I can’t stop watching “Let the Right One In,” the gorgeous Swedish vampire flick that has set a new bar for the depths a horror movie should reach, both in beauty and sheer creepiness.
But it’s not just the creepy, captivating plot or the gorgeous light that can only be captured in the northern, arctic stretches of Scandanavia that’s keeping me enthralled. Every darn object and article in this movie is minimal and stylish, thanks to the inherent hipness that flows in the Nordic peoples’ blood. Is this a generalization? Perhaps…
…but all this hipness is certainly no accident. The stylish sets and clothing that makes this film so terribly luscious is surely influenced by the history of “design for the masses,” a movement that has infiltrated the culture of these nations since after World War II. My favorite influences that have shaped this magnificent look are the global design powerhouses, Ikea and Marimekko.
Finnish textile house Marimekko is the ultimate paragon of design that’s both affordable and cutting edge. Their patterns are timeless, elegant and endlessly eye-catching.
Ikea, by now a household name, has been rocking the cheap awesomeness for more than half a century. Recently I came across an uploaded catalog from 1965. These classic mid-century designs are timeless! Cheap! But were they just as hard to put together as the stuff they produce now?
Ah, well. I’ll just keep taking notes from these masters of cool.
[...] said it before, and I’ll say it again: Let the Right One In is the best vampire movie I’ve ever seen. [...]