GL84 After a mysterious stranger moves into his neighborhood, a teen and his friends accidentally stumble upon his terrifying secret about being a vampire and recruits a famous vampire hunter to try to stop the trail of carnage left behind and his friends become the next target.This was a surprisingly decent enough affair that wasn't really all that bad with some good points to it. Among the better parts here is the absolutely fun storyline throughout here that does compare favorably against the original since the ruse is discovered early on. This has a lot of rather fun antics that really push this along, from their initial meeting that clues him, the strange way he continually creeps around the neighborhood to pop up at exactly the wrong time or the few behavioral ticks that give him away which all go wrapped together alongside the previously-discovered videotapes that all help to give this one the work needed to fully reveal the ruse. Beyond this, the scenes stalking around the house where he has to free the captive inside and her eventual fate not only gives this one yet another charge for the ruse yet also features quite a really suspenseful sequence to help build that section more beyond the friendly scenes. There's a lot to come off of that in its action in here, from the house destruction and eventual high-speed chase along the highway that has a lot to like about it during their various chases and encounters with him to the battle in the office that includes some nice stalking scenes through the endless rows of artifacts stored away or battling the creatures in the panic room. As well, this here has the final assault on the underground hideout with all the turned victims providing enough of a battle to allow for some big action moments before the one-on-one confrontation, which is rather entertaining in its own right as there's some rather fun fighting here with their contraptions and some decent enough gore scenes to make it interesting. Along with the vampire makeup and gore, this is a pretty good effort with a lot to like although there are a few problematic elements here. The film's biggest flaw is the fact that the ruse is found out far too early and far too easily, since there's little investigation required to find out his true identity and it's all out in the open with such little push- back or need to look further into who he is which makes for some questionable storyline points. Along with this effort, the film also manages to stumble somewhat in it's CGI which is rather cheesy and clumsy throughout here as there are some exceptionally weak shots in here. The fact that so many of them are due to the wounds inflicted upon him which is quite obvious due to his spastic movements and disorienting behavior during the attacks, and along with the transformation scenes and use of blood and gore all just make for a rather flawed experience. These do knock it down somewhat but not enough to lower it overall.Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

paul-heys-im As a huge fan of the originals, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this remake. Most remakes are terrible, in fact, I don't know why Hollywood insists on making remakes because they are money losers. All these remakes barely break even, if they do at all, and the film industry is over-saturated by pointless and ineffective remakes. Nevertheless, this is one remake that is actually worth watching. It takes the simplistic premise of the original, and gives it a modern day spin. The actors are all solid, especially David's Peter Vincent, who I actually like more than the original P.V, and he was great (Roddy rocks) and the script is competent. The fx are OK, although I'd have preferred less CGI and more prosthetics like the original, but the cgi is serviceable. Good soundtrack, too. All the ingredients that make a good popcorn flick, are there. It's an hour and a half of mindless vampire fun. And in the age of the vampire=romance, it's good to see a vampire on screen who is a straight up monster. The guy who plays Chris the mofo from Kick Ass is also in this film, and does a great job of playing a nerdy outcast who tips off his friend, Charlie, that Jerry is a ruthless killing machine with fangs. Even if you don't like the original, I suggest you see this film, it's a great, fun ride for what it is. No pretentious nonsense, no vampire romance, no pretty boy vampires, just some good, horror movie fun. It doesn't surpass the original, but is a close second. Colin Farrel is great as Jerry. It's time Hwood did more worthwhile remakes of cult classics which were failures upon their release back in the 1980's. There is a multitude of cult hits that could be improved upon and brought to a new audience but it seems Hwood are only concerned with remaking the films that did well, and destroying their superior originals in the process. But not to get sidetracked, I was expecting another crappy remake, but this film gets it right, for once.

Tony Hernandez This 2011 version of the latter-day classic _Fright Night_ is as good a time you will have watching a vampire movie these days. The cast is great, the direction fast paced and the script witty and reverent at the same time. And, while it is a remake of my favorite vampire movie of the 1980s, it is also pays homage to the best American vampire movie ever, _The Night Stalker_.While Charlie Brewster is getting the week-willed Peter Vincent to help him save Amy from Jerry Dandridge ("Jerry the vampire!?!"), the movie is also quoting pretty liberally from that classic 1972 Darren McGavin/Richard Matheson masterpiece. The new Fright Night shares a setting (Las Vegas) with the McGavin movie. But more importantly, the first half of the long sequence when Charlie searches Jerry's house and becomes a believer is an almost shot-for-shot quote of McGavin's suspenseful search of the vampire's house at the climax of _The Night Stalker_. Of course, the new movie has its own payoff to that scene, one that elicits a shudder and a laugh. The laugh comes from the fact that we should certainly have seen that payoff coming, but the suspense of the action just prior has thrown us off guard. This scene, like most of the effects shots, works even better in the original 3D.There are many other pleasures to this movie, including solid performances by Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots and Toni Colette as the frightened but sophisticated protagonists. Colin Farrell is able to pull off a modern version of the Dandridge character, sexy in a rougher, sweatier way. He may not have the gravitas of Chris Sarandon, but Charlie is right to be wary of this guy, vampire or not.David Tennant and Christopher Mintz-Plasse steal the show. Tennant updates Peter Vincent by turning McDowell's kindly but cowardly gentleman into a drunken primadonna, Simon Cowell as vampire slayer. And Mintz-Plasse's Evil Ed is hilarious in nerd mode and vampire/nerd mode. His longing for a lost friend is very real and makes his fate all the more touching.If you have not seen this, check it out. For some reason it did not do well at the box office, but it is the perfect antidote to the sparkling vampires and cuddly werewolves of recent years.

Leofwine_draca The original FRIGHT NIGHT is a fun '80s popcorn flick, ably mixing comedy and horror like the best of '80s genre fare. This 2011 remake is so lame, so predictable, so forgettable in every respect that I wish I hadn't bothered watching it. The plot sticks EXTREMELY closely to the original film, so it's asking for comparisons. But the script for this one is dumb in the extreme: we're saddled with a scriptwriter who seems to think that swearing is funny and that dumb humour is the order of the day. Hell, we're stuck with Christopher Mintz-Plasse in it, for God's sake! Needless to say this is a failure in every respect, with every action scene, every scenario, every fight, well telegraphed in advance. I turned around at the outset and said "wait for the CGI explosions and people being thrown around" and sure enough all of these things happened as I predicted. About the best thing in it is the Chris Sarandon cameo, that lasts about 30 seconds.This has one of the worst casts I can think of. Colin Farrell's heart simply isn't in it, and he makes no effort to be imposing. Anton Yelchin is a charisma-free hero and the less I see of Toni Collette, playing his mother, the better. Imogen Poots is as lovely as ever but has little to do here other than look pretty, and the less said about David Tennant's cringe-worthy, Russell Brand wannabe the better. The FRIGHT NIGHT remake is only worth watching if you enjoy rubbishy CGI vampires over the remarkable prosthetics effects of the original.