Colin Farrell in Twilight

Title:  Fright Night 2011

Actors/Director/Anything Worth Mentioning Right Away:  Colin Farrell leads a pretty good cast including McLovin’, Charlie Bartlett, the United States of Tara and one of the Doctors.   By all means, on paper, this should be a good movie.

Introduction:  I got this movie on DVD from the library for free.

Location:  It takes place mainly within two neighboring houses, but goes other places.   Yeah, it’s a pretty big budget horror movie remake.

Plot:  This is your standard cliché plot, but hey, it has been done before any way.   A kid thinks his new neighbor is a vampire, his friends start disappearing but no one believes him… I know this is a remake and all, but the idea has also been far stretched enough to such movies as Disturbia.   So we’re not really looking for a great plot here (We pretty much know how it’s going to go down coming into it), we’re mainly looking on everything else.

Acting:  The acting isn’t that bad.  It’s perhaps one of the most redeeming parts of this stinker.   Though when I read online that Colin Farrell took this part because he needed the work, I threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Production:  It’s a modern day horror movie, so yeah, it’s got that big budget look.

Sex/Nudity:  I don’t remember any, but I am kind of blocking certain moments of this movie out of my mind permanently.

Special Effects:  This is where you expect the movie to really deliver.   Why remake a classic if you’re not going to do something that couldn’t be done- visually- at the time of the original?  Granted, this movie does have up to date graphics like most other modern horror movies… But that’s just the problem.   It comes off looking like nearly every other vampire movie mass produced since Twilight and, well, that’s a lot of movies.

Overall Verdict:  I know the director of this movie also directed Lars and the Real Girl, which I really love as a movie, but if you told me it was directed by someone who had something to do with the Twilight movies or the like I would certainly believe you.  It has that kind of look to it.   It’s like somebody out there- some corporate suit guy, not an artist or filmmaker- said, “Hey, this has vampires in it… Let’s remake it since vampires are hot now and cash in on it being mistaken for a Twilight spinoff”.    I forgive the plot instantly because it is a remake, but there is still a sense of horror, terror and suspense that can be conveyed to make this movie awesome.   This can be done through the acting, lighting, music or just the overall feel of the movie… how it sucks you in and makes you believe and want to be scared.   Unfortunately, this movie really fails on all of those accounts.   Yes, this could have been a great remake considering the talent involved, but it comes up looking like just another remake that didn’t need to be remade.