February 2, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • Page 19 ‘Let Me In’ features vampires of the old school by Dennis Seuling After all the romantic fluff and angst of the “Twilight” movies, “Let Me In” (Anchor Bay), a remake of the Swedish film “Let the Right One In,” puts the vampire back into its traditional cinematic conventions even though director Matt Reeves transplants the location to New Mexico in 1983. The title relates to one of the ground rules of vampirism: Vampires must be invited in before they can pounce. Abby (Chloe Grace Moretz, “Kick-Ass”) meets Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Road”), the product of a broken home and the victim of brutal bullying at school, in the courtyard of their apartment complex. They both appear to be 12-year-olds, but Abby says they can never be friends. Her behavior is odd. She walks barefoot in the snow and never goes to school. Still, the two form a bond against the background of a series of gruesome murders. Horror movies seldom achieve the level of “Let Me In.” It all comes down to a solid script with believable performances. There is nothing wrong with having screenwriters and directors tweak the vampire legend to give their movies an interesting spin. What is bothersome is a vampire who is more yuppie sauntering around in daylight than nocturnal bloodsucker. In this film, Abby follows in the grand tradition of vampires. Her evident victim, Owen, actually encourages her friendship and she soon becomes his protector, but what will happen to Owen? Moretz is very good as Abby. She is charming, creepy, scary, sympathetic, and savage as the plot dictates. She sells her character. Director Reeves wisely duplicates the frigid atmosphere of the Swedish original. The graphic scenes are shot with a minimum of light to keep them frightening and mysterious. Often, American remakes of foreign films fall short, Chloe Grace Moretz in ‘Let Me In.’ but “Let Me In” retains the bleak, haunting mood of the original while pepping up the pace and incorporating more action. This is a well-made movie. Bonus features on both the R-rated Blu-ray and DVD editions include audio commentary with Reeves, makingof and art of special effects featurettes, unrated deleted scenes, and a step-by-step look at the creation of one of the movie’s action sequences. “TCM Greatest Classic Legends: Errol Flynn” (Warner Home Video) is a two-disc DVD set containing four of Flynn’s greatest adventure films: “Captain Blood” (1935), “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938), “The Sea Hawk” (1940), and “The Adventures of Don Juan” (1948). During this period, Flynn reigned supreme as Warner’s top male action star and box office champ. In “Captain Blood,” the picture that rocketed Flynn to stardom, it is evident that he was destined to be a movie star. With dashing good looks, a mischievous smile, and an ability to wield a sword convincingly, he plays a 17th cen- tury physician turned pirate after escaping unjust political imprisonment. Olivia de Havilland stars in this first of their eight films together. “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” in brilliant Technicolor, is the gem of the collection. Costarring Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, and de Havilland, it is a wonderful retelling of the tale of the hero of Sherwood Forest. Douglas Fairbanks played Robin Hood in a silent picture, using his athletic skills to make Robin one of the screen’s first action heroes, but Flynn makes the role all his own in this elaborate production, which features an excitingly staged climactic sword fight between Robin and the wicked Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Rathbone). Other releases in Warner Home Video’s TCM Greatest Legends series honor actress Jean Harlow and director John Ford. A fourth Warner release, in the Greatest Classic Films series, is devoted to a quartet of features starring MGM’s canine star of the 1940s, Lassie. “Alice in Wonderland” (Walt Disney Home Entertainment) is newly available in Blu-ray in a 60th Anniversary Special Edition. The 1951 animated classic is based mostly on Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” with a few elements from “Through the Looking Glass.” Walt Disney first thought about adapting Carroll’s book into a full-length movie in 1923, when he was a 21-yearold f ilmmaker trying to make a name for himself. This “Alice” was made well before digital animation, so every image was hand-drawn, hand-painted, and individually photographed. Voice talent includes Kathryn Beaumont (Alice), Ed Wynn (Mad Hatter), Verna Felton (Queen of Hearts), Sterling Holloway (Cheshire Cat), Richard Haydn (Caterpillar), and Bill Thompson (White Rabbit). As with most Disney Blu-ray and DVD releases, there are many bonus features. C ��������������������������������������������� • O • R • T• I • N • A R I S T O R A N T E Fine Dining For Lunch & Dinner Lunch Starts at $7.00 • Mon-Fri 11:30AM–2:30PM Dinner Starts at $12 • Mon-Thurs 5PM–9:30PM • Fri & Sat 5PM–10PM Superbowl Party Sunday, February 6 • 6-9 pm Free Buffet • Beer Specials ���������� �������������������� ge Char Dine & Dance - Live Entertainment Wednesdays: Ray La Rovere-Piano, Emil Rizzo-Mandolin Saturdays: Mike Constantino-Piano Private Party Room For Up To 60 People • Call for Reservations - 973-942-1750 Join us for Sunday Brunch ����������������������� ������������������� ���������� ���������� HAPPY HOUR ��������� ������� 118 Berkshire Ave., Paterson, NJ (Totowa Section) • www.cortinarestaurant.com Valentine’s Day Monday, February 14th Call for Reservations �������� ������ �������������� ���������� Join us on Top German-American Restaurant in North Jersey 2-2-11Beers ester/janine On Tap Dinner Starting CortinaRestaurant3x3(2-2-11) at $8.95 • 3 pm - 10 pm Early Entrees starting at $8.95 • Noon - 6 pm 3 x 3” Dining Menu with 23Monday - Saturday Sauerbraten, Schnitzels, German Sausages, Goulasch, Spaetzel, Dumplings, Potato Pancakes and more. German KIRKERS Lunch starting at $4.95 • Noon - 3 pm ������������������������ �������������� �������������� � ������������������ �� Burgers, Salads, Sandwiches, Pasta, Prime Rib and of course Our Famous Specialties ������������������� ������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������� ���������������������� ����������������������� A Kirker Tradition for ����������������������������������������������� over 45 years! �������������������������������������������������������������� THIN CRUST PIZZA! www.kirkers.com • All Major Credit Cards Accepted • Open Mon - Sat • Noon til 11:30 pm 237 Diamond Bridge Ave, Hawthorne • 973-427-7700