I've watched the film too many times.

[Drad]

I have watched this film too much, I wish I would have left it at the magical two viewings.

I've watched the film 15 times over the past year. I seriously loved the emotions I felt when I watched the movie, so the first few months after I saw it I watched it around 10 times.

Now, a year later, I decided to watch it again. I felt kind of bored by it, honestly. I guess this is the result of watching a film too much. I now wish I would have only watched in twice, so that in my mind I only remembered the emotions I felt the second time I saw it, opposed to the other times.


Can anyone else not really watch the entire movie completely without taking breaks? Like, when I first saw the film, it had an effect on me for like a week. And that brings me to another question, I've noticed people say the film is better the second time you see it. Why is this? It was that way with me. I saw the movie, thought it was "good", slept on it, the next day started thinking about it, watched it the next night, and it brought me to tears, and I immediately sent it to all of my friends.

Does anyone relate?

[sauvin]

I've lost count of how many times I've either watched the movie entirely or fired it up to watch particular scenes or confirm some detail. I don't seem to watch it end to end anymore, I just skip around a bit, but when I first started watching it, it was end to end because I couldn't understand how such a dumb, simple movie could have such an effect on me.

First time I watched it, it was a yawner. I kept waiting for something to happen, or some engaging dialog to come across, or something, but it never did. I didn't understand that I'd watched something that'd be so emotionally important to me until I started browsing the IMDB message boards, and got interested in some of the things I saw them talking about. The second viewing, though, the second time I actually watched it rather than just putting it in the drive for some background noise, THAT was the hook.

Yea, it's dumb. Yea, it's simple. Nothing happens except at the end. Nobody says much of anything at all. And I couldn't quit watching it for months, had it on while I was working, often let it play while I was sleeping. Couldn't get the music out of my head, couldn't burn it out, couldn't drown it out.

I think maybe my avatar suggests why. Not sure. It's been a while now since I've seen it or read the book, but still can't get it out of my mind. I still keep it handy, though, because on top of it affecting me so much, I'm still trying to understand why or how.

[Wolfchild]

I still keep it handy, though, because on top of it affecting me so much, I'm still trying to understand why or how.

QFT. I can still watch it, and still do. In fact, I plan on watching it September 30, to get as large a contrast as possible with Let Me In (which I plan to view the next day). However, like sauvin, I also still do not understand the why or the how this film (and indeed the novel as well) is able to affect me like it does. Everything that I have done from frequenting the IMDB chat board, to reading the novel, to creating this site, to writing fan fic, is really all just an effort to understand the why and the how. I've gone from being curious about the why and the how, to doubting that I will ever figure it out, to hoping that I never figure it out. I now think that if I ever figure it out, my fascination with it will end.

Drad, have you figured out why and how you came to love this film so much?

[God of Vampires]

Lets see, I first saw LTROI in cinema almost two years ago. It took me more than 6 months to get the dvd. Which I have like seven times since then ( four times within the last three months). I have not really viewed it so many times yet, and it is getting better with each time I see it.

Wolfchild, I do not know either why this story has such an impact on me. What I do know is that I have not managed to get it out my head since I first watched it, first time I saw it it was simply good, now it is amazing . I can only guess it is because I had a childhood similiar to Oskar's, that I really like vampires, and have a facination for reaistic crime drama, and the murders in LTROI totally feels like the ones you hear about in real life.

[theguy1991]

The music is a big reason I like this movie so much, also the way Eli smiles never gets old.
And I just love all the characters in the movie.

[moonvibe34]

Next month will be my one year anniversary with LTROI and I've watched the film about 12 times. During my first viewing I knew that something special was unfolding before my captivated eyes but at the time I had NO idea that JAL's tale was going to affect me so deeply. The emotional effects and introspection unleashed upon me by Oskar and Eli hit me like a ton of bricks the day after my first viewing of the film.

Now, almost a year later the film still conjures the same feelings and has a powerful effect on me whether I watch it from start to finish or just brush up on my favorite scenes. The score is beautifully devestating and chokes me up every time. All of my favorite films that I've loved since childhood still provoke my imagination and wonder to this day ( that's why they're my favorites) but nothing has ever stirred my emotions like LTROI. It has left an imprint on my mind and heart that continues to fascinate and impress me. I hope my journey with Oskar and Eli has only just begun. Long live the Infection!

[a_contemplative_life]

Love, love, love. That's why.

[N.R. Gasan]

I haven't watched the movie in its entirety for quite a while now. For me, there's really no need; I visit this forum nearly every day, so I get a regular "fix" regardless. Plus, if I want to see any particular scene, I have the film right here on my 'puter (bear in mind, I bought the DVD twice, so I have no qualms admitting this). I know the movie so well, I don't NEED the subtitles anymore, even though I don't speak Swedish; I know what's being said in any scene. LOL

As for why this film is so affecting (or infecting, as the case may be), I think it depends a lot on the person viewing it. I've noticed that there seems to be certain similarities among the Infected, traits that folks who are entranced by this film have in common. The Infected tend to be intelligent, perceptive, empathetic, and open-minded. Many have an artistic side, be it poems, prose, drawing, even song-writing. And I notice that more than a few on Team Eli have their own past struggles, heart-aches, and even tragedies. These commonalities help explain why "We, The Infected" remains such a positive environment; they also give an insight into why this deceptively simple film has such an influence.

It's been said that brevity is the soul of wit. Sometimes, the same can be said for art. And that's what LTROI is. The film is a moving work of art and is greater than the sum of its parts; despite its outward simplicity, everything in the film is there for a reason. The movie includes so many aspects that people can relate to: The difficulties of adolescence, bullying, making new friends...and who hasn't fantasized about meeting a supernatural creature for real? It's how all this was put together in the finished movie that is the real hook. TA and company captured lightning in a bottle for sure. And for the right person, to see the movie is to be "struck."

[sauvin]

I've noticed that there seems to be certain similarities among the Infected, traits that folks who are entranced by this film have in common. The Infected tend to be intelligent, perceptive, empathetic, and open-minded. Many have an artistic side, be it poems, prose, drawing, even song-writing.

Yea, this is all well and good and stuff, but it's not all of us. If what you're saying is true (and it does seem so), it doesn't help me at all. Intelligent, perceptive, open-minded, having an artistic side, nope, none of the above and still hopelessly Infected. It's gotta be something else.

[danielma]

I've seperated myself from it a little

I absolutely love the film. Loved it when I first saw it, and still very much love it to this day. But I always run the fear of overkilling any movie I love.

I did the same with Reservoir Dogs back in the day and found myself having to seperate from it so I didn't kill it completely for myself. Same with LTROI really. Although much like N.R Gassan, at this point I know the film so well that I can pretty much watch it without subtitles and know pretty much every word the characters are saying, just because the film is imprinted into my brain. That was the first sign for me that I needed to seperate a little from it before I ran the risk of overkilling it for myself.

I plan on re watching the film come October though.