Zombie_61
Master Member
Here's my mini review, reposted from the other Fright Night thread:
I saw Fright Night this afternoon (in glorious 2D). I liked it, but I didn't love it.
Decent pacing and good performances throughout. Anton Yelchin (Charley Brewster) pretty much plays it straight, Colin Farrell (Jerry) is sleazy but doesn't quite pull off menacing (he might have been if the CGI hadn't gotten in the way), David Tennant (Peter Vincent) steals nearly every scene he's in (though in scenes featuring Tennant and Yelchin, Yelchin easily holds his own), and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Ed) who in my opinion is somewhat miscast (I can't elaborate with it being a spoiler). Imogen Poots (Amy) is capable in a thankless role that could just as easily have been played by just about any reasonably attractive young actess, and Toni Collette (Jane Brewster, Charley's mother) is spot on in an equally thankless role. As for the plot, the film definitely draws from the original without being a direct copy.
CGI effects range from quite good (vampire death and blood effects) to barely passable (vampire face changes; I would much rather have seen practical makeups here). There are a couple of nods to the original 1985 film, but they're nicely handled and don't draw attention to themselves.
The main thing that's missing from this film is the tongue-in-cheek charm of the original film. The 1985 Fright Night is pretty dated by today's standards, but still holds up pretty well; I don't think this version will be as fondly remembered 26 years from now.
And now the big question: Would I recommend it? Let me put it this way--I think fans of modern horror film franchises like Saw and Final Destination might like it (though, by comparison, this film is light on gore), but fans of classic horror and the original film might find it lacking. If you really want to see this in a theater, do so; if you're on the fence, wait for cable.
I saw Fright Night this afternoon (in glorious 2D). I liked it, but I didn't love it.
Decent pacing and good performances throughout. Anton Yelchin (Charley Brewster) pretty much plays it straight, Colin Farrell (Jerry) is sleazy but doesn't quite pull off menacing (he might have been if the CGI hadn't gotten in the way), David Tennant (Peter Vincent) steals nearly every scene he's in (though in scenes featuring Tennant and Yelchin, Yelchin easily holds his own), and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Ed) who in my opinion is somewhat miscast (I can't elaborate with it being a spoiler). Imogen Poots (Amy) is capable in a thankless role that could just as easily have been played by just about any reasonably attractive young actess, and Toni Collette (Jane Brewster, Charley's mother) is spot on in an equally thankless role. As for the plot, the film definitely draws from the original without being a direct copy.
CGI effects range from quite good (vampire death and blood effects) to barely passable (vampire face changes; I would much rather have seen practical makeups here). There are a couple of nods to the original 1985 film, but they're nicely handled and don't draw attention to themselves.
The main thing that's missing from this film is the tongue-in-cheek charm of the original film. The 1985 Fright Night is pretty dated by today's standards, but still holds up pretty well; I don't think this version will be as fondly remembered 26 years from now.
And now the big question: Would I recommend it? Let me put it this way--I think fans of modern horror film franchises like Saw and Final Destination might like it (though, by comparison, this film is light on gore), but fans of classic horror and the original film might find it lacking. If you really want to see this in a theater, do so; if you're on the fence, wait for cable.
) I did not remember that Peter Vincent was played by David Tennant, so I was a bit surprised there. The movie was IMO quite slow paced and the build ups were simply not what I´d expect from a remake in the 2010´s . I loved Tennant and Yelchin in their roles, but must admit that I do prefer the original with its charme over this one, which felt a bit ... drained ... blood empty ...
