Remake of the 1985 comedy-horror classic about a teenager who suspects his neighbour is a vampire. Stars Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett) and Colin Farrell (In Bruges). From the director of Lars and the Real Girl.
Charley (Yelchin), having ditched his nerdy pal Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Fogell from Superbad), has finally cracked the cool group at school and scored a hottie (Imogen Poots, 28 Weeks Later) in the process. But when people in the neighbourhood start dying, Charley listens to Ed's theory: a vampire is responsible, and the vampire is spooky neighbour Jerry (Farrell). Unable to convince others of the truth, Charley takes it on himself to protect his friends and mum (Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine), and kill Jerry.
Neither a complete clanger, nor a lost classic, Tom Holland’s 1985 vampire-next-door flick is the latest inexplicable entry on Hollywood’s recycling list. Set in a Las Vegas housing estate of such crushing uniformity it could use a little vamping up, Craig Gillespie’s snazzy 3D update begins with local kids going missing from school. Charlie (Yelchin), his girlfriend, Amy (Poots), and nerdy tag-along Ed (Mintz-Plasse) suspect it’s something to do with Charlie’s neighbour, Jerry (Farrell). “That’s a terrible name for a vampire,” says Charlie sagely, but can he stop Mr Creepy from shagging his mum (Collette) – or worse?
First and foremost among Fright Night 2011’s assets are its talented players, most of them auslanders pretending to be American. Yelchin (Russian) has an engaging outsider charm, Poots (English) has balls to spare and when Mintz-Plasse takes a – literal – early bath the film really misses him. Farrell (Irish), meanwhile, enjoys himself immensely as a preening sex-pest gibbering on about how “ripe” Amy is. It’s not a scary performance (“ripe” is the word), but you definitely wouldn’t want him dating your sister.
Although the murky visuals (“The whole house looks like that show, Dark Shadows,” notes Charlie) stop the 3D scenes zinging off the screen, there’s a whizzy car chase and some well-choreographed kills – enough, in short, to complement the performances and put this among the more entertaining re-workings of recent years. Next up Puppet Master 11?
By Matt Glasby, Flicks.co.nz
Average..
Ok lets be realistic, top 5 worst Feature films of 2011 & the winner is.. Fright YAWN Night Yep it's that BAD!! why 5 stars you ask & why the SNAZZY Heading? To make you say YEAH RIGHT! This review has been Bought you by TUI
Haha really liked this film haha it was good for a laugh but you wouldn't want to over analyse it as i'm sure you could find flaws but really enjoyed but the 3d kind of a waste of time and a waste of money for the extra cost of 3d but still a great film Two thumbs up
Loved it, a little slow to start but it is one of the few movies that had me laughing at one point but dead quiet with suspense in others. Would recomend to all
Blah start, until we meet Jerry the un-neighbourly vampire. David Tennant is brilliant as the reluctant, Peter Vincent, Vampire Slayer. Charlie is just as cute here as the geeky "kid" as he was in Star Trek. Funny movie on the whole. I enjoyed it. It was a waste of time in 3D tho. Don't think the movie exploited it.
The film's greatest pleasures come from Noxon's script - which puts the sexual chaos created by Farrell's attractive bloodsucker front and center - and from the performances.
As in the earlier film, this one dances always at the edge of comedy. It especially has fun with the Rules of Vampire Behavior.
Funny and scary - and sometimes both at once - it lives up to the original, even if it fails to surpass it.
It ends up getting a surprising number of things right.
An entertaining remake of the mid-80s vampire movie that, unlike the original, hasn't got one scary moment in it.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 27th Oct 2011.
Release date: October 27th 2011.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
