Fright Night: a movie recommendation
5 out of 5 stars.
My love for Craig Gillespie’s 2011 Fright Night is…well, enormous. I’d never seen it because I (wrongly) thought it was a horror flick. Then, when I was visiting my BFFR Sarah J. Maas, she corrected me of my very false notions.
A remake of the 1985 original, teenager Charley Brewster guesses that his new neighbor Jerry Dandrige is a vampire responsible for a string of recent deaths. When no one he knows believes him, he enlists Peter Vincent, a self proclaimed vampire killer and Las Vegas magician, to help him take down Jerry.
It’s a comedy. A terrifying yet downright hilarious comedy.
The main character, Charley (played by the utterly adorable Anton Yelchin), is endearing…but also flawed. He’s a former-geek-turned-cool, and the way he treats his old dorky friends lets you know right off the bat that he ain’t a perfect hero.
But it’s Colin Farrell–a.k.a. Jerry the Vampire–who really steals the show. He’s so serious, so…bored. I was 100% convinced of his twisted vampire mischief. Remember what I said about convincing antagonists? Well, he has a real, desperate need–though you don’t actually learn what it is until halfway in.
Oh, and we can’t forget the amazing David Tennant, whose over-the-top character is completely hilarious–but it’s a dark humor instead of a quirky Dr. Who-humor.
One more thing that i loved about this movie: THE PLOT. It manages to meet all the vampire/horror tropes without actually being predictable. I can’t tell you how many times the story seemed to be following one path, only to veer off in a completely different (yet very appropriate) direction. I was literally astounded at the clever plot twists and use of secondary characters.
(And keep in mind, the screenplay was written by Marti Noxon, who produced the Buffy series. Obviously, this lady knows what she’s doing. ;))
All in all, if you like horror, like dark comedy, or just want to see a plot and character cast done well, be sure to pick up Fright Night.
January 15, 2012 @ 1:56 pm
You had me at Buffy:O I keep meaning to see it, but I’m always get distractede by something shiny:P
January 15, 2012 @ 2:05 pm
Hahahaha–as in shiny vampires? 😉
Seriously, though, Tim: WATCH THIS. And then let me know how much you loved it. 😉
January 15, 2012 @ 3:26 pm
Huh. I don’t know anything about this movie except in the most cursory sense. I assumed it was a horror flick too, and I just don’t do those. But this sounds like fun. I’ll check it out. Thanks! 🙂
January 16, 2012 @ 12:52 pm
I mean, the trailer doesn’t emphasize the hilarity (albeit dark hilarity) for the movie… That said, it IS scary. Just watch it with the hubby around. 😉
January 15, 2012 @ 8:59 pm
Twas scary to me!! >.<
😉
January 16, 2012 @ 12:53 pm
Hehehe. Me too, Kat. 😉
January 16, 2012 @ 6:11 am
I saw this movie only for the fact that David Tennant was in it. I thought it was a horror movie too, but Sarah convinced me there weren’t that many pop-out-and-go-boo moments, which are what I REALLY can’t do. (I really hate being scared!) But you’re right. It was hilarious and I did not expect a lot of what happened. I was wondering if you were going to mention anything about Jerry the Vampire since you put his picture on the antagonist post. Glad you did!
Mer
<3
January 16, 2012 @ 12:55 pm
There were a LOT of on-the-edge-of-the-seat, heart-in-throat scenes, but no pop-out-and-go-boo. 😉 That said, when Jerry is in his vampire-mode–GAAAAH. He looks terrifying. Nightmare-worthy.
January 16, 2012 @ 3:21 pm
For some reason, this sounds like REPO, the gothic horror opera. Which means that I must watch it. <3
January 18, 2012 @ 8:12 pm
I remember seeing the trailers for this and really wanting to watch it but some how manage to miss it at the cinema. Will definitely keep an eye peeled for it coming on to the telly.