garethvk
"Fright Night" just might be perfect for those looking for a dose of nostalgia and some suspense"
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The 2011 remake of the 1980s horror-comedy.
< read all 8 reviewsA Quick Tip by Count_Orlok_22
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May 19, 2011
- by Count_Orlok_22
- posted in The Vampire Historians
It was inevitable. It seems like lately two things that are sure to happen in Hollywood must be remaking films from the '80s and making films about vampires for teenagers. So, of course, the idea of remaking the classic horror comedy Fright Night was a no-brainer. And that's exactly the impression it gives in the new trailer. The original film was humorous, quirky, and edgy, but it never took itself too seriously. This film on the other hand looks banal and humorless and as if it were emulating every bad horror movie of the last decade and a half. The problem with remaking horror films from this era is simple. There simply never has been another era quite like the '80s in terms of silly fashions, synth-pop music, nerdy trends like D&D and early video games, and all of the excesses that were common at the time. You can't just take a movie from that period and update it to modern times without losing what made the movie fun to begin with. And let's face it, the common use of mobile devices and cell phones have ruined the horror genre. If you want a good horror film, don't do remakes and don't set it in the present. Set in the past where superstitions were common and science was still mistrusted or a technologically regressed post-apocalyptic future. (sighs)
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Butterfly1961
December 31, 2011
I agree with you completely Sean - "You can't just take a movie from that period and update it to modern times without losing what made the movie fun to begin with" - I saw the new one last night and though it had some good scenes in it like the girl exploding in the sunlight (scared the crap out of me too-I wasn't expecting that one) it still was no match to the original. And I was seriously disappointed with the Peter Vincent character - not at all like Roddy McDowell and it seriously sucked. Colin Farrell was no Chris Sarandon either. I was surprised though that Sarandon made a guest appearance in the new one but was short lived as he got his throat chewed up LOL. This film certainly lacked the ambiance and humor that made the original so great. Remakes suck...
Count_Orlok_22
January 02, 2012
Roddy McDowell will be missed, that's for sure.
Butterfly1961
January 02, 2012
Yes he will - he brought lots of character and humor to Peter Vincent; I actually was stunned at the difference in the new Vincent - it just wasn't right Sean.
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Madpenguin
December 31, 2011
Still haven't seen it but I want to give this one a shot now.
Count_Orlok_22
January 02, 2012
I'll have twist my own arm to see it... eventually. I'm still boycotting unnecessary remakes, prequels, sequels, reboots, spin-offs, and rip-offs, which is why I've seen fewer movies the past two years than ever before.
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vampire_eyez
December 18, 2011
After watching the first scene i thought ooo i see its one of those loosely based remakes, because things didnt add up to the origional i just rewatched like a week ago, and then as the movie goes on they do kind of make an attempt to pay tribute to the origional. Even with the loss of Jerrys Reinfeild, and the additions to make it current (the Peter Vincent character) it still wasnt as terrible as id expected. Though you are right about cell phones killing horror films.
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QUEENBFLIX
September 01, 2011
I'm with you. But I don't want to lose the comedy. When you move a flick into the present you're automatically assuming that no one has ever seen a movie--especially this one. Just make a new one that riffs off the old one. Get some balls if you don't have brains!
Count_Orlok_22
September 01, 2011
But I've got balls AND brains. LOL!
Count_Orlok_22
September 01, 2011
Oh, you meant the film makers. Never mind. This is why I shouldn't respond to comments when I've just woken up.
woopak_the_thrill
September 01, 2011
Orlok, you do have balls for brains...I mean brains for balls LOL!
Count_Orlok_22
September 01, 2011
Um, which of those is a good thing... ?
QUEENBFLIX
September 02, 2011
Yes, I meant the film makers.
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woopak_the_thrill
May 19, 2011
Good points. They've gotten rid of one of the main characters too. I'd like to reserve judgment until I see it, as long as they go to the limit with the serious tone then it can work. Perhaps it would be better if they changed the title such as "Fangs Next Door"....LOL!
Count_Orlok_22
May 19, 2011
The main characters are still there. You've still got Charley, Jerry Dandridge, Evil Ed, and Peter Vincent. However, they have completely changed the characters' personalities so much that they might as well have gotten rid of them and created new ones.
woopak_the_thrill
May 19, 2011
Ok, I must've seen the shorter trailer. I thought there was no Peter Vincent...I think this remake would've been better off if they actually made it like a re-issue of that Samuel Jackson flick "Sunset Terraces" or something....as long as they go to the limit and be a real horror flick then it can work.
QUEENBFLIX
September 01, 2011
They've done a wonderful job changing THE THING. Now Kurt Russell is a woman and there's lots of CGI.
Count_Orlok_22
September 01, 2011
I'm hoping that was a hilarious joke, but just in case you're being serious, I don't want to know.
woopak_the_thrill
January 15, 2012
well, I finally saw this one, and it was a lot better than I thought. (reviewed it)
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More Fright Night (2011 remake) reviews
When I first heard of the remake of 1985’s horror-cult hit “Fright Night”, I have to admit I wasn’t really skeptical and yet, I really wasn’t that much excited about it either. I mean, the original film was a product of its generation; it had its clever charm to me when I was teen, but it never kept the same charm to me once I’ve gotten older. I was hopeful to have a grittier and darker horror film but deep down, I knew a remake just wouldn’t stray too far … more
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*** out of **** I have some fond memories of Tom Holland's "Fright Night" from when I watched it just a few months back; and it's upon those very memories that I built my expectations for the 2011 remake. Having seen the original - which is a classic in vampire cinema -, I came in expecting vampire mythology of both the classic and modern variety, plenty of gore, plenty of special effects, and plenty of style. Can I truly say that, with those expectations set out, I was disappointed? … more
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Back when I was a wee lad and the only way to see movies after they left theatres was cable or your VCR, I stumbled across the film Fright Night. It was a bit cheesy, but it was a lot of fun, and I had enjoyed Roddy McDowell ever since I first saw him in Planet of the Apes. It was a film I was deeply fond of, and so I approached word of a remake with great trepidation. Thankfully this movie is at least as good, if not better, than the original. The story follows Charlie Brewster (Anton … more
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Star Rating: It’s fashionable to bemoan the tragic life of a vampire, as recent films such as Let Me In and the Twilight saga have so clearly demonstrated. In all fairness, they make a valid point: There’s nothing appealing about vampirism, which transfers a desperate need for human blood and bestows the curse of soulless immortality. The interesting thing about Fright Night is that it takes everything we know about this blatantly parasitic lifestyle … more
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Not the crappy remake id expectes when i saw the trailer. Aside from one very quick and dumb moment it was very un-twilighty. Peter Vincents character though different from the origional came off looking like a sexy Russel Brand, and though im not a fan of the actor, Evil Ed's character was an improvement over the origional..way less irritating. I liked that the film makers pretty much stuck to having the vampires look the way that they did in the origional instead of just throwing on some canine … more
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Back when I was a wee lad and the only way to see movies after they left theatres was cable or your VCR, I stumbled across the film Fright Night. It was a bit cheesy, but it was a lot of fun, and I had enjoyed Roddy McDowell ever since I first saw him in Planet of the Apes. It was a film I was deeply fond of, and so I approached word of a remake with great trepidation. Thankfully this movie is at least as good, if not better, than the original. The story follows Charlie Brewster … more
Comment
Compliments (12)
About the reviewer
Count_Orlok_22
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About this movie
Arriving amid a flurry of dopey sequels and dudes with power tools, 1985's Fright Night came as a welcome blast of fetid air for the horror genre: an affectionate spoof of classic monster movies that also managed to deliver some genuine scares, as well as a pair of top-notch performances by Chris Sarandon and Roddy McDowall. The 2011 revamp (apologies for the pun) can't boast the same novelty factor, but it does a surprisingly good job at speaking for itself, just the same. Director Craig Gillespie's film follows the same basic blueprint as the original--high-school kid (Anton Yelchin) suspects that his next-door neighbor (Colin Farrell) may be a Creature of the Night, enlists celebrity (David Tennant) for help--but with a number of smart alterations, particularly the decision to move the setting to the desolate outskirts of Vegas, where unexplained disappearances and nocturnal lifestyles are par for the course. (Kudos to cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe, who gives the nighttime scenes a musty, tangible vibe.) Writer Marti Noxon, a Buffy vet, keeps the dialogue light, while also delivering some sharp insights about the state of today's Twilight-savvy teen. (In perhaps the biggest switch from the original, the barely veiled gay subtext has been replaced with a cautionary tale about outgrowing your friends.) On the debit side, Gillespie and Co. can't always replicate their source material's atomic-clock timing, with a few promising scares undone by ...
Cast:
David Tennant,
Anton Yelchin,
Colin Farrell,
Imogen Poots,
Toni Colette,
Christopher Mintz-Plasse,
Dave Franco,
Reid Ewing,
Emily Montague,
Grace Phipps
Director:
Craig Gillespie
Genre:
Comedy,
Horror
Release Date:
August 19, 2011
MPAA Rating:
R
Screen Writer:
Marti Noxon
Runtime:
120 minutes
Studio:
Touchstone Pictures,
The Weinstein Company,
Dreamworks
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