Movie Review: Fright Night 2 (2013)
Synopsis: Charley Brewster travels with his friends to Romania to study European artwork as part of a college class. Shortly after arriving, however, he discovers his professor is really infamous vampire Elizabeth Bathory. By the time he convinces his friends he isn’t crazy, it’s already too late and it is up to him to rescue his girlfriend with the help of a reality show vampire hunter.
Who's in it? The movie stars Will Payne, Jaime Murray, Sean Power, Sacha Parkinson and Chris Waller.
Review: I had to wait even later than usual for my daughter to get done with theater rehearsal so, in an effort to stay awake, I decided to re-watch Fright Night 2. The film, much like the first time I watched it, proved to be a surprisingly good choice.
The title of the movie is deceptive. Instead of a sequel, as the number 2 would suggest, it is in fact a remake of the 1985 movie set in a different location. When I realized this the first time I watched it, I had some serious doubts. However, it is one of the few times a low-budget remake works.
Even though the film had a lot of the same basic concepts as other Fright Night incarnations, the writers did change the overall storyline enough to turn this into a brand-new movie. The fact they chose to portray a real-life person, Bathory (AKA Countess Dracula), was a little bolder than I would expect from a movie like this and, ultimately, it did pay off because it gave the movie a somewhat unique plot point, Murray’s character needed blood from a virgin born at midnight under the blood of a new moon so she could go out in daylight. And, the person that fit that description happened to be Charley’s (Payne) girlfriend, Amy (Parkinson).
Another thing I found I liked about this movie was how it managed to keep the viewer off balance by various camera angles, strobe-like effects and even a variety of lighting. This did manage to make some of the scenes a bit more eerie than they might otherwise have been, just because they made me uncomfortable. However, if you are sensitive to that sort of thing, be warned.
One concern I had regarding this movie was whether or not it would turn out to just be some sort of soft-core porn film, like so many others we’ve watched. This, however, was not the case with the movie. There was some nudity. There were also a few sexual-themed situations. It was not, however, anything that was overly explicit and didn’t have a gratuitous feel to it.
The film, however, is somewhat graphic when it comes to blood and gore. Again, I don’t think it was anything that I would describe as being over the top, but the movie isn't something you will want to watch if you are easily squeamish.
Final Opinion: When I realized it was another remake, I was concerned it would be a bit too familiar to be enjoyable. However, there is enough uniqueness to make this movie much more enjoyable to watch than I first expected and I would recommend it as a result.
My Grade: B
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Here are some reviews of other vampire movies:
Movie Review: The Vampire Bat (1933)
Movie Review: The Brides of Dracula (1960)
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