Tom Holland’s original, sublimely campy 1985 vampire thriller Fright Night is one of the most beloved horror films of its decade and the concept of a remake was met with sneers from its most ardent admirers.
How could anyone possibly duplicate the smooth, suave, seductive charm of actor Chris Sarandon as murderous suburban vampire Jerry Dandridge? According to Colin Farrell, who inherited the role in Disney’s splashy new 3D remount, you can’t.
“Chris was just charismatic, elegant, beautiful and dignified,” Farell told Metro last weekend in Toronto.
“My guy has more of an emotional disconnect. In essence there was a lot in the first film that I wish I could have played, but this is a different guy, he’s more predatory. If you were around my Jerry, it would be perfectly normal but there’s just something…not right.”
Farrell’s sexy bloodsucking beast is the lethal neighbour of average Nevada teen Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin), who slowly starts to believe his nerdy pal Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and his wild tales of the undead roaming their bedroom community.
After a few close fang shaves, Brewster seeks famous Vegas magician/supernatural authority Peter Vincent (David Tennant) to help him put the stake to Dandridge once and for all.
The film uses the original picture’s template as a springboard to forge a gory, funny romp with its own beat, though it often takes the time to wink at fans of the first film, including referencing vampire Dandridge’s fondness for fruit.
“I had to get that in,” says Farrell of echoing the original’s sequences of
Dandridge eating apples between killings. “It was just one of those things, a nod to the original. I rolled the apple off table and kind of threw it to myself. As Chris Sarandon said to me, (Dandridge) is a fruit bat. But my version also drinks beer…”
Fright Night 3D opens on Friday.
