Fright Night DVD Review

Posted by Tony Farinella on 12.15.2011

411's Tony Farinella checks in with his review of the horror/comedy Fright Night!


Fright Night is a remake of a 1985 horror film of the same name. I confess that I have not seen the original film, but I’m not exactly sure if it is required viewing in order to appreciate the new one. The original Fright Night, from what I understand, is more of a cult film than a mainstream horror flick, so it’s not like people will be comparing them extensively and with great depth. The new one was released in theaters over the summer in 3D. I viewed the film in 2D, and like most 2D movies with the option of being seen in 3D, it works just fine. Yes, horror films sometimes show off more action, blood, and guts in 3D, but I can live without seeing a flying head if the story and the acting are sufficient enough.

Fright Night follows a family living in Las Vegas, Nevada . For the most part, they are your normal, everyday family. Because there is no father around, the unofficial head of the family is Charley Brewster played by the underrated Anton Yelchin. The mother is the always reliable Toni Collette. Everything is business as usual until students start to show up missing left and right at Charley’s high school. Charley’s old friend, Ed, played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse informs him that his next-door neighbor, Jerry, played by Colin Farrell, is a vampire. Charley laughs this off and insists that Jerry is a terrible name for a vampire. You see, Charley and Ed used to be best friends until Charley outgrew Ed and his nerdy ways. I would imagine his very hot girlfriend played by Imogen Poots also had something to do with that.

Before long, Charley starts to see that Ed is not crazy. Jerry really is a vampire. How does he convince his mom that it’s true, however? Nobody believes in vampires, right? It also doesn’t help that his mother is slightly attracted to Jerry as he often shows off his muscles and charms her with his personality. Now, it’s full on war between Jerry and Charley where only one man will be left standing. Charley also enlists the help of Peter Vincent, a Criss Angel type vampire killer, played by the humorous David Tennant. The only problem is that most of Peter’s act is just that, an act. It’s not real. How will he respond to a real-life vampire that kills everything in its sight?

Fright Night knows exactly how to balance its comedy and horror act just right. It’s a tough balancing act, but the film never leans too heavily on one side. There are a ton of great one-liners in this one, and it’s quite clear that everyone enjoyed working together on this project, as the old cliché goes. Anton has some great deadpan timing in this one, and Collin Farrell is having a blast playing the sinister Jerry. Comedy and horror can sometimes be a tough mixture to put together, but when you have established actors like Anton, Farrell, and Collette, they make it look effortless. David Tennant is also brilliant as the fake vampire killer. This is good old-fashioned fun at the movies. Fright Night is the type of movie where you sit back, relax, and have fun. It does not disappoint in that category.

Not only is Fright Night well-acted, but it’s also precisely made with great flair and style. The film is filmed in dark shades and has an ominous pattern. It really sets the tone for the character of Jerry. You really don’t know when or how he is going to strike, and you are constantly on the edge of your seat waiting for his appearances. The film is smart not to overuse him or shove him down our throats. You want to keep him a mystery and have him hovering over the film like a dark cloud. Thanks to the great style displayed by the filmmakers, the great acting by the three core actors, and a sharp, witty screenplay, Fright Night is worth checking out. I believe it was criminally overlooked this past summer at the movies.

DVD Info: Fright Night is released on a variety of formats for your viewing pleasure. There is the 3-disc 3D combo pack which includes one Blu-Ray 3D, one regular Blu-Ray, and one regular DVD which can also be a digital copy. There is also the 2-disc combo pack with one Blu-Ray and one DVD. Then there is, of course, the old standard DVD. I’m a big fan of having digital copies because you can add them to your Ipod or any other mobile device you have and enjoy a movie on the train or bus. The film looks fantastic on DVD, but I’m sure it would be bright, vibrant, and out of this world on Blu-Ray. Like I talked about in my review, this is a very skillfully made flick that has a ton of style. Films like this remind me that I really need to get on board and get a Blu-Ray player. I’m working on it!

Special Features:

Gag Reel (unrated)

Kid Cudi Music Video (uncensored version) “No One Believes Me.”

Squid Man-Extended and Uncut: When you watch the movie, this will make more sense to you. I’ll just say that it’s Charley and Ed’s inner child coming out in hilarious fashion.

The 411: Fright Night was one of the most overlooked movies this past summer. It’s very funny, well-made, and features great performances by its three leads. We live in a world today where vampires are involved in crazy love stories, so it’s nice to see them doing what they do best, but this time it’s in comedic fashion. I really hope this film finds a home on DVD. This is a sharp script, no pun intended.

Final Score:  8.0   [ Very Good ]