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Since I moved into a new neighborhood a few months ago, I’ve had my suspicions about my next-door neighbor—a big, scowling guy who knocks over sprinklers that are accidentally placed a few inches into his lawn. If I had a puppy, I suspect that my angry neighbor would kick it. But, no matter how cranky my neighbor may seem, he’s nothing compared to Anton Yelchin’s neighbor in Fright Night.
In the suburbs of Las Vegas, people tend to come and go. They work the Strip at night, they sleep during the day, and then, after a while, they just move on. But there’s something different—something creepy—about Charley Brewster’s (Yelchin) new neighbor, Jerry (Colin Farrell). Charley brushes it off, but his nerdy former friend, Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), takes notice.
When one of their old friends goes missing, Ed informs Charley that his new neighbor is a vampire. Charley doesn’t believe him—until Ed disappears, too. With nowhere else to turn—and no experience in vampire hunting—Charley decorates his room with garlic and crosses before heading to the Strip to seek the advice of Vegas magician Peter Vincent (David Tennant), the self-proclaimed Master of Dark Forces.
This remake of the 1985 horror classic offers up a lethal blend of geeky comedy, eerie suspense, and (of course) buckets and buckets of fake blood. In fact, it’s everything you’d expect from an ‘80s horror remake—made even more fun by some brilliant casting decisions.
Though Yelchin is flat and unconvincing as the reluctant hero, the rest of the cast is just one delightful surprise after another. Farrell may not have been an obvious choice to play the vampire next door, but he’s perfect for the role, projecting a creepy kind of charm that will simultaneously draw you in and make your skin crawl. Tennant (my personal favorite Doctor) playfully channels Russell Brand and Dave Navarro to create a kind of jittery British poser in leather pants. And Mintz-Plasse (who appears to be perpetually 16) once again brings plenty of gloriously geeky comic touches to his small role. In fact, if Christopher Mintz-Plasse were given at least a small role in every movie I have to watch, it would make my job a lot more fun. (Sadly, it’s probably too late to cast him in the last Twilight movies.)
Meanwhile, if you’re a fan of gimmicky 3D effects, you’ll be absolutely thrilled—because Fright Night’s 3D is about as cheap and gimmicky as it gets. For the most part, the 3D is pretty pointless—until the blood starts gushing, that is. During the film’s most action-packed moments, you’ll find yourself ducking to avoid the shattered glass, blood splatters, and flying stakes. It’s cheap entertainment—but it’s entertainment nonetheless.
Eventually, the campy horror starts to wear a bit thin—and the aimlessly rambling story makes Fright Night feel quite a bit longer than its 106-minute runtime. But the cast—both creepy and comical—makes this blood-soaked remake a late-summer guilty pleasure.
Blu-ray 3D Review:
Thanks to its plethora of gimmicky 3D horrors, you’ll want to make sure to pick up your copy of Fright Night on Blu-ray 3D. Of course, as is generally the case with 3D releases, you won’t get any 3D extras—but you will find plenty of short but frightfully fun special features on the set’s Blu-ray disc.
Extras include plenty of the old standbys—like an amusing blooper reel, a handful of deleted/extended scenes (like one in which Yelchin’s Charley makes an awkward attempt at punching his popular friend), and a Kid Cudi music video—but there are a few other, more interesting, extras, too.
Peter Vincent: Come Swim in My Mind offers an inside look at Tennant’s over-the-top magician’s Vegas show. Though it’s mostly clips from the film—with a few extra interview pieces—Tennant is so wonderfully ridiculous that he makes it worth watching.
The making-of feature, called The Official “How to Make a Funny Vampire Movie” Guide, is actually much more concise than its title. Though it covers everything from casting to props to vampire lore, there’s nothing long or drawn-out about it. It’s easily digestible, with plenty of quick clips—giving the most amount of behind-the-scenes stuff in the shortest time possible.
The disc’s most entertaining feature, on the other hand, isn’t quite as polished. Squid Man: Extended and Uncut shows more of Charley’s homemade superhero movies, featuring Squid Man, Gladiator Man, and the evil Kid Comeback. They’re absolutely ridiculous—and they’re well worth your time for the silly props alone.
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