Fright Night

Fright Night was released on August 19, 2011, and is a remake of the 1985 horror film, Fright Night. It was written by Marti Noxon, original story by Tom Holland, directed by Craig Gillespie, and stars Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Toni Collete, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.



I haven't seen the original version of this film, and didn't know of its existence, until I heard about this film. I didn't watch it, mostly because of a lack of interest. So, going into this film, I knew nothing. I probably wouldn't have seen this film, until I learned that David Tennant was in it, playing Peter Vincent (an obvious reference to horror icons Peter Cushing and Vincent Price). I'm a big fan of Doctor Who, so that was the main reason why I wanted to see this film.

Overall, I'd have to say that this film was good, but unnecessary. I didn't really see the point in remaking it, as they didn't really add anything different. I read the plot of the original on Wikipedia before watching this, and they really didn't change anything, aside from the addition of some comedy. Now obviously, I can't compare the two, so I must judge this film on its own merits.

The role of Jerry, originated by Chris Sarandon, was played by Colin Farrell, a talented actor. Some people were worried that he couldn't quite do this film justice, but I can safely say that he did. He was perfectly creepy, and cool at the same time. He looked like he was ready to seduce you, as opposed to eating you. On the note of seducing, that seemed to be the way they treated vampirism in this. Whenever Jerry bit a new victim, he panted, enjoyed himself, licked the blood very sexually. A very interesting way to look at vampirism. Twilight, take note, this is a good way to do vampires, not overtly moody.

While Colin Farrell was rather splendid, for me, the show-stealer was David Tennant. Take away my love for Doctor Who, and you still have a phenomenal performance. He was perfectly funny, despicable, and cool, all at the same time. He had the best lines, the best scenes, and whenever he wasn't on screen, I missed his presence. Now, he doesn't show up until halfway, and then reappears in the last third. While I did miss him, the scenes without him were still good. The beginning was particularly enjoyable, mostly due to Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who is only in the beginning and the end, but is notable enough to be a starring performer. He was usual Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and by usual, I don't mean nerdy, and pathetic, but still likeable, like Superbad. I mean all those qualities, combined with assholeism, and villainry. (SLIGHT SPOILERS) He was a villain in Kickass, and he was a villain here. It's becoming his usual role, and it works. You don't think of him as the villain, because he's so pathetic. And with each villain role I find him in, he becomes more of a villain. One day, perhaps, we will see this young actor performing villain roles like the Joker, or something of the like. Here's a thought. If the Riddler were ever to come back to screen, get Christopher Mintz-Plasse to play him. It seems likely that Christopher Nolan won't be doing that, but perhaps, in 15 years or so, someone else will reboot the series, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse could very well be the Riddler. Just a thought.

There's an interesting subtext about vampirism in this film, mostly shown through the character of Evil Ed, Christopher Mintz-Plasse's character. Becoming a vampire is a sexual awakening, and in Evil Ed's case, he realizes he's gay. In the beginning of the film, Evil Ed and Charley (Anton Yelchin), our main character, are ex-friends. Charley doesn't want to be friends with Evil Ed, and Evil Ed misses Charley. Charley stopped being friends with Evil Ed to have a girlfriend, and Evil Ed refuses that. He wants to be with Charley, but Charley doesn't want to be with him. Evil Ed soon confronts Jerry, the resident vampire, who convinces him to turn. It's an emotional scene for Evil Ed, and it can be seen as giving into who he really is, a gay man. When we later see him, as a vampire, he openly expresses his desire to have Charley be a vampire with him. He wants to be with Charley, and is now free to do it. Also, interestingly, whenever a character is converted into a vampire, it's highly sexualized. Girls jump on top of guys, guys kiss girls. I did enjoy this subtext quite a bit, as it added an interesting depth to the film.

The rest of the cast was good, but nothing special. Slightly forgettable, but that's probably because of the grandiose nature of Farrell, Tennant, and Mintz-Plasse. The writing was enjoyable enough, and the directing was sufficient enough. The stand out moments for the film had either Farrell, Tennant, or Mintz-Plasse on screen, but whenever they weren't on screen, this film was just okay, nothing particularly special.

One more thing: this film was in 3D. I've grown neutral to 3D, as long as they keep darkness out of the film. Being a horror-comedy involving vampires, there were a lot of dark scenes. This film was very hard to watch, all because of the 3D. I tried to find this playing in 2D, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Why? Why the lack of 2D? This film should've been released in just 2D, because it's a dark film. Shame on you, Craig Gillespie, and/or producers.

Overall, this film was enjoyable, mostly due to Colin Farrell, David Tennant, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Without them, it was okay, nothing special. I highly recommend this film, if only for their performances, and a damn interesting subtext. Overall, I give this film an 8/10.