Spook Out! Day 11 ~ Fright Night (2011)

IMDb Says...

"When a nice new neighbor moves in next door, Charley discovers that he is an ancient vampire who preys on the community. Can he save his neighborhood from the creature with the help of the famous "vampire killer," Peter Vincent?"

I Say...
^Correct, and also, this is a remake of the 1985 film of the same name (which I love).

Horror Type...
Vampires, Comedic Horror

Main Players...

Anton Yelchin (RIP) as Charley Brewster (He's So Cool)

Colin Farrell as Jerry (Brutish Vampire)

David Tennant as Peter Vincent (Reluctant Slayer)

I liked...

• the things they opted to keep from the original movie (Jerry's chomping on apples, "You're so cool, Brewster!", the nightclub scene btw Amy & Jerry, are some)
• the things that were different from the original (the pacing and intensity were fast and high throughout the movie, some really great LOL moments, that Charley's mom was more involved)
• that it had me holding my breath more than once for all the dramatic tension
• the pathos of a pivotal moment btw Charley and former bff "Evil Ed"
• how at one point, Jerry circumvents traditional vampire rules to spectacular effect
• Chris Sarandon's cameo ~ he originated the role of Jerry Dandrige in '85 and here appears as Jay Dee (geddit, geddit???), a hapless motorist (who's still hot af, RAWR)
• the final confrontation, which is just as special as in the OG flick

The Meh...

• Jerry's weird little monologue when he pops over to "borrow" a six-pack of beer (I mean, arguably, it reveals Jerry's character and predatory nature, but the writing was just weird to me)
• this Jerry can be charming but often isn't--he's more of a brutish thug than seducer, as OG Jerry was (though he was still formidable, his elegance notwithstanding)
• this Amy (who seems a lot more savvy than the 1985 Amy) doesn't get to choose something important, the way OG Amy did, she's forced into it (bc, again, this Jerry's a thug)

Would I recommend it...?

I surely would! This is another re-watch for me and, in some ways, I almost find this a better film than the OG because it's a bit less camp, more action-packed, and allows the mom to figure more prominently and be heroic (which teen flicks don't often do). BUT I do prefer the OG Jerry to this one.

Miscellany...

Learning there'd be a remake made me feel uneasy and annoyed--I deemed it just another cash grab and prepared myself to hate it (though, for some reason, I don't take issue with song covers, the way I do with movie and TV remakes). Then I read some article about the folks who worked on the 2011 film, including Colin Farrell, who spoke of loving the OG Fright Night, having grown up with it themselves, and feeling honor-bound to do it justice. And I unclenched and thought maybe it'd be OK. And it was!

Ratings...

My Grade: A-

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=72%, Audience Score=59%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Fright Night (2011) on Amazon (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 11 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

IF YOU DARE