BLU-RAY REVIEW: Fright Night

[JessHorsley]

Remake of classic horror film hits hi-def home video...

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Fans of horror films remember the classic 1985 film Fright Night well: a young teen boy realizes his next door neighbor is a vampire, but no one will believe him. Not hard to imagine if you were raised on horror movies, comics, and the belief that things that go bump in the night could tear you apart. Of course, this modern remake - starring Anton Yelchin as Charley Brewster and Colin Farrell as Jerry, the vamp next door - does a solid job of reintroducing fans to the 25 year old tale in a new way. Modern fans will find the same ingredients present here as in many a teen angst films - girlfriend problems, parent issues, best friend trouble - but all take a backseat to the story's main focus: surviving a vampire living next door and his plans for rebuilding the vampire nation.

While Fright Night is fairly direct in telling its story and the characters are all archetypes of one type or another (evil vampire villain, ignorant parent, trusting friend, angry victim, unpopular hero, etc), the film itself still does a great job of keeping viewers entertained - if only thanks to the acting and performances of the movie's main character actors. Farrell is best as Jerry the Vampire: mysterious, intriguing, seductive, and finally ruthless and angry. Likewise, Anton Yelchin plays Charley well; somewhat naive, sometimes hopeless and lost, but always determined. Enter supporting actors Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who plays Charley's best friend Ed, Imogen Poots, who plays Charley's girlfriend Amy, and the hilarious, perfectly cast Toni Collette as Charley's understanding, yet sometimes ignorant mother. All bring solid acting to the film and help round out a quality cast.

As for the film itself, the video and audio are high quality, as is expected from Disney/DreamWorks. The 1080p video is clear, tight, with no blurring. The colors are bright, the textures are present and impressive, and the darks and lights are balances and well presented. Likewise, the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless audio captures the film's intensity and playfulness perfectly, with plenty of support to both the deep, shocking bass and high, frightening treble. The dialogue is clear and easy to hear with plenty of support from the effects from the other channels.

As for bonus material, this 2-disc blu-ray and DVD set includes the feature film in both hi-def blu-ray and standard def DVD. The blu-ray also includes a few special features including a 2-minute featurette entitled "Peter Vincent: Come Swim in My Mind," which makes like the film's events are real, with Vincent talking about his abilities as a Vamp Hunter. A slightly longer 8-minute "How to Make a Funny Vampire Movie" is also included. This short shows cast and crew chatting about the film's various elements. Also included are nearly 5 minutes of deleted and extended scenes, 3 minutes worth of bloopers, and Kid Cudi's "No One Believes Me" music video.

For fans of the original film, Fright Night will be an updated trip down memory lane. Featuring an entertaining story, a solid cast of actors, a few impressive special effects, some laughs, and some scares, Fright Night will be an enjoyable, worthy addition to horror fan's hi-def collections.

Fright Night is available now wherever fine home video is sold.

- Jess C. Horsley