Why FRIGHT NIGHT Is One Remake We Can't Wait To See
Looks like a better Vampire representation than Twilight and the 3D promises to build on the charm, sinister atmosphere and cheesy fun that the original all expertly balanced.
As most of you are well aware mainstream movie making is a cutthroat business. In todays modern Hollywood climate it is in a major studios best interest to make profitable movies, rather than great ones, which is a trend that we see happen again and again. Does anyone genuinely watch the trailer for Battleship and think Owh, this could be good! Actually, scrap that, somebody probably does and I cant bear thinking about that right now I dont want to cry today, okay? Ahem, where was I? Oh yes, well Warner Brothers are sitting pretty for the next 2 years. This year saw the final installment of the Harry Potter franchise which made enough to sink the Titanic. Next year they have The Dark Knight Rises, which, if you dont think it will smash the records the last Harry Potter set to smithereens then please go and sit in the corner and just be quiet Its for the good of everyone. Warner Bros could release 10 Green Lantern films and they would probably still do fine. In fact, thats exactly why theyre making another Green Lantern, just because they can afford it. Might as well take advantage of the franchises you have right? Actually, much like The Hobbit films, The Dark Knight Rises is one of those rare things, a blockbuster that will make an unbelievable amount of money that could actually be qualified as a piece of great cinema. (Or at least they better fucking be!) Thats something you dont get too often. Anyway, this actually rather long winded introduction is to talk about this the imminent release of Dreamworks Fright Night. As many of you are probably well aware Fright Night is a remake of a 1985 cult classic. The original is much beloved by its fans, but otherwise relatively unknown by the vast majority. At first when the film was announced it seemed like a very peculiar choice, considering the wealth of movies that could be targeted for a remake. It seemed like someone was scraping the bottom of the barrel much like Battleship and films of that ilk. However, despite having the elements against it, it has seemingly come a long way since then, evident by the solid talent in front of and behind the camera as well as the fun looking trailer. In terms of cast we have the rising star that is Anton Yelchin (admittedly, slowly rising). Yelchin was one of the best things in the recent Abrams reimagining of Star Trek and one of the only watchable things in the shitfest that was Terminator Salvation. This was rounded off by his captivating performance in The Beaver, an unfairly maligned film where he played the misunderstood and angry teenage son of Mel Gibsons main character. Hopefully the lead role in Fright Night will be just the next step in his already promising career. Colin Farrell is certainly an interesting act, perhaps better known for his brash attitude, rather than his acting ability, something that I believe is rather unfair. When Colin is given the correct material he really is truly magnificent, perfectly exemplified by his performance in In Bruges, a film that should have put him amongst the Best Actor Academy Award nominations of that year. If his recent appearance in Horrible Bosses is anything to go by its clear that Mr Farrell isnt content on being typecast or afraid to tarnish his attractive image for the sake of laughs. His small role in Horrible Bosses was definitely the highlight in that otherwise relative misfire of a comedy. Its clear from the trailer that his version of the classic vampire is going to be a little different from its predecessor. Instead of being a monstrous creature he instead looks like he may be leaning more on the side of a deranged serial killer with a very sinister, predatory edge. Farrell definitely has the potential to pull off creepy and for the most part the trailer looks like it delivers. Much has been made of David Tennant appearing as Peter Vincent and he looks set to do very well in that role. Of course this could be the platform he needs to really launch his career after his highly successful stint on Doctor Who. Want to see David Tennant in more films? Then you should probably go and see this film. I mean, think of it this way, If you prove that Mr Tennant is a box office draw, then well get to see the lovable bastard appear in more and more stuff. Of course, ultimately, its a remake of a horror film and that comes with a certain amount of stigma attached to it, a lot of it I would say unfairly. For every craptastic horror remake theres also the fact that some of the best horror films ever are actually remakes i.e. The Thing and The Fly. One can tell that Fright Night isnt exactly attempting to hit these artistic highs, but whats to say we cant have another Dawn Of The Dead? (I.e. a thrilling, really quite good different take on a much loved, more thoughtful original) To my mind one of the strangest developments about Fright Night was the hiring of Craig Gillespie behind the camera. For those who arent in the know he made the devilishly brilliant dramedy Lars And The Real Girl. Put it this way, if he even manages to bring an ounce of the deft talent for character and dialogue that he demonstrated in that film over to Fright Night; then we are in for a treat The most exciting thing about this remake is it looks set to avoid two of the tropes that constantly plague most other remakes (or modern reimaginings/continuations in general), namely too much reverence to the original (Terminator Salvation, take a bow, youre supposed to be the 4th film in a fucking franchise, not an amalgamation of everything that happened in the earlier films!) and essentially being a carbon copy. Nothing makes me madder watching a film that is so unbelievably derivative I might as well be watching a home movie version of a classic film, at least the home movie will be more entertaining. Many people will share these view when they watch the trailer for the new Thing prequel (Suuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrreee it is) that basically looks exactly the fucking same as the classic with Kurt Russell. Fright Night 2011 however, looks set to carve out its own interpretation of events and separate itself from the original. This to me, is always a preferable idea, as if I dont like a film, theres always the original, but sometimes, when the two films are so different you can like both for alternate reasons. Thats not to say that there isnt some limited fan service though. I know for a fact that sometimes when too much is present it becomes obvious that a movie is trying too hard and feels rather nauseating. The main appeal for fan service here is a genius and brief cameo from the fantastic Chris Sarandon. To say anymore would truly spoil a great moment. It is clear that this new version is set to be a more realistic take, because of the time period we are in. A film like Fright Night is actually a very interesting indicator of the time period which we exist in, with the 80s version essentially being a post modern creature feature, exploiting the tropes of what was common back then in a unique way. Obviously the 2011 version is going to be different and if youre telling yourself its not going to be then you will be sorely disappointed. Personally, as a fan of the original I am excited to see Fresh blood injected into it. (Geddit?) And of course, where would a fun horror film be without its splatter? Its refreshing to see that this film will not be a goreless, toothless wreck, instead pushing its certification to the very limit of acceptability. Heres the trailer for the people who are still doubting it:Looks like a better Vampire representation than Twilight and the 3D promises to build on the charm, sinister atmosphere and cheesy fun that the original all expertly balanced. Bring on this weekend I say! Fright Night opens in the U.S. on Friday and in the U.K. on September 2nd. Our review will follow soon.