Image by Dreamworks II Distribution

1. What’s it about?

Fright Night is a remake of the 1985 horror movie of the same name. Like the original, this movie tells the story of a senior in high school named Charley who finds out he’s living next door to a vampire. Soon after, wacky hijinks ensue. The original Fright Night (and this new version) detoured from convention, establishing the idea that horror movies could be fun and make you laugh while scaring you at the same time.

2. How close is it to the original?

The plot is more or less the same and the characters all have the same names, but when it comes to specifics, the similarities trail off. The new Fright Night is a little grittier and a whole lot more fun. It pays the perfect amount of homage without attempting to be a carbon copy of the original; the end result being a film that has the feeling of being close to an original movie.

3. Are there any good previews attached to it?

I can’t say. I saw this movie in a preview last week and, thanks to some technical difficulties that got us started about 20 minutes late, we didn’t get any previews.

4. Will kids like it?

It’s rated R, so there shouldn’t be any young children, but older teenagers will love it. While Fright Night is a horror movie, it lacks some of the fabricated suspense that punctuates lesser horror movies. Instead, it gives viewers a somewhat smarter horror experience, avoiding schlocky horror gimmicks and delivering what amounts to a very enjoyable experience.

5. Will I like it?

It’s a very fast moving film and pretty fun if you enjoy an occasional horror flick. Where the original was campy, today’s Fright Night is more serious when it counts, but often punctuated with laugh-out-loud moments. Colin Farrell is made for the role of Jerry, the beer & babes loving vampire, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse does a good job as Charley’s friend, Evil Ed, but the show is stolen by David Tennant as Peter Vincent. The original Peter Vincent was an aging late-night horror show host, but Tennant plays his turn as Vincent à la a Chris Angel-esque Vegas showman and the payoff is wonderful. Tennant makes such a splash, it’s easy to see him earning more roles as a result of his efforts in Fright Night alone.

6. Is it worth paying extra to see in 3D?

There are a couple of scenes that are enhanced by 3D, but the rest — including a couple of objects COMING RIGHT AT YOU for the sake of the “gotcha” moments — are gimmicky. If you’re a 3D fan, go for it. Otherwise, don’t bother.

7. When’s a good time to take a bathroom break?

Since everyone who is old enough to see this movie should have a big enough bladder to make it through 101 minutes of blood and scares, I considered leaving this question out this time, but if you must go, wait until about 45 minutes in when Charley first meets Peter Vincent. It’s a great scene and David Tennant is hilarious and awesome, but it’s not integral to the plot.

8. Is it loud or scary?

Hells yes! That said, Fright Night isn’t an overly frightening movie. There are plenty of scary moments but many of them are done with a wink and a smile, making Fright Night more of a fun horror movie than one that will give you nightmares for weeks to come.

9. Why is it rated R?

As you can guess, there’s a good amount of intense violence, gore and blood, not to mention some language and adult situations. There’s also some of the best product placement ever. Century 21’s marketing department should win awards.

10. Do I need to sit through the credits?

There ’s some pretty cool end credits that last a couple of minutes, but beyond that there are no extra scenes or anything special to see.