Movies
SD Comic-Con ’10: ‘Let Me In’ Has Major Changes From Movie AND Novel
Since it has been announced, Let Me In has been accused of being a Psycho-esque shot for shot remake, with the language and setting being the only notable changes. But based on the footage we saw, this is most certainly not the case. While the beats are the same, things play out completely differently. For example, we were treated to the scene of The Father (Richard Jenkins) botching a kill, but this time it takes place entirely in a car, resulting in a horrific (and breathtaking) car crash. And later on, Jenkins let a pretty significant spoiler slip, one that could drastically change the themes and dynamic of the story. Read on for what Jenkins had to say!
MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD!
During the roundtable interviews following the film’s Hall H presentation, Jenkins was asked if he prepared for the role by creating a backstory, as Chloe Moretz did for her vampire character Abby (which she came up with herself, and is pretty horrifying). Jenkins replied:
“For me its always on the page, that’s where it always starts. But I did think about what his life was like, what made him choose his life? How bad was his life at 12 years old?”
Jenkins then realized his goof and moved on, but it seems pretty obvious that unlike the novel and original film, “The Father” (Hakan originally) was once a young male friend of Abby (who is 250 years old), much like Owen (Oskar) is now. It’s a potentially poignant twist to the story, and Jenkins’ unwillingness to elaborate further seems to indicate it’s in fact a major plot point, not some throwaway bit of character development.
From the footage we have seen (the other clip was of Abby and Owen’s movie “date”, which played out closer to identical-remake territory than the other clip, but yet also had some inspired changes) and the kick-ass trailer, it’s looking more and more likely that this is most definitely NOT some “let’s just translate it for the subtitle-phobic Americans” quickie cash-in, and may end up being one of the more worthy remakes. We will find out in October, when Let Me In is released via Overture and Hammer.
A contemporary reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story Herbert West: Reanimator is on the way, and Deadline has unveiled the first look at the new Herbert West and the pathologist drawn to his orbit.
Adam Simon (The Haunting in Connecticut, “Salem”) and Tim Metcalfe (The Haunting in Connecticut, Kalifornia) penned the script. The original screenplay and storyline come from Jade Sandberg Wallace.
Michael Grossman (“The Originals”, “Pretty Little Liars”) directs.
The new images introduce star Joseph Morgan (“Vampire Diaries“), who plays “brilliant surgeon and scientist Herbert West, who is obsessed with creating a serum to reanimate the dead.” Katie Cassidy (Speed Demon) stars opposite as the pathologist with a troubled past who joins his efforts.
Together, they prove that conquering death may be the ultimate sin against life itself.
The film’s official synopsis: “As a child, Herbert West watches his father Peter reanimate his dead mother Judith in a secret basement lab — only for Judith to mortally wound Peter and nearly kill Herbert before Peter shoots her. The trauma leaves its mark on Herbert, but so does one final image: his mother’s finger, twitching after death. Thirty years later, Herbert West is a brilliant, secretive surgeon still chasing his father’s obsession.
“Pathologist Kate Locke arrives in town and is drawn into his orbit — first through a spark at a hospital fundraiser, then through his secret lab, where he reveals a serum capable of reanimating severed tissue. Kate, hiding a dark past of her own, is thrilled rather than horrified, and moves into West’s mansion to work alongside him. Their early experiments on a cadaver succeed only briefly. West concludes that dead tissue is the problem — they need something fresher.”
Supporting cast includes Scott Aiello, Ira J Amyx, Randall Newsome, Emma Reinagal, James D. Bryce, Kathryn A Bentley, Jack Lancaster, Amy Holland Pennell, John Pierson, Mindy Shaw, Eric Dean White, Tristan Wilder Hallet, Adrienne Lamping, Aaron Crippen, and Drew Patterson.
Makeup artist Jeff Lewis (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Star Trek: Enterprise”) and cousin Roger Lewis are heading the production via their newly established Woodlake Entertainment.
Lovecraft’s short story, first serialized in Home Brew magazine in 1922, is the first among his works to mention the fictional Miskatonic University. It was most famously adapted into a 1985 horror movie from Stuart Gordon, starring Jeffrey Combs as Herbert West.
Herbert West: Reanimator is set in Alton, Illinois, where production is now underway.
Herbert West: Reanimator. Photo credit: Matt Lief Anderson
You must be logged in to post a comment.