Fright Night (2011) – Review

Starring: Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, Toni Collete, David Tennant.

Rated: R

A Las Vegas Teen Suspects that his new neighbor is a Vampire.

Director Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, Mr. Woodcock) directs the remake to the 1985 teen horror comedy. Gillespie’s version brings enough new material to allow it to stand on its own utilizing the first film more as source material than a complete remake.

The basic premise is still the same Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) discovers that his neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire and it’s up to him to stop Jerry from killing everyone. In this go around Charley still gets help from Peter Vincent (David Tennant) but rather than being the host of a late night TV show, Peter is now a magician at a Vegas Casino.

Farrell brings his own unique spin to the Vampire neighbor with the menacing name, expunging sex appeal and brooding menace, Farrell is clearly having fun as Jerry. The pacing is quick with Jerry blowing his cover quickly and exposing himself as the killing machine he is, which tends to happen when you blow up your neighbor’s house. (Keep your eyes open for Chris Sarandon The Original Jerry delivering the requisite cameo)

Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Who no matter what he does will never, not be known as Mclovin) turns the horror loving Evil Ed from the original into a computer dork who liked to dress up and make videos with Charlie before Charlie outgrew him as a friend. While I prefer the original Ed MP’s version is solid and updated quite well for today’s generation.

Fright Night is shown in 3D and is used to decent effect primarily when a Vampire combusts, with embers spewing about. There are also a couple other 3D gags that work to great effect although it only adds to the film rather than being mandatory for enjoyment.

Fright Night is one of those movies that is intentionally played for laughs it’s a true Horror/Comedy where the laughs come from the absurdity of the situation and not with lame one liners like that of a “Freddie” film. It has some gross moments particularly the character of Ed, but is a movie that doesn’t really deliver an over abundance of scares nor does it try to.

-Fright night is a macabre filled funhouse.

Grade-85