The actors made it easy to follow with their actions and body movements. I especially liked how it was such a modern Shakespeare play. Their clothes were very casual; wearing flip flops, t-shirts, and shorts. Having this modern aspect of the play, it was more pleasant to watch, easier to follow, and overall more enjoyable. Most Shakespeare plays I hear about seem to be boring. Not this one, this one was very exciting and I loved the corky plot. The fact that it was only a 45 minute play was also very nice! It held your attention the whole time, and left no room for drifting off or day dreaming, like I sometimes did during Blood Brothers. The play was “short and sweet” and very entertaining!

The Comedy Show

Never having been to a comedy show before, seeing Andrew Lawrence perform the other night was such an awesome experience! I have seen Dane Cook on T.V and other comedians but never a British comedian, especially live. When he first walked on stage, I thought to myself, “This guy is the comedian; he looks like a little kid.” But, it turns out he was hilarious! His jokes were somewhat hard to keep up with considering he had a heavy English/Irish accent or something of the sort. Most of his jokes were sexual with a lot of foul language, but I liked it. I enjoy that kind of humor in any comedian. I felt like he sometimes slurred his words and that was also why I could not understand him at times. It was interesting to see how some of his jokes I did not understand but the people around me, non Americans, were cracking up. Must have been something only an English person would understand, perhaps jokes about their culture. However, anything he said sexual wise or anything crude about any person, I caught on to that very quickly and jumped in on the laughter. The venue was rather tiny, and the heat was unbearable! Even the comedian stopped mid performance and asked to open a door and commented about the heat. You would think they could provide fans at least. But overall, through the sweating and laughter, I had a blast and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I would love to see his stand up again! My favorite part of the whole venue was the fact that there was a bar right outside the actual room! We were able to bring our drinks inside and drink while he performed. It was very laid back, and kept us somewhat cool with all that heat!

Fugitive Pieces

Fugitive Pieces, wow, what an emotionally satisfying film! This film was so touching in many ways. Every scene had so much meaning and compassion and it kept your attention inventively. Although there were many scenes that I loved, there was one that particularly stood out to me. The scene where Jakob lets Mikayla read his journal, or diary, was very moving to me for many reasons. For one, he never wanted his ex-wife, Alex, to read it, which meant he did not want her to see his true feelings and he was still not comfortable with her; he was still hiding his childhood memories and experiences. But, with Mikayla, he specifically told her to read it. To me, this showed he was truly blissfully happy and content with his life for once. He had found the woman he was completely in love with, someone he could trust, someone he can confide in and tell all his secrets and share his horrific memories of the past. Being able to share life altering experiences is not easy to tell people, but in the end he was able to do that, and that was very moving to me, it was like he was finally set free. There was another scene in the film that I could actually relate to my own personal life. My mother lost her brother when I was about 12 years old. I would always see my mom starring off at something, like a chair or a wall, with a blank expression on her face. I would always ask what she was looking at it and she would say nothing. After seeing this film, and seeing how Jakob was always seeing his sister next to him playing the piano; it made me think. Perhaps this is why my mother was always starring off at something, which looked like nothing. To her, it was something, to her it was her brother, or so i would like to think.

Vibe Bar

Going to the Vibe bar i was very excited! Once we got there i was a little skeptical because the outside appearance wasn't something fantastic! It was a hole in the wall, with a VIBE BAR sign on top, not too impressed. Once we got inside i was totally taken by surprise! It was so awesome! It was nothing like the bars i have been to back in San Diego! This place was more of a "chill" bar where you could sit down on the couches, listen to music, chat, and best of all, DRINK! Seeing all the tables, couches and chairs inside was so different, i think that was the best part, being able to hang out inside and communicate. In bars at home it is so loud and there isn't much room to lounge! Vibe bar had everything, including many tables outside to enjoy as well. Another aspect i liked about Vibe bar was the diverse group of people! Everyone was so young and vibrant! I liked the locals being there, it was a nice change from being around Americans all the time, no offense. The whole atmosphere in that area, including Brick Lane, was definitely interesting in so many ways! The style of everyone i saw was so exciting! I LOVE fashion, and everyone i saw was dressed so..ME! All the girls and guys had a unique look to them, including their hair and make up! This bar attracted all different types of people and i think that is why i liked it so much, it was not the typical scene at home with SDSU frat guys and girls, this place had people who seemed free of all the stereotypical labels. I would definitely go back to Vibe bar and enjoy the company of those lovely local English peeps!