Laurice and I just saw the movie, LET ME IN. Currently in theaters, this is NOT another vampire movie. No glorified teen age angst. No moody wannabes. No annoying best friends. No GQ or Playboy Model looking non-talents.
LET ME IN is a very deep exploration into what evil and/or good lies in peoples heart. And more so, this is more of an anti-bully movie.
I won't give away too much. Basically the movie feels like a typical American adaptation of an European style film. The original being Swedish. Almost an art film.
But this film really hit me as I am current pondering material for an anti-bully assembly piece. On the minds of so many after the recent cyber-bullying leading to suicide.
Just yesterday I was talking with Laurice about our bully experiences. I, being a little bigger,have had more success with bullies. In many cases I ended the career of a bully with one solid push.
I remember a kid in 9th grade. These were different times. Other fellow nerds feared this rather puny black kid would have "friends" if we stood up to him. "If you fight him you will have to fight every black kid in school" Being smart does not keep you from being ignorant apparently. So one day after school, here comes this kid - who shared my last name by the way - Punching geaks in the chest. He gest to me. With one push he flew about 6 feet. I must have been twice his size. He had a few words as he stumbled off but that was the end of it. That same year I dealt with two other bullies. One asian that all feared knew too much martial arts. One day in the locker room, I shyly took three punches to the teeth before unloading into his chest. I bled because of braces. He could not breath for a while. A third was of equal size but of very small mind. A relative stand-off. He got off the only hit seen by teachers.
Laurice did not fair as well. being rather petite growing up, she was often the victim of both physical and mental attacks.
In the movie the main character, an under-developed 12 year old, is the target of a few bullies. Like so many TV shows I remember in the 80s, we finally see why this bully is a bully (in other words, his bullier) While the Vampire scenes are at times gruesome, the bully scenes are the truly scary ones. They are made to feel overly realistic, while the supernatural is almost animated and borderline humerous. I think this was very much on purpose.
I almost hope they make a sequel. I doubt the story truly calls for one, but you really start to feel for the main characters.
So what is the true EVIL element in LET ME IN. At one point, our main character calls his father to as if EVIL truly exists. In this movie YES IT DOES. But not from where you think. Vampirism is NOT a choice. Vampires are like animals with deep survival instincts. Perhaps monsters, but not willing killers. HOwever, those that CHOOSE to cause terror for kicks. Perhaps there is a deep psycho reason thanks to abusiv parents, siblings etc, but it is still a CHOICE.
GO SEE THIS MOVIE
STOP BULLYING
STOP BEING BULLIED GET HELP!!! BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE
http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/
http://www.antibullying.net/
http://www.bullying.org/
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