It seems as though the comics industry has been listening to fans and industry observers and are dropping the prices of their books. AOL-owned Comics Alliance broke the story that Marvel and DC would both be dropping the prices of their monthly titles from $3.99 to $2.99.

They quoted Dan Didio as saying that with the price, readers were “increasingly reluctant to sample new titles [and] long term fans [were] beginning to abandon titles and characters that they’d collected for years.”

Similarly, Marvel came to the same conclusion with different data, citing their online apps for helping them reduce the prices.

This is great news for everyone, and particularly great news for my pocket book.  I’m certain to buy more books now, and that’s good news for DC, Marvel, and retailers.

Attached below is DC’s Press Release about the situation:

DC COMICS DROPs prices on $3.99 titles

MOVES TO $2.99 price point for ongoing COMIC BOOK series

New York, October 7, 2010– Beginning January 2011, DC Comics will implement a line-wide pricing adjustment, lowering the prices of all standard length 32-page ongoing comic book titles currently priced at $3.99 to $2.99, it was announced today by DC Comics Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio.

“Today’s announcement re-affirms DC Comics’ commitment to both our core fans and to comic book store retailers,” said Jim Lee, DC Comics Co-Publisher. “For the long term health of the industry, we are willing to take a financial risk so that readers who love our medium do not abandon the art form.”

“As Co-Publishers, we listened to our fans and to our partners in the retail community who told us that a $3.99 price point for 32 pages was too expensive. Fans were becoming increasingly reluctant to sample new titles and long term fans were beginning to abandon titles and characters that they’d collected for years.” said Dan DiDio, DC Comics Co-Publisher. “We needed a progressive pricing strategy that supports our existing business model and, more importantly, allows this creative industry to thrive for years to come.”

With the exceptions of oversized comic books, like annuals and specials, we are committed to a $2.99 price point.” When taking into account mini-series, annuals and specials, more than 80% of DC’s comic books will be priced at $2.99.

As of January, the following titles standard length ongoing titles, previously priced at $3.99 for 32 pages/22 story pages, will be priced at $2.99 with 32 pages/20 story pages:

American Vampire; Batman: The Dark Knight; Batman Incorporated; Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors; JSA All-Stars.

As of January, the following licensed titles, previously priced at $3.99, will be priced at $2.99: Gears of War; God of War Kane & Lynch; Ratchet & Clank.

As of January, the following ongoing titles previously priced at $3.99 for 40 pages/30 story pages including co-features, will no longer include co-features and will be priced at $2.99 for 32 pages/ 20 story pages: Action Comics; Adventure Comics; Batman: Streets of Gotham; Detective Comics; Doc Savage; Justice League of America; Legion of Super-Heroes; The Spirit.

In January, five books are $3.99 for 40 pages/30 story pages: Batman: Europa # 1 First Wave # 6 DCU: Legacies # 9 Weird Worlds # 1 World of Warcraft: Curse of the Worgen

The following oversized anniversary issue will be $4.99 for 48 pages/38 story pages: Hellblazer # 275

“Fans of our co-features should stay tuned. Some of these characters will find a new platform,” said Dan DiDio. “Going forward, mini-series and special events may feature a different price point and page count to best allow writers and artists the flexibility of format and story pages they need to tell their stories best.”

Topher Kohan from CNN wrote an open letter to George Lucas and Star Wars fans today entitled “‘Star Wars’ in 3-D: ‘The fool, or the fool who follows him?‘”, wondering automatically who’s more foolish for this notable endeavor, the man enabling it, or the fans excited to see it on the big screen.

Mr. Kohan believes for some reason that this is one of the worst ideas that Star Wars has ever had, even stooping so low to compare it to the Holiday Special (that was Fox’s doing, not Lucasfilm.) He likens a re-release in theatres as “a twist of the knife”, as though it’s going to hurt us to see these films once more in a theatre, in 3D or otherwise.

Mr. Kohan is mistaken in his article, about a great many things.

First off, he pre-supposes that this release will see a whole new bevy of changes that will ruin his experience of the movies, as though the experience were about him exclusively. Lucasfilm has publicly said that there will be few if any changes will be made. Two we know about are incredibly minor. The first is that the much-reviled Yoda puppet in The Phantom Menace will be replaced with a digital Yoda. The second is that the sound of Obi-Wan’s Krayt dragon call will be changed in A New Hope. I’m completely fine with these changes, as I’m sure most others are, too. I am, however, on board in asking that Lucasfilm change it back to Han firing first in the Cantina.

And even if changes are made, these are changes being made by the artist. Star Wars is still, first and foremost, George Lucas’ and we’re not entitled to demand he do anything with it, one way or the other.

The next mistake I feel like Mr. Kohan made was the idea that there was little to love about The Phantom Menace, which will be the first film released in 3D. He seems to forget that there is an entire generation of fans who prefer the Prequel films. While I don’t count myself among that number (all 6 Star Wars films are equals in my eyes) there are many kids who find that this is the Star Wars of their generation as well. More often than not, this is a silent majority, a majority that is afraid to speak out because of the bullying by those Star Wars “purists” who hate anything done with Star Wars after 1995. To call them foolish for their preference is, in itself, foolish.

Perhaps the worst thing Mr. Kohan did in his letter, though, was fail to realize that the big screen is the preferred method of seeing big event films, particularly Star Wars. This release will be the first time a whole new generation of fans who know and love Star Wars will be able to experience it on the big screen, regardless of the 3D enhancements. There are plenty of mothers and fathers (like myself) excited to be able to share this experience with their children. This doesn’t make us fools, it makes us eager to share what we love with our kids in the best way possible.

Lucas isn’t “twisting a knife into us” or “tossing us scraps”. He’s giving plenty of Star Wars fans exactly what they want, and have wanted since 1977. Star Wars on the big screen. Perhaps Mr. Kohan forgets that Star Wars was in pretty much continuous release from 1977 until the release of The Empire Strikes Back. No one accused him (or Fox) of twisting a knife in fans then. They’re simply giving us what we want.

If you don’t want it, don’t go see it. But please, don’t act like you have to just because it’s Star Wars and then be angry about it.

This is good news for anyone who wants to see it. And not bad news, but no news at all for anyone who doesn’t. If Mr. Kohan has watched The Empire Strikes Back as many times as he claims, he’d remember that the anger, fear, and aggression he displayed in his article leads to the dark side. And he’ll know that this open letter in response to his is written purely in knowledge and defense.

This is my plea to guys like Topher Kohan and all of the other members of the mainstream media who have jumped up and down on the 3D release of Star Wars: If you don’t want to see it, move along. It doesn’t do anyone any good for you to call people fools for wanting to see a theatrical film in a theatre, whether it’s in 3D or not. Star Wars hasn’t been released as many times as Gone With the Wind, but no one reviles David O. Selznick for it. Why do this to Lucas?

Isn’t it the American Dream to have a product everyone wants and sell it to them? And at the point where Lucas has pledged half of his fortune to charities benefiting the American education system, how can we not feel even better about spending our entertainment dollars where we want to?

One of the best feelings I’ve ever had was seeing a Star Wars movie at a midnight screening with hundreds of fellow Star Wars fans. Thanks to George Lucas, I’ll be able to do it again, but this time share that experience with my son and daughter. That means a lot to me, and a lot of others. Try not to rain on our parade.

Bryan Young is the editor of Big Shiny Robot!, a columnist for The Huffington Post and you can follow him on Twitter.

UPDATE: Read my article about the possibility of the original, pre-Special Edition trilogy coming out in HD.

Here it is folks! The September edition of the Big Shiny Vidcast! We did have some technical difficulties and sound issues, and we apologize. Zombietron is always working hard to bring the best vidcast experience, so this will only get better!

In this edition of the vidcast we cover some breaking Spider-Man reboot news, Star Wars 3D, Wonder Woman TV series, Halo: Reach, Minecraft, and a whole bunch of other geek news! Thanks to everyone who joined us in the chatroom and we will see you next month!

Featuring: Arse-bot, Kill-tacular-tron, Zombietron, Proletariatron, Mexicus Prime, and Kiley.

Gwen Stacy?

The Hollywood reporter announced that Emma Stone is joining the cast of the Spider-Man movie re-launch from Columbia Pictures. Earlier this week she made big nerd news as Roboshinobi’s 3rd most attractive female. Did anybody expect her to be cast as a blonde? I like her enough not to care what color her hair is. She can act. Sound off below!

Lucasfilm has been kind enough to once again get us an advanced clip of the next episode of Clone Wars, this week, we’re brought back to Mandalore and are being treated to a very classic Western kind of story.  Outlaws have poisioned the well and it’s up to the leaders in town to figure it out.  Except the outlaws are probably Pre Vizsla and his Mandalorian terrorists and Padme and the Duchess Satine are left to figure things out.

From the press release:

On a diplomatic mission to Mandalore, Senator Padmé Amidala uncovers a sinister plot lurking beneath the pacifist planet’s serene façade. With the help of Duchess Satine, she investigates a mysterious illness spreading among Mandalore’s children, discovering corruption that extends into the highest levels of the Mandalorian government. An all-new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, “Corruption,” airs at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT Friday, October 8 on Cartoon Network.

“Corruption” explores a system divided. Deep in the midst of an identity crisis made even worse by the widespread turmoil of the Clone Wars, the people of Mandalore find themselves torn between their violent past and their leader’s promise of peace for the future.

“It’s a fascinating culture at a really interesting time,” says Dave Filoni, Supervising Director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “Mandalore has a long history of violence, and they’re trying to move away from that. But this is all taking place in the middle of a galaxy-wide civil war, so it’s difficult for Satine to make a case for peace when there’s so much violence all around. And that’s exactly why peace is so important to her.”

While Season Two’s visit to Mandalore saw the schism reflected in the explicit aggression of the Death Watch, the latest plot indicates a far more subversive threat – reaching into the highest echelons of the Mandalorian power hierarchy.

“There are bigger threats to peace than the Death Watch,” says Filoni. “We’ve seen their approach in Season Two; they used violence as their message. But political corruption can be far more damaging in the long run. The scale’s so much broader here, and the stakes are system-wide. Ultimately, Mandalore’s allegiances are key to the Clone Wars, so every little transgression can have ripple effects throughout the war. Corruption can spread, and it’s threatening to poison Satine’s best efforts.”

Without the explosive threats of the Death Watch, the story necessarily takes an altogether different tone. Teamed with Padmé for the investigation Satine sets out to uncover the threat to her power – and to Mandalore’s peaceful future. Though they come under fire as the investigation heats up, the two women face dangers with far-reaching consequences even greater than mere threats to their own personal well-being.

“Whenever we visit Satine, we’re going to see a war of ideals,” says Filoni. “She’s very steadfast in her beliefs, and that’s what makes her a good leader. She’s got a tough job, though. She is often undermined by her own people, and her core beliefs are even at odds with the beliefs of the other Clone Wars heroes – including the Jedi and the Senate. Ultimately, they all want the same thing – peace – but they have different thresholds. With an endgame that is so important to the entire galaxy, compromises can be difficult – even when it comes to the means by which peace is achieved.”

Hey there Big Shiny Robot fans! It’s time to call out for help. It’s not for anyone here – it’s for great comic artist, Steve Rude. Word is traveling quickly through the geek community that Steve and his family are in danger of losing their house due to tough economic times. His subscriber message says it best, so I’ll let that do the talking:

S.O.S. — Help Steve Rude keep his house

Hey Guys,

Sorry for the dramatic headline but it really is appropriate. Like everyone else, Steve has been effected by the economic downturn, so much so that his house will be up for auction November 15th.

Link to Steve’s Facebook blog. http://tiny.cc/1dco7

In an effort to stave off the foreclosure, Steve has put up pages from The Next Nexus mini-series on eBay at really low prices. Pages from issues #1 and #2 are already up on eBay and issues #3 and #4 will up in a week or two.

Link to Steve’s eBay auctions http://tiny.cc/fup3u

Link to Steve’s store where all the issues as well as other art are shown. http://tiny.cc/xkey3

There’s a lot of pages with the main characters left as well as plenty of pages with his fantastic spaceship designs (they are so very cool.)

His commission list is temporarily closed until he whittles down his backlog a bit but will be opened back up shortly.

edit: It’s come to my attention that the links in the quote weren’t working. This is his eBay link and his other store link. I’m unable to link his Facebook due to access restrictions but I’m sure it’s not hard to find.

There are two stories out today that warrant your attention.

Firstly:  According to the Hollywood Reporter’s HeatVision Blog, Zack Snyder has been selected to direct the next Superman film.  His contract negotiations began today.  I think one of Snyder’s failings is in his scripts, but if the Nolan brothers can hand him an exceedingly tight and perfect script, he’ll be able to knock a Superman movie out of the park.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the article involved a big name we hadn’t even heard about:

The job was so coveted that even Robert Zemeckis, retired to the world of performance capture, considered returning to live-action filmmaking in order to nab the gig.

Though Robert Zemeckis hasn’t been making the best movies as of late, he’s still the mastermind behind two of the best movies ever made: Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, which I watched last night and is probably one of the most finely crafted post-noir era noir films ever made.

The next big piece of news from the piece is that David Goyer is helping with the script and a villain has been chosen:  General Zod.

I think Zack Snyder can do a capable job with the right script and this might be his best film.  And here’s hoping they keep Brandon Routh in the role.  I had the chance of doing the press line for Scott Pilgrim at Comic-Con and that guy walks into the room and you can see he’s just Superman.

And where does all this leave Darren Aronofsky, who’s name was on the list for Superman?  Though I was pulling for him to get the Superman gig, Newsarama is reporting that he’s the front runner to helm Columbia Pictures’ film adaptation of Preacher since Sam Mendes departed the project earlier in the year.  I’d also like to throw out there that I’d murder to read John August’s draft of the screenplay.  If anyone can make that happen, I’d sincerely appreciate it.  (And if you’re interested in screenwriting and not reading John August’s website, you’re behind the curve.)

You can read Newsarama’s full article about that tidbit here, but I think it’s a perfect match.  Aronofsky’s name has been tied to negotiations with a LOT of superhero movies (including what would have been a brilliant Dark Knight Returns film) but he’s never been able to make it happen.  I’ve seen him at Comic-Con and he certainly has the love of the form that’s required.  Only time will tell if he’ll really get his shot.

So- This is not something I’ve ever really given a lot of thought to… I mean, I know who I find attractive- But didn’t really categorize it until now… This is nerdy of me.  SO- I’m gonna share my list with you!

10. Emily Browning (Sucker Punch)

So, why Emily Browning? To be more specific, why not!? She’s a relatively new face in the industry, so mainly- I haven’t become sick of seeing her everywhere. But on top of that- she’s a talented little actress with a LOT of potential for a future career. (the Scandinavian bone structure helps too)

9. Imogen Poots(28 Weeks Later)

This one is simple. The eyes. Look at those eyes. Look deep into the eyes… and tell me that you aren’t completely hypnotized. Go on… tell me!

8. Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck)

Yvonne is classy, Australian accented and stars in one of the coolest nerd shows on TV. This puts her at number 8 for the same reason she is Chuck‘s number one: She’s the girl that no nerd could ever have, but all the writer’s keep giving me a glimmer of hope… I’m just smart enough to realize, that that hope is futile… cuz it was written by a group of nerds who know what other nerds wish could be true…

7. Sophie Kipner (Everything)

Photo by: Jason Whetzell

Sophie Kipner isn’t really well known to many of the world- but she is definitely in the public eye. I know of Sophie because I am a huge fan of the website Channel 101; a website dedicated to the submission and distribution of 5 minute television.  Basically- each month, people produce and submit a 5 minute episode of “TV” and if the live audience they show it to out of L.A. likes it enough, they put it online. (Now for a quick side-note about Channel 101 and why you should be watching it.)

Channel 101 has been the launch pad, and source of some of the greatest mondern entertainers I can think of: Andy Samberg and “The Lonely Island” boys basically got their start on this website- My very first introduction to the lovely- Sarah Chalke (Scrubs) was on this site… The site creators/contributors have now had their hands in almost every new piece of good comedic entertainment to hit the airwaves- including, but not limited to: Monster House, The Sarah Silverman Program, Community (created by site creator Dan Harmon). Ya- and some  of the biggest viral sensations of the past couple years started on this website;  House of Cosbys, Chad Vader, Yacht Rock and Kicked in the Nuts.

If you aren’t checking Channel 101 each and every single month for the latest installments of your favorite shows- you’re missing out on some of THE finest entertainment the web has to offer. (Might I suggest: The ‘Bu, Laser Fart, Dick Richards: Private Dick, Ringwald and Molly, Twigger’s Holiday, Sock Baby and The Wright Stuff, just to name a few.)

Which brings me to why Sophie Kipner is number 7 on my list; Virtually unknown, the only thing I’ve ever seen her in is the current Channel 101 Primetime show: Everything. An avant garde variety show that highlights the talents of as many filmmakers as they can fit into 5 minutes… sometimes its dark, sometimes its hilarious, it can make you think deeply (i.e. Todd Bishop’s segment in ep. 10) It can then make you cross your eyes and scratch your head at to what just happened (i.e. Fatal Farm’s segment in ep. 4)- This is a show that is truly creative in its use of the restrictions provided… Aside from being my favorite show amongst the current Primetime selection (Serious props to Jason Whetzell, Danny Jelinek and all the contributors to that show)- Suffice it to say, the first time Sophie walked on screen as the ‘Host” – I could see that: ‘something special’ that only a few can show in such a short amount of screen time… the show itself is Its really very hard to explain, but its a quirk I fell in love with. (to use the term loosely). She herself is a device that if changed, would crumble the foundation of the show.

That and she is definitively THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD who can pull off the whole: bright red lipstick and heavy, large, round framed hipster glasses look that has become so popular these days. I kid you not- I’ve never seen it actually work on anyone else… Granted- she’s not the obvious choice for #7 on my list – which is definitely a factor in why she is. She is after all- in the public eye- and I think she deserves a bit more recognition!

6. Bridget Regan (Legend of the Seeker)

Ms. Regan is another example of pure class. She very much comes across as the kind of woman you would love to take home to meet the family. In her current role as ‘Kahlan Amnell’ she portrays strength very believably and she exudes confidence without screaming to the world: “Look at me! I want attention!”. She’s talented and I can’t wait to see her in future projects. (if ever a Wonder Woman movie were to be made- she’d be my first choice… especially if they were trying for a re-invention: as studio’s so love to do.)

5. Sarah Silverman

On the opposite end of that spectrum of class is Sarah Silverman. The bad girl. The fearless comedian. The girl who will say anything for a laugh- and I mean anything. She’s the kind of girl that you keep secret from mum. That you’d show off to your friends so that you can all high five about it later. Sarah Silverman is entertaining and attractive- and she knows it. This makes her dangerous. This makes her, how do you say…? Super. Hot.

I get it- I get the character she plays for the world… I also think there’s a whole helluva lot more to her than she shows… you know- a mysterious depth to the apparent cold-hearted, uncouth, bitch that she lets us believe she is. Depth is sexy.

Oh, and I love her nose. Weird- but true.

4. Olivia Wilde

This choice is my one truly male choice. This choice is based ENTIRELY on the above photo… I’ve never seen Olivia Wilde act- I don’t know anything about her other than this photo to be honest. I stumbled across this photo one day and thought it was intriguing… especially in the eyes. I like how its like she dropped the remote control under the couch- then someone with a camera called out “Olivia!” and snapped this photo just as she looked.

I can only imagine the aftermath! Her complaining because the flash was so bright and unexpected- the man with the camera laughing hysterically- then the two of them looking at the picture and saying “hey- that’s actually a pretty good photo- let’s put it on facebook!” of course, this makes Olivia embarrassed, but she’s not afraid of a little candid exposure! Then the two of them cuddled by the fire.

Wait… what?

3. Emma Stone (Zombieland)

She’s my number 3 for a few reasons… She seems real- Like she can’t be bothered by whatever happens on screen or off. Fame is just a thing that is there- as long as she can keep doing what she wants to do. She also pulls off the heavy eyeliner and bangs look- her (or her make-up artists) found the best way to accentuate her powerful eyes- She also has the bone structure of near perfect symmetry- and if John Cleese has taught us anything, its that symmetry is what makes us hot.

2. Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars)

I have three words for my number 2: Talent. Talent. Talent.  If you ever actually need a reason for Kristen Bell to be on your top 10, just watch the movie Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical. Or, just watch anything she’s in…

1. The Palmer Cash T-Shirt Girl

To be perfectly honest- She’s my number one because I don’t know her name. The mystery of who she REALLY is combined with the flattery of her sensational good looks makes for a lethal combination.

Sure, I want to know who she is- but at the same time, I have no desire to break the mystery. This is entirely why she is my number one choice- and I don’t care if you agree! Its my list.

That’s it. The list.

Who is on your list? How much do you agree with my list? DO you agree with my list?  Was this even a list?

The latest episode of Clone Wars, “Sphere of Influence” is a tale of political intrigue that involves blockades, the taxation of trade routes, kidnappings, and all around fun.

The basic story revolves around the Pantorans (whom we last saw on the show on the episode “Trespass” from season 1) and the pressure the Trade Federation is exerting on them to leave the Republic and join the Separatists.  They’ve blockaded the planet and the first act revolves around a pair of bounty hunters the Separatists have hired to kidnap the Pantoran chairman’s daughters.

It’s important to note that the Pantoran chairman is Baron Papanoida, who was portrayed by George Lucas in Revenge of the Sith.  The model of the character was based on Lucas, and his children were based on his actual children.

With natural instincts of a parent kicking in, the good Baron takes matters into his own hands and launches his own investigation that puts him on Greedo’s trail and takes him Tatooine.  The natural instincts of a Jedi being what they are, Anakin and Ahsoka, take matters into their own hands and Ahsoka accompanies Senator Chu Chi to lead their own investigation aboard a Trade Federation ship blockading Pantora.

Though Ahsoka and Chu Chi’s adventure is an interesting, well-animated, and revealed all of the bits of political intrigue I love so much, the episode really shined when it was focused on the Baron’s own hunt for his daughter.  The Baron was voiced by Corey Burton, and you could feel his voice dripping in Orson Welles.  The press releases said he was channeling Welles in The Third Man, but I felt he was much more subdued than the animated and overly rationalizing Harry Lime.  But the tone was perfect once I got used to the idea that George Lucas himself wasn’t going to be voicing him.

His quest is linked up into the classic trilogy over and over again and in very great ways.  Greedo was his daughters abductor and this leads him directly to Jabba’s Palace and the Mos Eisley Cantina.  The model of Jabba they use on this show is so stylized and fun to watch that I want to see much more Jabba now that they’ve hit their stride with the models.  There’s a classic shoot out in the cantina and  everyone ends up reunited and the forces of good win.

My favorite moment in this entire episode was in the Mos Eisley Cantina, though.  Jabba got a second cameo, but in an infinitely more subtle way that got a sharp giggle out of me.  Behind the bar, if you look carefully, you’ll see that Jabba is the bartender.  But not the Jabba we all know and love.  The bartender is the Jabba from the Marvel Comics adaptation of A New Hope:

It was an excellent moment designed to give us older fans a treat that doesn’t get in the way of the episode.

As far as the technical aspects of the episode, the show animation keeps getting better and better.  There was a moment in the Senate chambers where Chu Chi is giving her speech and he facial animation was, in a word, beautiful.  Anakin’s facial modeling has gotten much better, too.  The lighting everywhere on Tatooine was superb.  You could actually see and feel the dust in the air, and the recreation of classic trilogy sets was spot on.  In fact, the lighting behind the bar in the cantina, rising up from the back, was pitch perfect.

I think this episode was a step up from last week and I can’t wait for next week when we return to Mandalore.

To catch up on season one, order that here.  You can preorder season two here.

I was lucky enough to get in for a pre-screening of the film, Let Me In, on Wednesday at the Broadway theatre in Salt Lake City. (I smuggled a cat in a purse that I said I was “holding for my girlfriend”) I sat next to my good friend and fellow contributor to this site, Proletaria-tron. After the movie was through, he mentioned that he was going to put up a review for the movie, and said, “I’ll let you tag your review onto mine. I’ll e-mail you…” Something to that effect. Anyway, I agreed, and anxiously waited at my desk for my chance to write a few words about this movie. Two days later, I had still not received the e-mail, when I decided to check the BigShinyRobot homepage, and what did I see?

https://www.bigshinyrobot.com/reviews/archives/17366

The bastard stabbed me in the back and published a review without asking my highly respected opinion. What does that mean to you people? Just that you get a second review with me and my only real friend, Flufferz! And now for the review!

“Let Me In” is a remake of the Swedish film named similarly, “Let the Right One In” Honestly, I don’t think either name is even good, let alone better than the other… I would have called it, “Dracula Bat ‘At-cula” if I had it my way, sadly I’ve been barred from contacting most movie studios in anyway whatsoever.

Let Me In, is about a creepy little boy named Owen, who is picked on at school. He’s a loner up until a vampire moves in next door who he eventually befriends and falls in love with. To me, it sounds like the plot of a teen comedy, but it turns out it’s more of a horror film… At this time I think it’s worth mentioning that the last horror movie I watched was “Runaway Bride”.

This version of the film was directed by Matt Reeves, the director of CloverField, (which I thought was basically okay.) He was also given (oddly, I think) a, “written for the screen” credit. It is my thought that he did a good job in both of these rolls. The film was shot well, and it wasn’t over handed in the least. He did have the distinct advantage of tracing someone else’s project, but I think this is okay considering his disadvantage of being the writer of “Under Siege 2”.

The acting in this film was surprisingly not annoying, being that it was staffed almost completely by children. My only real complaint (I’m using the word “real” liberally) is that the main boy, and the vampire girl, didn’t look quite as creepy as the pair that played the couple in the Swedish version. They did themselves a real favor by casting Elias Koteas (Casey Jones) as the policeman who is hunting down the vampire, because, with my prejudiced opinion, I think he did a really good job.

The main reasons I can find to actually watch this film are pretty scattered. While I think this was a fine film, I really don’t think it was different enough from the original to demand another viewing, but it was certainly well enough made to deserve a recommend. To me, the appeal of the story is to watch a vampire interact with what seems like a partially realistic small town. They subtly show you the archetypes of our typical conception of a traditional vampire, and I think with good writing, give each of these traits enough precedence to make some really powerful scenes. From their blood lust, to their allergy to sunlight. My particular favorite aspect, was the concept that for a vampire to exist in our society they would travel with a familiar (referring to a vampires minion) to help them harvest blood.

At the same time, I feel this was a hard film to watch. I think it all depends on how much you love horror movies, because some of the gore was too intense for me. (What can I say, I’m a doctor that can’t stand the site of blood… I mostly only became a doctor to see unhealthy women in their pantyhose.)

At the end of the day I think this was a pretty good movie, and I wish that every remake or screenplay had at least this much care and attention paid to it. I will award this film with 7 illustrious Dr. Cyborg movie points, out of a possible 10. Flufferz gave it 8 out of 10, (He gave it an extra point because they mentioned tuna fish.)