Review of Fright Night (2011) by Gareth J — 30 Jun 2012

Hollywood remakes.

Is there anything in cinema which provokes more apprehension and guttural dread than having another great film from one's youth butchered simply because the suits who run the studios are afraid to take risks? Admittedly, there have been a recent flurry of remakes over the past ten years, particularly in horror, which have risen above the usual deluge to create a worthy offering (Matt Reeves' Let Me In being the best of the lot).

Sadly this modern adaptation of the 1985 vampire parody Fright Night is not one of them. The Roddy MacDowell/Chris Sarandon original worked essentially for two reasons: the first was that it was made during the 80s - a time where vampires were a rarity and took a back seat in favor of slasher films; and the second was that (like all good parodies) it systematically dissected the sub-genre laid out in the previous two decades and brought them up to speed in a manner which was both respectful and lovingly irreverent. What director Craig Gillespie provides in this edition of 'Fright Night' is a cold, clinical Anton Yelchin vehicle lacking all the love and research of its predecessor.

That isn't to say that Yelchin isn't a strong presence in the film. In fact, his articulate though self-deprecating as nerdy hero Charlie Brewster offers a far more engaging performance than the one prevously offered by the bland tweed clad William Ragsdale. Honorable mentions should also go to Toni Collette for her usual brilliant job as Charlie's Mom (fleshing out a stock character who in the original film was virtually non-existent), and also to 28 Weeks Later star Imogen Poots for adding some believably human sex appeal to what had previously been the franchise's weakest link: horny virgin girl-cum-vampire bride, Amy.

Unfortunately, whilst Gillespie has successfully remedied many of the original's weaknesses, he along with former Buffy writer Marti Noxon, have inadvertently neglected the original's strengths. The character of vampire Jerry Dandridge will forever be synonymous with Chris Sarandon. His frequently soft-spoken tall dark stranger helped to define the concept of the vampire as a figure of seduction. Style, poetry, taste and empathy: Sarandon's dance with Amanda Bearse remains one of the most sensual moments in horror. His power and threat therefore came from the fact that he was indeed more of a man than Charlie. One could almost call him admirable if at a moments notice he didn't transform into vicious predatory killing machine. The same can not be said of Colin Farrell, whose bullying misogyny is so unrelenting that as an audience member you are damned glad he's nothing like Charlie. Farrell's Jerry is more schizophrenic serial killer than vampire (think Patrick Bateman with fangs), psychopathically sneering off bullets and crucifixes but spazzing out when doused with holy water or impaled by a real estate sign.

David Tennant is no better at satisfying Roddy MacDowell's position as celebrity Vampire Hunter Peter Vincent. Now a washed up Vegas Stage magician resembling a mixture of Criss Angel and Dr. Strange, Tennant spends two much time playing the rock star. His nihilistic rants start to grate very quickly and his drunken/cowardly quips offer very little comic value to detract from the neglectful way he treats his assistant/lover. The biggest offender however is Christopher Mintz-Plasse as the not-so-Evil Ed. The original image of Ed was one whose annoying, immature exterior concealed a deeply tortured soul who desperately craved acceptance at any cost. Whether the problem lies with casting or writing Mintz-Plasse just doesn't feel right. Where Ed is supposed to be sympathetic he's just unlikable. Where he's supposed to be clever he's snide. And when he tries to be charismatic, he comes across as try-hard. Clearly, Red Mist he ain't and neither writer nor director seem to recognize an understanding for the character or why he made for such an effective sub-villain in the original film.

That isn't to say that 'Fright Night' isn't without its fun points. The tense sequence where Charlie stumbles upon the Fritzl-riffing prison deep within Jerry's house, the self-sacrifice ending and the short-lived cameo by Sarandon are all stand out moments. However, none of these can help disguise the fact that this film tries too hard to emulate other contemporary vampire films (especially 30 Days of Night) and not hard enough to try and capture the essence of why the original 'Fright Night' was so good.