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Mystery of the Wax Museum, a review by addicted2dvd

OK... Thought I would try to at least get some of this marathon in. First up...

Mystery of the Wax Museum/ House of Wax (1953)/ House of Wax (2005)


Mystery of the Wax Museum
MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933), starring Lionel Atwill as the wax-wielding madman and Fay Wray as a potential victim. Directed by Michael Curtiz and shot in a chillingly effective early two-color Technicolor process, it and its spooky remake offer you a delicious double-dip in a paraffin bath of terror.

My Thoughts:
Well... this one wasn't really what I was expecting... as it had the feel of more of a mystery movie then horror. Which is probably how it was meant. I found it to be a little on the slow side... but enjoyable. We will see how it holds up compared to the other 2.

NOTE: I will have the comparison at the end of the last movie in this group.

(From Original/Remake Comparison Marathon on May 3rd, 2008)

Let the Right One In, a review by goodguy

(Sweden 2008, AKA Let the Right One In, AKA So finster die Nacht)

IMDb summary: Oskar, a bullied 12-year old, dreams of revenge. He falls in love with Eli, a peculiar girl. She can't stand the sun or food and to come into a room she needs to be invited. Eli gives Oskar the strength to hit back but when he realizes that Eli needs to drink other people's blood to live he's faced with a choice. How much can love forgive? Let The Right One In is a story both violent and highly romantic, set in the Stockholm suburb of Blackeberg in 1982.

In its use of vampirism, LTROI reminded me of Abel Ferrara's flawed masterpiece The Addiction. There is the same messy and grim approach to the actual blooddrinking and the same disregard for the typical vampire lore. There are vampires in both movies, but neither is a vampire movie; they are about something else entirely.

Linking a vampire tale with a coming-of-age story is not that unusal. But LTROI doesn't fall into the traps of a teenage love fantasy. There is tenderness and even a kiss between the two leads, but their bond is decidedly asexual and prepubescent; it is forged from a deep sense of alienation and has a haunted innocence. Both performances are spectacular.

Alfredson finds striking visuals in the most banal and desolate settings, creating a bleak and chilling atmosphere with a strong poetic quality. This is combined with a beautiful score and an ingenious sound design that draws the viewer into the isolation of the protagonists.

Highly recommended and certainly one of last year's best movies.


(From goodguy's Watch Log on May 31st, 2009)

"Due South" marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

An Invitation to Romance

Now this episode had plenty of comedy in it... from that irritating but hilarious woman Fraser had to follow all over to Ray in that Mountie uniform.... there was plenty in this episode to laugh at.

My Rating:

(From "Due South" marathon on July 26th, 2009)