“He’s not lovesick, or misunderstood, he’s the @#$%ing shark from ‘Jaws’!” – Evil Ed

by Chris Kane, Reviewer and Karl Madsen, Horror Editor

We have all had neighbors move into the house next door, and most have acted strangely at first. Especially when they do most of their business at night, and a wave of criminal activity begins at the same time. Isn’t that what happens when a vampire moves in next door? How was I supposed to know that he really was a night watchman, and that there is always crime in a big city. But I digress, and the restraining order says I can’t say any more.

The new Fright Night is a retelling of a story that resonated with pre- and post pubescent Gen Xers.  Indeed Fright Night is an important part of our myth pool, our tales which capered and cavorted in our minds long after we had extinguished the safety of our bedroom light. In many ways this retelling is a re presentation to the next generation: the cinematic equivalent of handing down the tale of razor-blade-laced Halloween treats, or Bloody Mary (Bloody Mary, Bloody Ma—).  Fright Night 2011 also happens to be a metric shit-ton of celluloid fun, filled with nerve torquing suspense, blow-your-hair-back action sequences, and a cast that propels Fright Night shrieking into the present. Bloody good fun!

The power of Chekov compels you!

In the remake of Fright Night, Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin – Terminator: Salvation) notices suspicious behavior from his new neighbor Jerry Dandridge (Colin Farrell – Daredevil).  and believes him to be a vampire. Realizing he is in over his head, even with the help of girlfriend Amy (Imogen Poots – 28 Weeks Later) and friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse – Kick-Ass), they decide to enlist the services of self proclaimed vampire hunter and Vegas magician Peter Vincent (David Tennant – Doctor Who). Of course Jerry finds out that his secret has been discovered and a battle for survival ensues that can only have one winner.

Farrell plays the re-imagined Jerry Dandridge with a charismatic, homicidal ferocity absent in Chris Sarandon’s smug, playboy-next-door iteration, makes a fine addition to the brotherhood of Vampyre.  David Tennant is pitch-perfect as a Chris Angel-esque magician, giving Roddy McDowell’s washed up, dowdy vampire hunter a sexy spin.  Fear not, the new Peter Vincent is still a fraud, just in far more amusing and literal ways. Anton Yelchin (an asset to any film he graces) plays Charley Brewster with a confidence that shatters William Ragsdale’s socially awkward teen, although we do see comical proof that Charley wasn’t always so confident. Christopher Mintz-Plasse turns in a sadly predictable, meatless performance as Evil Ed, but to be fair to Mintz-Plasse, this could just be a zealous adherence to Stephen Geoffreys’ memorable performance. Pouty-lipped (but unfortunately named) Imogene Poots is worth packing the DMG and the fat bag o’ dice safely away in the attic.

Special Features

While I’d prefer to have big long interviews with the stars, this set still has some decent extras.

• Peter Vincent: Swim Inside My Mind – More David Tennant!
• The Official “How to Make a Funny Vampire Movie” Guide – Clever.
• Deleted Scenes – Deleted for a reason.
• Squid Man – Extended & Uncut – Painful.
• Gag Reel – Cute as you’d imagine.
• Kid Cudi Music Video – “No One Believes Me” – That you are a vampire or a viable rap artist?

Audio & Video

With 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and gorgeous 1080p high definition video, you’ve got no reason to simply buy the plain DVD version. Our one complaint about this release is the volume range between the quiet TV in the opening scene and the loud music that ends that scene. We shouldn’t have to change the volume more than once during a movie.

Overall

In an era when it seems that most studio executives pick what movies to make by going through their old VHS collections, it’s nice to see that once in a while they get it right. Fright Night is not some cerebral masterpiece, but it is a quality respectful remake of a campy classic 80s horror film. No disrespect meant to the Twi-hards, but it’s nice to see the vampire genre get its undead nuts reattached.

ComicsOnline gives Fright Night 4 out of 5 stakes to the Bullseye.

Get your copy of Fright Night at Amazon now!

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