'Free!', Male Beauty, and Fanservice

OH, GOD DAMN IT, 2017, STOP KICKING ME IN MY OVERLY ANALYTICAL AND CYNICAL ASS WITH STUPID SHIT I'M SUPPOSED TO HATE! THESE STRANGE FEELS BURNING IN MY HEART HURT LIKE A MOTHERFU--

*clears throat*

Well, that was very undignified of me. My apologies.

Despite the obnoxious recent track record of consuming media that has pushed me beyond the comfort zone I maintained for much of my life, I don't feel particularly conflicted or violated in any psychological manner in regards to Free!. Thank whatever deity or deities that do or do not exist for that reprieve.

Over the course of a week  last month, I have marathoned Free! with its two seasons, handful of OVAs, and prequel film. After trying to have no expectations for the series' quality, I found myself really enjoying Free!. And felt feels. Felt enough feels that I laughed. And cried. Good to know that I'm still a woman.

That's the short story. The long story requires me to go back to 2012, when a little known Hollywood film caused a bit of controversy in some circles thanks to some good old double standards regarding good old fanservice.

'Frozen'

Missing out on films is common for me lately. Frozen came out when I had no money or nearby friend who wanted to see it. Then when it showed on campus, I was busy with exams. But thankfully babysitting fixed this problem in no time.

Now for my typically cynical few cents.

To put it simply, this is one of the best Disney movies I've enjoyed in years. With the exceptions of WALL-E, Toy Story 3, and Wreck-It Ralph (my #1 fav recent Disney movie), I have lost interest in the majority of Disney's works since the turn of the century. Not that their other movies were bad, but I just found them passable and mediocre. If it were anyone but Disney, that'd be a compliment. And I can agree with some critics who say the Princess line-up past Mulan has been especially unimpressive. The Princess and the Frog was forgettable in the long-term and New Orleans does not interest me at all as a setting. Tangled's trailers did not impress and I still feel no obligation to see it. Brave was a committee-intrusive mess with horribly misleading marketing.

So for now it seems Frozen is tapping into something that Disney has been missing in a long while that I'm not sure I can convey reliably. The music is far more memorable and the comedy is as quirky and fun as ever (from the view of a 20-year-old anyhow). I usually hate comic relief gimmicks like Olaf, but his obliviousness to the fact that snow + sun = water is reality is hilarious. The animation is colorful, expressive, and gorgeous, especially the spiraling snow and ice during the "Let It Go" sequence, etc. It's Disney, people. But for some reason, something about the entire film, from the music to the story themes to the comedy and the art somehow struck gold with me. I haven't felt so happy to watch a children's film about princesses in years.

Ok. Between this and gorillas riding horses and wielding two
machine guns, I dunno which one is stupider-looking.

What especially helps is the self-aware commentary and trope discussion throughout. By this point I will admit that is definitely one of my weak-points when it comes to humor. As fun as it was watching Elsa shoot down Anna and Hans' plans for marriage based on love at first sight, it does seem a bit awkward, given the numerous arguments about how "progressive" and "feminist" this movie is. I appreciate Disney taking a stab at shallow attraction, but declaring this to be a triumph of strong independent female characters is ludicrous. This is a whole other rant for when I need to explode, but for now let me say this. A "strong" female character should be a good character in the same way a "strong" male character should be. They must have a compelling, understandable, or relatable arc that the audience can recognize. I believe Anna and Elsa succeed in this regard... for the most part.

Anna is an energetic redhead who is narrow-sighted thanks in part of being isolated from others and especially her sister. She cannot relate to her at all, but she sure as hell wants to try anyway. That is something I admire. Yet, she lacks common sense (like forgetting to bring a coat or dress in pants on a hike in the mountains) and trusts so easily she cannot plan at all (to the point that all she choses for herself is finding Elsa and marrying Hans). She's sweet and kind, but she adorns a majority of traits seen as belonging to a Mary Sue: clumsiness, socially awkward, adorable, sleepy-headed, stubborn, etc.

Guess she is not titanium, huh?

Meanwhile Elsa is a psychologist's worst nightmare due in part to the trolls and her parents being absolutely horrible and scaring the poor girl to death. Her running from her problems is what jumpstarts the entire plot and I believe that this is one of the best things about the film. But of course, Elsa's story is only truly interesting because of her sister and how they need each other to bring peace of mind for both their sanities. I may be an only child, so I have little basis for my commentary, but the theme of sisterly love was a great story for Disney to focus on.

But when you start to think more about the movie and bring in all sorts of social commentary, Frozen becomes a mess. (BTW, anyone who says "Let It Go" is a metaphor for coming out of the closet is - to be frank - an idiot grasping at straws that are nonexistent. In the context of everything that happens in Frozen that theme makes no damn sense.) Though I can say I like Anna and Elsa, I know they are very flawed and broken girls, absolutely terrified and trapped in their own little worlds their parents forced them into (with good intentions, mind you). They are not "strong" and "independent" as feminists keep toting. Yes, Anna is a female lead and Elsa a female antagonist, but they are not exactly bad characters. They are deeply troubled. I thank Disney for keeping mind of this fact, especially when either girl does something stupid for the plot, which is very, very often.

Somehow, like Persona 4's Teddie, I end up liking the most
annoying character in theory and practice.

As for the other characters, Kristoff was alright. He was by far the smartest character due to him having the most common sense of the bunch. Hans' character turn-around by the end came out from left-field, but upon a second watch, the build-up may be more noticeable. Still, the subtlety was a bit too subtle. And Olaf grew on me for better or worse. The trolls who cared for Kristoff were insufferable at best and offensive at worst.

Meanwhile, the rest of the movie was pretty solid. There were two or three too many songs that add nothing to the story and act as filibusters to keep children entertained just because. ADHD continues to be a concern we must accommodate for apparently. I didn't mind Olaf's silly song as it gave him some character, but the trolls' short period of time in the spotlight was the worst part of the movie, period. It was so bad, I felt my blood boil in rage. I was very much offended, only for me to slap myself and remember that this is just a movie... with a moment with a shitty message for engaged ladies, regardless of what kind of man she is supposed to marry.

Perhaps my biggest complaint of all is that this movie should have been its own thing, and not a loose "adaptation" or "inspiration" of The Snow Queen. It only seems faithful to the concept and trope of "defrosting the ice queen", which can be key in any kind of story. What could have been an intriguing, magical, and fantastic concept has been stripped to a personal story with limited external involvement or consequence. And almost no sensical magic. I know, it's Disney. They simplify everything. But whatever themes were present (mainly and only the "snow queen") in the original narrative only seem to be superficially referenced here. I know little of the original tale, unfortunately, but I'm sad that there's not even a possible reference to the corrupted glass that blinds the hearts and minds of mankind. The lack of fantasy and an explanation for the origin of Elsa's powers make this movie fall short when you start thinking about plot points, actions, and motivations seriously.

That being said, there is a lot I can rant about, but I still enjoyed Frozen. For once in over a decade I finally cared about a story about a Disney princess (or two this time). I can't say this will be a classic, but it's a step in the right direction. "Let It Go" may annoy some, but honestly, it's one of the most memorable earworms from Disney in a long time.

*_*

And yes, I like both Idina Menzel's and Demi Lovato's versions. Don't harass me about this.

Rank:

3.3 out of 5

For a more qualified and critical look at how this movie is somewhat overstated in its "pro-feminism", read this excellent article.

'Mass Effect 1', Part III

This long-winded review/rant just keeps on going and going. And I still have two games to go! Not only that, but due to its controversial nature, the end of the trilogy might come right after. Too much information, so little time, and not enough Asprin for the headache.

...

That's it. By this point, these introductions are just padding. Let's just put this review down and move on as soon as possible. You, fellow readers, have better things to do.

I need to focus on other content to get the blog back up and running again. *sigh* Why did my consoles and I depart for a few weeks?

'Mass Effect 1", Part II

So... Mass Effect. Looks like we didn't start off too good, did we?

The first game has the most infuriating gameplay I have experienced in this trilogy. Many other fans who had access to this years before me would strongly disagree. They cherish the five-year-old game like a Pokemon fan reminiscing on Blue or Red for the Gameboy Color. Part of me really wishes I could think of it as fondly, but my perspective and experience are too different from those Xbox 360 and PC players.

On the bright side, I do appreciate and understand the undying love. I've played these games to death. When I sit in class as my professor presents a series of notes that my life depends upon to uphold my grades and keep my scholarships, I daydream about being lost in the fiction for hours. I give evil glares of hatred to all the guys who sit on their asses playing video games all day as I study. My PS3 sits at home and waits for me to return once every six weeks. Once I'm home and ready to relax, any one of the Mass Effect discs begs me to pay attention to it... Like a druggie failing rehab, I give in every time. Of course I love this series. Why else have I rambled about this franchise aimlessly to my friends and on my blog since last summer?

Still, as an amateur, nitpicky reviewer I have to attempt to be somewhat objective. Being a contrarian is not my intention at all. I sure am opinionated, but pissing people off over statements I make is not something I strive for when I wake up every morning.

If you have not read Part I... go back three spaces and come back when you did your homework. Now I will dive into characters and plot.

As common sense will tell you, there will be SPOILERS.

'Mass Effect 1', Part I

The first game is finally on the Playstation 3! Thank the superior being(s). Now I can whine about it. And lose most of my viewers...

No, seriously, I'm happy that I finally have the chance to play the entire Mass Effect trilogy instead of 66% of it. Relying on idiots on Youtube who don't understand how to edit out blunders was getting really old. Now I can finally play with the gameplay mechanics however I want without the rest of the world seeing how badly I play video games. (Sticking to the writing medium is more of my cup of tea anyway. I'm not tech-savvy enough for video.)

So now, on with the longest series of reviews ever! Starting with the first, the original Mass Effect.

This will be a long, whiny, nitpick ride... you sure you want to go on reading this?

リヴィド ~ 'Livid'

"Livid"... "Rivido"
same word, different pronunciation and language.

Why review an album in which you understand absolutely NONE of the lyrics?

Due to my limited exposure to Japanese, yes, I cannot truly comment on the lyrical style Nightmare uses throughout Livid. Yet I can still say the music is pretty darn catchy and lively. The lyrics seem to flow nicely and the vocals are quite nice. No complaints.

The two or so anime fans who read my blog may recognize Nightmare as the band that provided "The World" and "Alumina" as opening/ending themes for the first half of the Death Note series. Despite the songs' reputations for being deemed "emo J-pop" and my barely lasting to episode 20, I found Nightmare far more interesting than Maximum the Hormone. That or iTunes had their music and I liked what I heard from the samples.

Either way, the Japanese come up with really bizarre band names. @_@

The Hunger Games... Maybe I'm Just Too Cynical

I guess I couldn't ignore this for long...

I saw The Hunger Games the other day... Where to begin.

I think may have mentioned at least once that when it comes to majority opinion, I tend to get very skeptical. When people were raging over the books, I backed off without hesitation. Twilight fooled me once and I was not going to fall for another trap. This series is more than likely far better written but I was not ready to examine the bandwagon. An overreaction? Perhaps. It didn't help that one of my friends obsessed about it, because I'm not always as impressed by the stuff she loves. I try her cup of tea, enjoy it mildly, and return to mine.

That aside, I heard and read everyone's outcry on the whole issue of a "lack of racial diversity" and "twenty black people in the background doesn't count as diversity." Because I have not read the books, I have no comment. While watching the film, I saw nothing of that nature to complain about.

Now, as a "typical movie fan", The Hunger Games was rather entertaining. The pacing and build-up was nearly flawless, the set was fantastic, the second half was more suspenseful than a horror film, and the costumes were great. The shaky camera was very annoying in the beginning and during some of the action scenes, but it did help to hide some of the gruesome murders.

The best part of the film was the commentary on the reality TV-crazed American media. Everyone is obsessed with sitting back at home and watching the drama, death, and violence the kids face during the game of survival. The well-off citizens in the Capital looked like overdressed candy wrappers in an elegant, futuristic store shelf. Despite how ludicrous appearances were, this aesthetic was surprisingly... beautiful. This was far more appropriate and tasteful than Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

The world of Panem is very easy to understand, even if you never touched the books. For all of these, I was very pleased. Honestly, I was looking forward to the later films just to see this where this political dystopian universe will go.

But I walked out of this film pissed off.

I'm sorry, who are all of you again?

Despite the easy-to-follow plot, most of the characters fell dangerously behind. Other than Katniss, Gale, Rue, and Peeta, I cannot remember anyone else's names. I'm not sure if it's the actors' faults for poorly enunciating (for a while, I heard Cinna being called "Sinner") or the writers' faults for not clearly defining who was who. We never get to know any of the other kids fighting in the games, except Rue and the generically aggressive blonde jerk. The former gets fleshed out too late, but still done well enough; the latter was essentially pointless.

Out of the entire crew, only Gale and Katniss made great first impressions through their believable dialogue. But only Peeta stood out as the most likable character despite his quiet introduction. Everyone else was forgettable, especially Haymitch, who only served as the stereotypically incompetent mentor. Even Naruto pulled off that trope better... twice.

Above all else, I absolutely despised every single moment Katniss and Peeta exchanged words. Katniss treated him like crap in the beginning for no clear reason. I get that she's not exactly into having a relationship with anyone, but here she looked more rude than self-confident or being a "survivor." Even when everyone tells the two to pretend to have a "star-crossed romance" for the sake of entertainment for the Hunger Games, I could not take them seriously. Their "romance" was almost at Twilight levels of aggravating and sugary mush. Though I was glad Katniss went out in the midst of danger despite Peeta's whiny protests like most guys are portrayed in romances, I struggled to contain my frustration.

*sigh* I'm just so cynical and nitpicky.

I'll pass.

Look, this movie is worth checking out. Seriously. After the lack of good movies after the last Harry Potter film and Chronicle, this is worth two and a half hours of your life. All my complaints aside, this was a well-made movie that's fun, easy to follow, suspenseful, and emotional. Don't take my mixed feelings to heart.

There's only one thing I know for certain. I am still not convinced to read the books.

3.3 out of 5

'Dead Again'

(CREDIT: to the late band Type O Negative. *sobs*)

Rank: 3.5 out of 5 -- dead for the last time...

It kinda spooky how the last Type O Negative album is titled Dead Again. At least for me it is...

I only bought this album originally because I heard that Pete hated just about every TON best of compilation, one of which was my first purchase. Sure, buying an album out of guilt is a really bad reason, but what happened happened. At least I cared about the band enough to pick up two studio albums, Dead Again and Bloody Kisses. Both of them I loved even more than the compilations, but let's discuss this one.

The one genre of heavy metal that beats my brain to death with a spiky stick in all the wrong places is doom metal. The growls, the slow tempo and pace, and the droning and moaning wails of endless agony for OVER TEN MINUTES threaten to put me in a depression. Sorry, guys, that means no My Dying Bride for me. It's not that I dislike darker music, I simply don't like the style of doom metal. But thankfully some of Type O Negative's songs send their sarcastic and dark humored thanks to that influence without going overboard. The song with the strongest influence is "September Sun," where the slow tempo and depressing tone actually sound very beautiful and haunting in a moderate sense. (In other words, it's sad to listen to, but not suicidal.)

But the best thing about this album is that the songs are long, but never boring. Typically songs that last for about or over ten minutes can overwhelm me, especially if there is no melodic, lyrical, or vocal variation. No matter how long and drawn out TON may get on this album, it's a phase that never lasts longer than three minutes. It's good for anyone suffering from the fake disease of ADHD or those who are scared of long songs. "These Three Things" is 15 minutes long and, though it's not my favorite song, it has not bored me every time I listened to it.

With other great tracks like the fast and badass "Some Stupid Tomorrow," the gothic and atmospheric "Dead Again," and the dark and humorous "Halloween in Heaven" and "The Prophet of Doom," it is a shame that this was Type O Negative's last album. Compared to the previous works (especially October Rust), Dead Again is one of TON's darkest, heaviest records (the other is the humorless World Coming Down.) Honestly, the album was fleshed out beautifully and had a solid backbone, showing us that the band is on the right track (not that they weren't before.) I can't stress enough my frustration when I heard Pete Steele died last April, but I can't imagine how the rest of the fanbase felt and still feels.

HOWEVER. Although I am pleased that Type O Negative made a great record with doom metal influences, it still does not make this album perfect. These songs are well done and aren't really skippable, but I couldn't help but be apathetic to a handful of tracks at some points. Like some cases, this trend occurs at the end of records like this; "She Burned Me Down" and "An Ode to Locksmiths" are adequate on their own, but next to the rest of the album they are downright forgettable. Nothing, like a lyric or a riff, in those two songs made them stand out.

These two weaker tracks out of ten really kills the satisfying album. It's almost like ordering crab cakes, only to have yours burnt a bit at the bottom and the tartar sauce is stale. You can eat the cake as it is, but some things that make it perfect are subpar in comparison to the rare abundance of crab meat. Hmm... I'm hungry.

But at the very least, these guys went out with a great final album. All hail and farewell, Type O Negative. :'(

'SWRMXS'

(CREDIT: to the genius who smashed a VHS tape with a hammer on his kitchen floor. XD)

My Rank: 3.5 out of 5 <- what a relief

Please excuse my fowl mouth for a moment, but this remix album scared the living shit out of me. Ever since heartagram.com made an announcement about this in November, the whole HIM fanbase went batshit insane. People spent time making conspiracy theories about the cover image, complaining that HIM is - heaven forbid -releasing A THIRD remix compilation, blaming Warner for the failure of Screamworks, and detoxing from the very short tour the band had this era. Once the bonfire spread, I forced myself off Valo Daily and other HIM sites until the maelstrom died down. Even now, I'm still unwilling to go back for the time being.

IT'S JUST A REMIX ALBUM. WHAT'S WITH THE DRAMA, FOLKS?!

Well, in my world, at least it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

When I first heard the sample on the "splash" page that the banner here lead to, I couldn't help but laugh at the hilarity of the "In Venere Veritas" remix. It wasn't in a bad way, since it happens every time I listen to a new HIM record; there is one track that makes me giggle, like laughing at a friend just being himself. The remix was just... HIM in their own way. But it didn't take from the fact that the track lowered my expectations of SWRMXS from "OMG!!!!!" to "eh". I don't listen to many remixes (the Dope Stars Inc.'s mix of Emilie Autumn's "Dead Is the New Alive" is the only one I can recall enjoying) and hearing "In Venere Veritas (Huoratron Remix)" made me have doubts about how the others would sound... Thankfully, most of them were much better.

When you listen to music, do you create a world within your mind to complement it? It's like reading a book and imagining the scenes so the words on the page become something more real and understandable. In a similar fashion, I already had an "established" imagination for each song and the remixes expanded them and added another dimension. It is especially true for "In the Arms of Rain (SALEM Remix)," "Ode to Solitude (Gavin Russom Remix),"and "Love, The Hardest Way (Tiësto Remix)," which are some of the best off SWRMXS.

And as excited as I was for "Heartkiller (The Mercy Fvcks Remix)"... I wasn't expecting it to be so hilariously, and crazily fun. XD (Man, when will The Mercy Fvcks make music already?!)

But of course, there are good bit of downsides to this. Some of the remixes are too long, while the original songs are too short; SWRMXS is nearly twenty minutes longer than Sreamworks. This made me a bit curious... Some remixes made their counterparts look really lame ("Love, the Hardest Way",) others did no improvement ("Shatter Me with Hope",) and some remixes are just embarrassing ("Like St. Valentine/Acoustic Funeral/Katherine Wheel.")

To give this a 3 is unfair, but a 4 is too much, so this rests in the middle. SWRMXS was a great effort Ville made while the other boys work on their side projects, and I'm thankful he did this. Who knows, maybe in two weeks I'll love this more, or I'll downright loathe it. But for now, it's all I'm listening to every night.

Hey, the bright side is that if I end up hating this remix album, at least I got a free t-shirt from pre-ordering. XD

'Believe (II)'

(CREDIT: goes to owner, which is not me.)

My Rank: 3.75 out of 5 <-- ah, nostalgia...

Once you're exposed to something, it's almost impossible to fully get rid of it. Because of that, I'm slowly standing down from my position of bashing every pop act in existence. Though I still find Kesha (I refuse to add that stupid dollar sign) and Justin Beiber to be utterly embarrassing to all music everywhere, pop rock remains to be fairly tolerable. Or in this case, very enjoyable. Rock-driven pop always appealed to me, and chicks with guitars are no exception. Even Orianthi.

I won't go preaching pure blasphemy against bands I listen to a lot, but Orianthi's guitar playing makes a few others sound look like children playing Guitar Hero on easy. Not to say she's the best guitarist ever, but it makes me wonder if SOME BAND I KNOW would fire their guys and hire her. *cEoPuIgChAs* Sometimes it gets annoying that I have to hear a solo on every track, but they're not half bad. I think of it as a break from Deathstars or Breaking Benjamin's lack of guitar solos.

Granted, her songwriting doesn't impress me too much, but the lyrics are fairly decent. Can't expect too much from pop rock, folks.

In terms of singing, she's better than a good chunk of the pop-rock singers I used to love, and I indulge in sometimes. Smoother and less shriek-y than Avril, and more mellow and way more "restrained" in language than P!nk. Though not guilty of it, I'm fully aware that metal heads would laugh at me and dismiss me as one of them.

I really don't know what to say about this, but after a few decent listens, this album gets a safe 3.75. A few tracks I love are "Courage," "Suffocated," her cover of "Missing You," and the totally epic "Highly Strung." I strongly recommend "Highly Strung" (though maybe the title is far too corny...)

Maybe once I think of reviewing Unbeautiful, I might have a longer post...

"Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)"

(CREDIT: owned by creator and My Chemical Romance. Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na_Na_Na_(Na_Na_Na_Na_Na_Na_Na_Na_Na))

My Rank: 3.5/5 <- exciting...

Unlike Three Days Grace, My Chemical Romance didn't make me suffer while waiting for their new album. MCR didn't give THREE changes to the release date of their album and then say after two years of joking around that "oh, NOW we're recording." So I applaud MCR for not giving me constant heart attacks like 3DG did. Plus, "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)" impresses me more than "Break" did. But typing it out is dreadful...

Once a band has released at least three record, you can have a good idea what their style is, and My Chemical Romance is pretty over-the top. Going overboard tends to annoy me very much, hence why I can't stomach Lady GaGa at all. But the the difference between her and a band like this is that MCR has a theme to go by. They have a story to go by. Like with The Black Parade, it was a story about a dying cancer patient, and the album flowed as if it could easily be a musical, or a theatrical play. But it didn't stop there. Gerard Way dyed his hair white and had it cut so it looked like he had cancer. For the music video "Welcome to the Black Parade," the patient died and watched a crazy, but impressive "black parade" playing and coming for him. The imagery was impressive, the music was emotional and passionate. Was it all overboard? Maybe. But everything fit. Everything came together as a complete, vivid puzzle that was... perfect. I honestly don't know what words could convey how impressed I was with the art from that era. Maybe it helped that I do like theatrics.

Not that Lady GaGa can't do that, but she's so scrambled up and inconsistent with her outrageous ten minute music videos. But while she does that, I can stay tuned to MCR's theatrics and 30 Seconds to Mars's long videos that have some actual plot. So I can live in peace without GaGa. :)

"Na Na Na" sounds like classic MCR, but isn't as messy as any song off Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. But sure is one hell of a ride of cursing, theatrics, insane outfits and hairstyles, and a curious new chapter in the band's universe. The music video was pretty fun overall (and the guys from Mindless Self indulgence were appeared guests.) What a blast. I can't wait to learn more about Battery City, Better Living Industries, and the lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. If all goes well, Danger Days will be the third excellent album worth buying this year. If there was one good thing listening to the majority did for me, it was trying out My Chemical Romance. Love 'em or hate 'em, they are pretty crazy and fun.

Why I didn't give this song such a high rating? It's great, but this isn't the best MCR song. But it'll do until Danger Days will be released. November 22 will be an awesome day. XD

'Let Me In'

(CREDIT: found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_Me_In_(film))

My Rank: 3.9 out of 5 <- loyal remake, but maybe too identical...

Thank God for Ville Valo. If I never read any interviews of him back in early 2010, I would have never heard of Let the Right One In. Thank God for Youtube. If the many users I often follow didn't say how impressive the story was, I would have never bought the book and watched the Swedish adaptation. And thank God the filmmakers of Let Me In didn't make this too American. In fact, all they did was tweak the location and names, and that's it.

Okay, they did a bit more, but this film greatly reflected it's Swedish sibling. The creepy mood, the awkward conversations, the combustable vampires, and the cold environment remained very well untouched. Not to mention both go slow and feel REALLY long... However, this version is less subtle and there is more blood. A few plot points were changed as well, but like the book and Swedish film no characters were pointless or wasted.

I won't spend from now until eternity arguing which one is better because Låt den rätte komma in and Let Me In are practically identical. In a way it looked like this version copied the Swedish one but changed the language, location, and themes (the boy's mother is religious; an awesome scene with cats in absent; and the focus is so much on the kids.) Because of this, I would say the Swedish version was probably the better one. I don't know, but that version stayed true to the book, while the American version was more inspired by it's sibling.

Sorry if this review isn't a good one, but I can't say much about this film. It's great, but not perfect. Let the Right One In is a great story, I strongly recommend the book over the films. The pacing can be quite painful and slow, but the content, characters, and plot are very impressive for a vampire story. Especially when Twilight plagues the world as it has been for so long.

So: BUY Let the Right One In. THEN watch the Swedish movie. PERIOD.

The first movie I've seen in a while? Wow. And the final Harry Potter movies are near... :'(

Review of 'The Last Exorcism'

(CREDIT: not mine. to the owner.)

Rank: 3.5/5 = a good and interesting story, but not the best of its kind

Over and over again most modern horror films are panned and burned mercilessly, but this film proves that it tried and did fairly well at breaking that curse. Heck, if there was an Academy Award for best horror film of 2010, this movie would beat Splice to death with a camera like the girl in this film did to a cat. But I will admit that although I looked forward to The Last Exorcism, I really wanted to see Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. But my dad and I missed the show and had to watch this film. However, we both came out satisfied and eager to discuss the film.

To be short, the story is told as a mockumentary, in which a father sends a letter to this evangelist minister, who has pretended to perform exorcisms, to help save his demon-possessed daughter Nell. The mood of this film is dark, but there are some moments of humor to ease the tension. But what makes the film dark for me is the fact that the atmosphere is so tense with really serious biblical Christian themes that it's chilling. Nothing against the more conservative forms of the faith, but seeing the Sweetzer house have many crosses and religious statues allows me to envision as the perfect breeding ground for questionable sanity. The fact that Nell's father rejects modern medicine and claims that the sunday school wasn't "medieval enough" proves my point even more.

What I enjoyed was that everyone in that small town in Louisiana was in some way messed up or backwards. Perhaps it's because I'm more of a suburb/city chick and I'm biased, but this tiny, old-fashioned town was obviously cut off from the rest of the world. And if Christianity is the accepted religion, you can easily predict what beliefs are a big no-no.

Although it's a huge cliche that with every exorcism movie there is Satanism involved, this movie somehow makes it work. The acting was decent, the story almost seemed believable, and no big action was missed unlike one movie (right, The Fourth Kind, the movie that blacked out whenever something happened?). But as a whole, this movie cannot match to The Exorcism of Emily Rose. That and The Last Exorcism are fantastic, but Emily Rose left you with no final answer that can be explained logically. This movie had an ending that made you believe for the most part that it was a trap, but you still questioned a particular detail about the ritual at the very end.

The only main complaint I have is that the cliche I mentioned in the above paragraph needs to be avoided in future exorcism films. Why not try having a possessed victim who lives in the city and who is not fundamental in their faith? That would be a bit more different and maybe interesting if executed well. Otherwise, I say this film is solid.

I won't spoil everything so I'll leave this review as this: I recommend this film for any horror movie fan, especially if you like ones about demons and exorcisms.

Now all I need is a good movie that won't give me scary nightmares. Ah, the joys of being a horror movie fan...