Fright Night

In the interest of full disclosure, the movie Fright Night is a remake of my favorite B-movie from the 80’s of the same name. That being said, I’m not sure if that would bias me for or against the film.  Let’s just say I was looking forward to it with trepidation.  I have to say that this was a pleasant surprise.  Finally, after a long cinematic drought where vampires have been portrayed as love sick, effeminately handsome, morally conflicted bloodsuckers who belong on the CW network, we have a movie about a down and dirty, evil, and sinisterly cool vampire.  It is definitely a remake, but is different enough from the original movie to stand on it’s own. This movie does an incredibly good job at not taking itself seriously, but at the same time being genuinely frightening.

The film makes clever use of modern day issues in it’s story line.  The movie takes place in a suburban community in Las Vegas.  The ‘For Sale’ signs everywhere is a sign of the failing housing market, but also a clever plot device to explain the mysterious disappearance of households from the neighborhood.  “Another family got up and left” is the common belief.  Into this backdrop we are introduced to Charlie Brewster (played by Anton Yelchin of Chekov Star Trek fame [I predict he is going to be a huge name someday]).  Charlie lives with his single mother (Toni Collette) and seems to have it all; popularity, an attractive girl friend (played by the too cute Imogen Poots [even the name, right?]), and he is part of the ‘cool’ crowd.  Only his nerdy childhood friend Ed (played by the perennially nerdy Christopher Mintz-Plasse) remembers him when he wasn’t all that.  An association that Charlie tries to live down.

In moves the broodingly handsome and mysterious ‘Jerry’ next door.  Colin Farrell takes on the role of Jerry the Vampire this time around.  Where Chris Sarandon portrayed Jerry in the first movie as a suave and sophisticated urbanite, Farrell portrays Jerry with sheer animal magnetism.  Just a look from him and the women swoon from the dark evil he emanates.  No words are needed.  As both Charlie and Ed notice that more and more kids are missing during morning roll call at school, only Ed makes the connection that Jerry is a vampire.  Charlie is a skeptic as how can any vampire be named ‘Jerry’?

However; through a series of mysterious disappearances and happenings that start to hit close to home, Charlie comes to believe that Jerry truly is a vampire.  The scene where Jerry confronts Charlie in the kitchen doorway of his house (of course, unable to enter without being invited) is intensely visceral.  If this were a different type of movie, that scene alone would have been Oscar worthy.  Like a mouse before a snake, Charlie is frozen while Jerry subtlely taunts him.  He enjoys Charlie’s anguish (he can smell it).  Charlie becomes galvanized to take action.

Charlie only knows one expert on vampires other than Ed (who has disappeared) and that is the Las Vegas performer Peter Vincent (the name is an homage to Peter Cushing and Vincent Price for those old enough to remember).  In the original movie the forever under-appreciated Roddy McDowell portrayed Peter Vincent as a down on his luck late night host of a horror movie show.  Given the rise of cable since the first movie and the disappearance of those types of shows, this film portrayed Peter Vincent as someone reminiscent of a Chris Angel.  British actor David Tennant is a cross between Chris Angel and Russell Brand.  He has a gothic Vegas act that has made him rich and a household name.  Unfortunately, he has a rock and roll life style and is constantly inebriated on Midoori.  He knows he is a charlton (it’s just a Vegas act after all), and is not receptive to Charlie’s plea for help.  It isn’t until the vampire menace hits close to home that he becomes convinced and throws his lot in with Charlie.

This movie takes on a common horror theme of the stranger next door.  It uses the typical horror plot devices of sudden frights and hidden terrors, but despite all that it works well and comes across as anything but tired. I will say the soundtrack was a bit overbearing, but that is a small criticism for a film that did so many things right. This was a fun nostalgic trip from the 80‘s with an updated and modern twist.  Colin Farrell shows he still has it no matter what type of film he is in and Anton Yeltin gets the chance to take the lead role in a movie.  Funny, scary, and an all around good time.  What more could you want from a matinee?

I give this film *** 1/2