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This movie blew my mind
by dr sauch
Oct 26th, 2008
06:57:31 PM
Best of 2008, IMO Also, First?
Mori! I would have asked him about 10X more about the movie
by dr sauch
Oct 26th, 2008
06:59:02 PM
For shame.
Dr Sauch...
by TheRealMoriarty
Oct 26th, 2008
07:33:41 PM
... so would I if I had more than 12 minutes. You make do with what you have.
Cinematic Horror Tour de Force...Simply Sublime
by Shub-Wankalot
Oct 26th, 2008
07:38:06 PM
This film definitely deserves the raves its getting. A classic in its own right, it's a chilling yet sweet ride that leaves you satisfied.
Totally did not get that...
by Annamaria
Oct 26th, 2008
08:28:03 PM
I always though that Eli was sexually abused at some point her life, but I NEVER would have guessed she was once a boy. I've only seen the film once and it was five months ago at Tribeca, so I'm sure with another viewing things may be more clear. What was your opinion based on that quick shot, Moriarty?
Annamaria
by TheNorthlander
Oct 26th, 2008
08:40:53 PM
The movie doesn't say much of this at all, and it's very easy to miss. Read the book though, it explains the whole thing a lot more thoroughly. Also, it's a great read.
Sounds like a movie about a really tight jockstrap...
by Serious Black
Oct 26th, 2008
08:57:17 PM
...I'm just sayin', it's a weird title.
Yeah, I kind of figured that.
by dr sauch
Oct 26th, 2008
09:33:47 PM
I'm just a little obsessed with this movie right now. I'm going to read the book.
Is this..
by Harold-Sherbort
Oct 26th, 2008
10:42:15 PM
..going to get a "wide" release? Seriously. I want to see it.
Loved the film. Interesting revelation (SPOILERS)...
by DarthCorleone
Oct 27th, 2008
12:53:35 AM
I caught this last night. Very understated and visually memorable. SPOILERS I did not get that castration angle at all. When she said she wasn't a girl, I just assumed that she meant a vampire isn't really human. As for that quick flash of nude Eli, there really wasn't enough time for me to assess it. It was so quick that I thought that's what prepubescent vampire girl parts might look like. I had another question - who was the guy that Eli was originally with? At first I thought Eli must be a recent vampire and that he was "her" father. A century of time's passage would imply that he might be playing the role that Oskar might play in another fifty years. That left me questioning why he's such a sloppy killer. Was his enthusiasm waning such that he was becoming subconsciously self-sabotaging? END SPOILERS Anyway, it was an interesting, well-told story, and I liked that the film alone left some elements ambiguous. I want to check out that novel, though.
And thanks, Moriarty...
by DarthCorleone
Oct 27th, 2008
12:53:55 AM
...for the interview. Enjoyed it.
Re: DarthCorleone
by Supernaut242
Oct 27th, 2008
01:27:56 AM
SPOILERS! In the book you get a full backstory on Eli's "father". He's a pedophile teacher that gets outed some years before the events in the book/film and Eli finds him when he is down and out, and makes him a servant of sorts with an implied and never fullfilled promise of a sexual relationship. He does what he does because he loves Eli and sometimes get to sleep next to him/her and hopes to one day realise his love to him/her. Eli it seems has no intent of ever letting that happen but kind of strings him along to get what she/he needs: Someone who can act as an adult caretaker as to not raise suspicion and to help get blood so Eli doesn't risk getting outed. I got tickets to see it tonight and I can't wait to re-read the book again, this is great horror!
Read the Book! (spoiler)
by jebuslovesyou666
Oct 27th, 2008
04:55:33 AM
The novel is just outstanding, and actually made me cringe from the uncomfortable pedophile parts, I can't wait to see how they pulled this off in the film.Can some one tell me if Hakan drops acid on his face in the movie and become a vampire/zombie???
~~~BEST VAMPIRE FILM EVER! (here's why)~~~
by The Marquis de Side 3
Oct 27th, 2008
07:57:32 AM
essentially the story about the vampire is one of loss and love, hope and fantasy, violent release of rage and a whole lot of loneliness. I like this film a lot more over any vampire movie I've ever seen. if you watch it, you'll find yourself connecting to it in ways you often don't in films. It's a true expression of growing up and the challenges of adolescence, the weirdness of preteen youth and youth culture (school, parents, home friends), and the difficulty of being loved. I honestly think this film is the best vampire film ever made because it is not an action film -- it is a drama, with funny moments. it's about two people who want to be together, but think they can't. and it is so full of stillness and silence and snow that it will actually warm you. I guess the only way quality work can be made is if it comes out of Europe. if this had been an American big-budget studio film, it would have been crap (not looking forward to remake)...
thanks Supernaught
by JackLint
Oct 27th, 2008
09:58:51 AM
thanks for clearing that up, I actually had the same questions as DarthCorleone. I just saw it two days ago and it's a great movie. I would say though, I think it may be getting overhyped now. All the amazing things people are saying about this movie are true. For me, there are a few things that kept it from being the masterpiece people say it. This movie is a character study more than a thriller or horror movie, and in movies like this, it's never about the actual plot and more about the characters' relationships, which of course was remarkably well done. However the plot that was there, sometimes didn't stack up to the quality of the rest of the movie. The bully angle worked really well setting up the character, but after it was seemingly resolved at the lake, i kept thinking why we were still folowing this bully thread? It leads to the great scene at the end, but what did it have to say about the characters? The side characters who are trying to find who killed their friend Jocke is interesting, but a definite step down from the main storyline. The brief scenes following the bitten lady are again interesting, but didn't amount to anything since she wasn't a character I really cared about. I did feel some sympathy for her boyfriend though, as he was given a little more to work with. Anyway, just a few points. Everybody should see this movie without a doubt, but be cautious of the mounting hype surrounding this. Not a masterpiece, it's just a very, very good movie.
JackLint & jebus (SPOILERS)
by DarthCorleone
Oct 27th, 2008
02:10:10 PM
JackLint>> Well said. When I think about it, I do have the same reservations that kept the film from complete greatness. As a whole, though, it still worked for me.

SPOILERS jebus>> Yes, Hakan pours acid on himself, but he did not become a vampire or zombie. Now you've got me curious about that angle in the book. END SPOILERS
Wow, this is all great discussion
by dr sauch
Oct 27th, 2008
02:53:13 PM
Can someone who read it give me an answer?
by dr sauch
Oct 27th, 2008
02:54:47 PM
I want to read it myself, and will eventually. I'm mid first-semester at law school, so pleasure reading is not really an option. What is the backstory with the castration? Why did they castrate him? Was it pre or post vampire?
dr sauch
by ducKy72
Oct 27th, 2008
04:21:34 PM
BOOK SPOILER Eli was castrated by the vampire who then sired him back in olden times, pre vampire. It isn't really explained, what I got was that the evil vampire ruled the land and the people had to offer up their children to him. He cut of their penises and drank their blood. I can't remember if it then describes Eli becoming a vampire or not... HERE ENDETH THE BOOK SPOILERS-ETH.
Thanks ducKy
by dr sauch
Oct 27th, 2008
04:50:10 PM
Appreciated. Can't wait to read this.
DarthCorleone
by jebuslovesyou666
Oct 27th, 2008
10:38:57 PM
From what I can tell, there are some significant parts lacking from the movie which would have delivered a little bit more of a frightening aspect to the film. I can't wait to see it still, but it kinda bums me out that Hakan as a vampire/zombie has been left out.
I'm with DarthCorleone...
by -guyinthebackrow
Oct 28th, 2008
01:58:01 PM
I saw this last night and when Eli says she's not a girl you just think that she means she's a vampire. And that less than a second flash of her downstairs is so fleeting that all you see is hair and what might be some kind of scar. But then it is never again addressed so it's a totally lost moment. The film is excellent, but it sounds like the filmmaker should have left this idea from the book out of the film. It just doesn't bring anything to the movie as is. But other than that it is a wonderful movie with excellent subtle CGI... except the cats. The cats look terrible, but only in that one scene. You'll know when you see it.
stop the remake... sign this
by Brannagins Law
Nov 3rd, 2008
02:00:18 PM
http://tinyurl.com/5opedz
It kills me...
by Kirbymanly
Nov 9th, 2008
03:09:01 AM
How small this talkback is. See this movie, guys and gals!!! It's one of the best "vampire" flicks ever made. It's quiet, yet loud... subtle, but in your face... moving and emotional, yet distant... A true piece of art that had me laughing, crying and longing for an age I'll never be able to get back to. Best movie I've seen in a long, long time.
Great movie!
by hegele
Nov 15th, 2008
04:24:24 PM
finally saw it last night at a packed show. Absolutely wonderful film!
Eli's gender
by rainbowtrout1265
Nov 19th, 2008
10:36:32 AM
Why does he look like a girl in the movie, and was his appearance described as feminine in the book?
castration, etc
by motoko
Jan 16th, 2009
04:00:30 PM
I agree with your well-stated points, JackLint. The moive is very, very good, but not perfect for those reasons. I also had the same reaction as DarthCorleone to the ambiguous crotch reveal of Eli. I just figured that was a representation of inhuman vampire privates. Not knowing the castration backstory didn't bother me though. I actually liked leaving the movie with some questions unanswered. It added to the implied reality of the world depicted. Showing flashback shots of the vampires backstory would have disrupted the realistic, present day atmosphere of the film. The CG was good, except for the few crappy cat shots.... as -guyinthebackrow mentioned...
re: rainbowtrout1265
by lombano
Jun 14th, 2009
08:31:33 PM
Eli does dress like a girl in the book and wears his hair long - other characters upon first meeting him see him as anything from a pretty girl to being unsure about his gender, but not as a boy. I think this angle should have been made a little clearer in the film - it's an integral part of Eli's condition as traumatised, diseased, abnormal but still fundamentally human, and it's a big part of Oskar's unconditional acceptance of him. I agree with the criticisms of the cats scene, but still think the film was absolutely brilliant - the acting, the score, the photography, etc.
Whoa, more life!
by Orcus
Jun 15th, 2009
09:03:42 AM
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