LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008)

[Update 03/07/2021: Need to redo this review completely. Fix the screenshots also.]

Swedish art house meets the vampire genre with good results. That is, if you don't mind the slow pacing.  If you're expecting something like THE LOST BOYS, but with snow and subtitles then you're not even going to make it through the first 30 minutes. But if you do stick around then you're in for a treat.

Oskar (or as I like to call him "the Swedish version of Danny from THE SHINING") is a twelve year boy old with some problems: he lives alone with his mother in some depressing-looking apartments, it's always snowing, he has no friends and the local school bullies are constantly kicking his ass. Then a vampire trapped in a 12-year-old's body moves in next door and they become friends.  Aww.  Oh yeah, there's also a serial killer living next door.

Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist (who also wrote the screenplay), director Tomas Alfredson does a very good job of capturing the helplessness and torment Oskar is going through and his subsequent attraction to the vampire, Eli. Recommended for fans of arthouse horror.

Ramke - Let Me In (2010)

PRIVATE HELL 36 (1954)

Tightly-packed crime drama about a man in NYC who's murdered and robbed of $300,000. A year later, some of the bills start showing up in Los Angeles. Detectives Bruner and Farnum are assigned to follow the money trail. It leads to lounge singer Ida Lupino (THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT, HIGH SIERRA) and eventually to tension and backstabbing between the two partners when they steal $80k of the money.

It might not be action-packed, but PRIVATE HELL 36 is still a great film noir. The acting is top-notch. The story is interesting and hard-boiled. The direction by Don Siegel - who'd later go on to direct four Clint Eastwood flicks- is excellent with numerous scenes shot on city streets and a horse track (I loved watching the crowd and seeing the old cars).

Any fan of classic film noir and older crime movies should have this in their collection.  Would be a great double feature with ARMORED CAR ROBBERY.

STONE COLD (1991)

"I will peel your skin off with a knife dipped in shit."

This movie is awesome!!!  Armed with an indestructible mullet Joe Tough, err, I mean, Joe Huff removes his shirt and infiltrates The Brotherhood, a murderous gang of gun-runnin', drug dealin' Nazi bikers (lead by Lance Henriksen), who are out to kill a high-level politician.

That's all you need to know besides the fact that this movie is pure early 90's action badassness!!! How badass you ask? Well, 13 out of 10 doctors recommend that you were an athletic support when you watch STONE COLD because there have been documented instances of people watching STONE COLD suddenly getting their balls kicked up around their ears by some invisible, sweaty-smelling force. So, be warned, if you're watching this movie unprotected and you suddenly smell a musky, manly smell then wave good-bye to your testicles cause them shits are about to be kicked up into the ceiling fan! Bam!

One of the best action movies of the early 90's and a must buy for action fans.  Double-feature with COMMANDO.

Bizarre fact: Michael Douglas, yes that Michael Douglas, was a co-producer on this movie. Crazy, huh?

NSFW early 90's nudity.