Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster Bring "Fast Five" to NASCAR Event

TYRESE GIBSON AND JORDANA BREWSTER, STARS OF THE BLOCKBUSTER FILM FAST FIVE TO JUMPSTART THE ACTION AT THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE THE “FAST FIVE 225” AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAYON SEPTEMBER 16

In a first of its kind for NASCAR, Chicagoland Speedway today announced the blockbuster movie Fast Five, the biggest and most successful installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise debuting October 4 on Blu-ray™ and DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, as the event title sponsor for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, September 16 at Chicagoland Speedway – the “Fast Five 225.”

A high-stakes, adrenaline-pumping thrill ride, Fast Five stars global superstar Tyrese Gibson and the talented and beautiful Jordana Brewster, who will co-serve as the Grand Marshals of the “Fast Five 225” to kick off the explosive triple header weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. Grammy-nominated artist Tyrese Gibson, whose highly anticipated new album Open Invitation will be released November 1 through Voltron Recordz/EMI Music Services, will also sing the national anthem.

“We are so thrilled to align with the highly successful The Fast and the Furious franchise and to have this iconic brand as our entitlement partner for the NASCAR Truck Series race this September,” said Scott Paddock, president of Chicagoland Speedway & Route 66 Raceway. “This is truly a unique partnership, and we’re excited that Fast Five is using Chicagoland Speedway as a national platform to promote the roll out of its Blu-ray™ and DVD release. This is a franchise that really understands what high-octane thrills and pulse-pounding racing is all about, and we look forward to bringing fans that same type of excitement during the ‘Fast Five 225’.”

“This groundbreaking partnership with NASCAR and Chicagoland Speedway is the ideal opportunity to mark the highly anticipated home entertainment release of Fast Five, added Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment. “The combination of Fast Five and NASCAR is sure to be a huge thrill for race fans. No two brands are bigger crowd pleasers or deliver a better action-packed, edge-of-your-seat racing experience.”

Friday, September 16 also marks the start of Hispanic Heritage Month and Chicagoland Speedway will have dedicated advertising and marketing promotions for the Hispanic communities in and around the Chicagoland area leading up to the “Fast Five 225.”

Fast Five will be released in a never-before-seen Extended Edition on Blu-ray and DVD Combo Packs, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead a reunion of returning all-stars from every chapter of the explosive franchise built on speed as former cop Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) partners with ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) on the opposite side of the law while pursued by a federal agent (Dwayne Johnson). Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Matt Schulze, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Tego Calderon and Don Omar reunite for this ultimate high-stakes race filled with spectacular street chases and pulse-pounding action set in Rio de Janiero.

Chicagoland Speedway is the first race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup this September – the first of ten ‘playoff’ style NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in pursuit of the 2011 championship. The Fast Five 225 will kick off the weekend on Friday, September 16 followed by the Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola on Saturday, Sept. 17. The three day weekend will conclude on Sunday, Sept. 18 with the GEICO 400 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

For tickets to the Chase of the NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend of events at Chicagoland Speedway including single day tickets, visit http://www.chicagolandspeedway.com/ or call 1-888-629-RACE (7223).

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend of events is as follows:
Date: Event
Sept 16:  Fast Five 225 (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series)
Sept 17:  Dollar General 300 presented by Coca-Cola (NASCAR Nationwide Series)
Sept 18:  GEICO 400 (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series)

For more information on Chicagoland Speedway stay connected on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/chicagolndspdwy and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChicagolandSpeedway.


Chicagoland Speedway
Celebrating its 10th year of racing, Chicagoland Speedway is a 1.5-mile, paved oval race track located in Joliet, Ill. The track has hosted racing events of the major U.S. racing series, and currently conducts races in all three NASCAR national series, including the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Along with Route 66 Raceway, a drag racing facility located on the same property, Chicagoland Speedway is wholly-owned by International Speedway Corporation (ISC), a major promoter of motorsports activities. ISC owns and/or operates 13 of the nation’s major racing venues, including Daytona International Speedway. For more information on Chicagoland Speedway, visit http://www.chicagolandspeedway.com/.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com/). Universal Studios is a part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.

Johnny Depp Bringing "The Vault" to the Big Screen

JOHNNY DEPP AND GRAHAM KING TO ADAPT THE VAULT

Sam Sarkar is proud to announce that his latest title, THE VAULT, is being adapted for film by Graham King’s GK Films and Johnny Depp’s Infinitum Nihil. Based on the comic miniseries created and written by Sarkar (Caliber: First Canon of Justice), illustrated by Garrie Gastonny (Senior artist at Imaginary Friends Studios, Warren Ellis’ Supergod) and edited by Dave Elliott (current Editor-in-Chief of Benaroya Publishing), THE VAULT will be produced by Johnny Depp, along with Infinitum Nihil’s president, Christi Dembrowski, as well as Graham King and Tim Headington from GK Films. Sam Sarkar is repped by Jon Levin at CAA and Nicole Romano and David Schiff of The Schiff Company.

THE VAULT is about a small team of treasure hunters, struggling to excavate a dangerous and legendary treasure pit before a massive storm hits Sable Island, the "Graveyard of the North Atlantic." Equipped with all the latest technology, the scientists believe they are prepared against all of nature's fury, but nothing can prepare them for what they are about to unleash.

“So thankful and happy to have the support of Johnny, Christi, Graham, Tim and Denis in bringing the movie of the Vault to life.” States Sarkar. “Lots more surprises to come!”

THE VAULT is a 3-issue miniseries published by Image Comics, with issues #1-3 available to order through Diamond Comic Distributors (http://www.diamondcomics.com/).


ABOUT GK FILMS
Academy Award winning producer Graham King launched his independent production company, GK Films, in May 2007 with business partner Tim Headington. GK Films is determined to leave its mark on the independent film world, acting not only as a production company, but also with premium marketing, publicity, business affairs and International sales divisions. Under King's previous banner, Initial Entertainment Group, he produced such critically and commercially successful films as Gangs of New York, The Aviator, Ali, Traffic and The Departed. In total, his films have been nominated for 41 Academy Awards, 27 Golden Globes and 35 British Academy Awards, and have made over $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office. For more information, visit www.gk-films.com

ABOUT INFINITUM NIHIL
Johnny Depp and Christi Dembrowski, whose Infinitum Nihil has a production deal with GK Films, have been busy: The Rum Diary, which was written and directed by Bruce Robinson and stars Depp, will be released by FilmDistrict on October 28, 2011; the Martin Scorsese-directed 3D Hugo Cabret will be released Nov. 23, 2011 by Paramount Pictures; and they are now shooting the TV series transfer, Dark Shadows, at Warner Bros, with Depp starring and Tim Burton directing. Both Dark Shadows and The Night Stalker were based on series produced by the late Dan Curtis.

ABOUT SAM SARKAR
Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Sam Sarkar is a 23-year veteran of the entertainment industry. He began his career as an actor and was one of the leads on the long-running, syndicated television series Neon Rider. Following the series, Sam decided to pursue writing and worked for the hit television series Beverly Hills 90210. Stemming from his work on the show, he also co-wrote a television pilot for Spelling Entertainment under the direct guidance of TV legend Aaron Spelling. Deciding then to embark on feature films, Sam took some chances, following a varied path of writing screenplays and working as a sound technician. In 2004, after working on several films with actor Johnny Depp, Sam was asked to help run Depp's production company, Infinitum Nihil, headed by Christi Dembrowski. As Senior VP at the company, he continues to serve the varied needs of Hollywood as an executive, producer and writer.

ABOUT GARRIE GASTONNY
Having worked as a comic book artist and illustration lecturer, Garrie Gastonny now mainly focuses on illustration to avoid getting beaten up. Garrie also serves as Senior Artist at Imaginary Friends Studios. His credits include Warren Ellis' Supergod, Caliber: First Canon of Justice and Lady Death. For more information about the artist, please visit http://thegerjoos.deviantart.com/.

Review: John Carpenter's "The Ward" is Amber Heard's Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 73 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

John Carpenter’s The Ward (2010)
Running time: 88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence and disturbing images
DIRECTOR: John Carpenter
WRITERS: Michael Rasmussen and Shawn Rasmussen
PRODUCERS: Peter Block, Doug Mankoff, Mike Marcus, and Andrew Spaulding
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Yaron Orbach (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Patrick McMahon
COMPOSER: Mark Kilian

HORROR/THRILLER.MYSTERY

Starring: Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker, Laura-Leigh, Lyndsy Fonseca, Jared Harris, D.R. Anderson, Mika Boorem, Susanna Burney, Sean Cook, Sali Sayler, and Jillian Kramer

The Ward is a horror movie that debuted at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. After that debut, the movie played internationally and received a limited release in the United States this year, before being recently released on DVD. The Ward is also the first full-length feature film directed by famed horror moviemaker John Carpenter since 2001’s Ghosts of Mars. The Ward focuses on a young woman held in a mental institution that is haunted by a murderous ghost.

The story opens in 1966 as Kristen (Amber Heard) sets fire to an abandoned farmhouse. The next day she is taken to the North Bend Psychiatric Hospital in North Bend, Oregon. She is placed in “the Ward,” with several other young women: Iris (Lyndsy Fonseca), Sarah (Danielle Panabaker), Emily (Mamie Gummer), and Zoey (Laura-Leigh). These other patients mostly avoid her, and after the first night, Kristen suspects that there is something really wrong with this hospital.

Kristen soon meets her psychiatrist, Dr. Stringer (Jared Harris), who also cares for the other girls. She does not find him helpful, although he seems insistent and sincere about helping her. Kristen soon discovers that the staff members are the least of her problems. North Bend is being terrorized by a vengeful ghost, and it is determined to kill all the girls before they get a chance to leave the Ward.

I didn’t find anything in John Carpenter’s The Ward that made me think, “Oh, this is a John Carpenter movie!” other than having Carpenter’s name in the credits. This is an average ghost story and psychological thriller that just about any credible director with professional credits behind his name could have made. The script is not exactly pedestrian, but it mines very familiar territory and is simply reflective of a disappointing production: plodding pace, mildly-interesting characters, and a not exactly memorable killer/ghost.

The great thing about this movie is Amber Heard. She is gorgeous even when her character is dressed in hospital garb and looks beat up. Heard gives a passionate performance that brings energy to this sometimes stiff flick. The Ward does have its moments: in particular, Kristen’s first night at North Bend and the movie’s the last act. The setting is also quite good. If you’ve ever had an extended stay at or visited a mental hospital often, you will recognize the stone-faced orderlies; the pill-peddling, taciturn nurses with their crocodile smiles; and the cagey doctors with their inscrutable statements. That’s enough to send a chill up your spine. Mark Kilian’s musical score also does a lot of the heavy lifting in creating a proper scary movie atmosphere for this movie.

I waited a long time for The Ward, and while it isn’t a bad movie, it just doesn’t seem like a real John Carpenter movie.

5 of 10
B-

Friday, August 19, 2011

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Review: "Junebug" is a Jewel on an Indie Film (Happy B'day, Amy Adams)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 49 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Junebug (2005)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – R for sexual content and language
DIRECTOR: Phil Morrison
WRITER: Angus MacLachlan
PRODUCERS: Mindy Goldberg and Mike S. Ryan
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Donahue
EDITOR: Joe Klotz
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: Embeth Davidtz, Alessandro Nivola, Amy Adams, Celia Weston, Scott Wilson, Ben McKenzie, Frank Hoyt Taylor, and Joanne Pankow

Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz), a Chicago art dealer who specializes in “outsider art,” takes a trip to rural North Carolina with her husband, George (Alessandro Nivola), to convince David Wark (Frank Hoyt Taylor, whose small part is the film’s most memorable), a highly-eccentric folk artist to allow her gallery to show his art. George is not only from North Carolina, but his family lives not too far from Wark’s home.

Madeleine convinces George to finally allow her to meet his small-town family: his bristly mother, Peg (Celia Weston); his reserved father, Eugene (Scott Wilson); his crabby brother, Johnny (Ben McKenzie); and Johnny’s pregnant wife, the sweet and naïve Ashley (Amy Adams). Madeleine has a hard time fitting in, and Peg doesn’t try very hard to hide her dislike or suspicion of Madeleine. Johnny holds grudges against George and is taciturn with Madeleine. To make matters worse, George spends much of the day away from Madeleine, visiting his old haunts and friends, and he begins to revert to his hymn-singing, church-going ways – somewhat to the detriment of his marriage.

Junebug isn’t a great film (it misses that by a lot), but it’s quite good, mostly because of the efforts of director, Phil Morrison. Writer Angus MacLachlan gives us four familiar characters as George’s family, the bitter brother Johnny and the prickly mother Peg being the worse. It’s not so much that they’re stereotypes; it’s what MacLachlan does with them that makes them come across as old hat. Other than in Madeleine, there is no variety in the behavior of the characters. For the most part, they’re stuck in the mud and boring. Every time that there is some glimmer of hope that some breakthrough of depth is about to occur, it turns out to be nothing – stuck in “park.” Poor Celia Weston is like a record that skips, but the script doesn’t give her room to actually perform.

Junebug has three people that make it standout: the aforementioned director and also actresses Embeth Davidtz and Amy Adams. Adams gives one of those splashy performances as a peculiar or unconventional character in Ashley that gets the notice of the critics, and several critics associations and festival awards did indeed honor her for her performance. Ashley is likeable in her frantic need to be liked and in her poor desperation to get husband Johnny’s attention. When Ashley tries to create a bond with Madeleine, Adams makes it feel so real, not phony and desperate, although it initially comes across that way.

However, Junebug is really Madeleine’s story, and if awards must be given for acting in this film, they should have gone to Embeth Davidtz, or at least she should have shared in the glory. As Madeleine, Davidtz (who played a suffering Jewish servant in Schlindler’s List), embodies the film’s themes of family ties and outsiders. Davidtz’s character has to perform the balancing act of dealing with becoming a part of George’s family and dealing with the fact that George is a part of a family outside of her. It’s a culture and a lifestyle that is alien to her. In doing that Embeth gives a warm and poignant performance that guides the viewer through Junebug.

Director Phil Morrison makes Junebug such a compelling film. It’s as if he insisted that the camera drink and drink deeply of the narrative’s setting, as much as it does of the central players. He creates a film the resonates of family, but set in a world that is authentic. It’s not like every small town, but it sure seems like a genuine one. I didn’t like how Morrison has the night scenes that occur inside the house filmed with so little light, but I guess there was a reason for that. We’ll never really know George’s family, but Morrison certainly makes them compelling. Morrison realizes that for the most part, we’re like Madeleine, or at least we’re going to see this world through her eyes. As curious as we are about them, Morrison understands that like Madeleine, as much as we like meeting the kinfolk – those by blood or by marriage, we’re always ready to go home. With Embeth and Amy’s performances, Morrison’s understanding of outsiders and strangers makes Junebug a jewel of an independent film.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2006 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Amy Adams)

Sunday, March 05, 2006

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Disney's "Enchanted" Thrives on Magical Amy Adams

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 22 (of 2008) by Leroy Douresseaux

Enchanted (2007)
Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some scary images and mild innuendo
DIRECTOR: Kevin Lima
WRITER: Bill Kelly
PRODUCERS: Barry Josephson and Barry Sonnenfeld
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Don Burgess
EDITORS: Gregory Perler and Stephen A. Rotter
2008 Academy Award nominee

FANTASY/ANIMATION/COMEDY/ROMANCE with elements of a musical

Starring: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel, Rachel Covey, Tonya Pinkins, and Isaiah Whitlock, Jr.

What would happen if fairy tale characters that were like those in such classic Walt Disney feature animated films as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty entered the gritty, urban real world where there aren’t always happy endings – certainly not of the variety found in many fairy tales? Disney’s recent motion picture, Enchanted, a mixture of 2D animation and live action, answers that question. While Enchanted lacks the magic that makes many Disney animated films so beloved and memorable, it does have one bit of excellent magic – the charming Amy Adams as its star.

Princess-to-be Giselle (Amy Adams) lives a perfect life in the wonderful, musical, fairy tale (animated) kingdom of Andalasia, and that charmed life gets even better when Prince Edward (James Marsden) arrives on his white steed to carry her off, marry her, and make her Princess Giselle. Giselle’s dreams come to an abrupt end when the evil Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), Edward’s vile stepmother, exiles her to the cold, cruel, real world of New York City, where the naïve girl finds it difficult to get her bearings. Her rescuers arrive in the unlikely form of a cynical and divorced, divorce lawyer, Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey), and his lonely young daughter, Morgan (Rachel Covey). Giselle soon falls in love with Robert, who is already more or less engaged to another woman, so Giselle has to wonder if her storybook view of romance can win a man in the real world.

Meanwhile, Edward has followed Giselle to NYC, so Narissa sends her henchman, Nathaniel (Timothy Spall), to keep Edward from finding and reuniting with Giselle. However, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, so Narissa blows her way into our world determined to put an end to Giselle once and for all.

Anyone familiar with Amy Adams’ from her other movie appearances already knows that she is enchanting. She is magical in Enchanted, and makes this clunky, nicely conceived, but poorly executed concept worth watching. In creating her character, Giselle, Adams gives flesh and substance to the idea of the beloved “Disney Princess,” and personifies the utterly captivating charm and winning personality of a Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. Plus, she’s a good singer whose bubbly exuberance gives Enchanted’s Alan Menken/Stephen Schwartz songs some needed bounce. Adams makes the Oscar-nominated “Happy Working Song” seem like it popped out of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and she turns “That’s How You Know” into a remarkable and memorable love song in its own right.

On the other hand, practically everything else about this film, directed by Kevin Lima (who co-directed Disney’s 1999 animated feature, Tarzan) is mediocre. It would be ironic to say that the dreadful Patrick Dempsey is perfectly cast as the dull and cynical Robert, but maybe the script didn’t mean for the character to be as grey and colorless as the inexplicably popular Dempsey makes him. Sadly, the overrated Dempsey means that the thoroughly talented James Marsden (X-Men, Hairspray) gets less screen time, which is a pity. Marsden makes the most out of a poorly developed character and turns the saccharine ditty, “True Love’s Kiss,” into a fun song.

The great Susan Sarandon is also under-utilized, and her Narissa never reaches the heights of evil that she should, in spite of Sarandon’s best efforts. No, Disney’s Enchanted is a misfire. Perhaps, the film did indeed have a fairy godmother, but the only magic she gave Enchanted was the delightful Amy Adams.

5 of 10
C+

NOTES:
2008 Academy Awards: 3 nominations for three songs by Alan Menken (music) and Stephen Schwartz: “Happy Working Song,” “So Close,” and “That’s How You Know”

2008 Golden Globes: 2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Amy Adams) and “Best Original Song – Motion Picture” (“That’s How You Know”)

Saturday, April 26, 2008

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Negromancer New Bits and Bites for August 19 2011

Stuff I found interesting:

Deadline has the details on anti-Muslin toad, Congressman Peter King's plan to launch an investigation into Kathryn Bigelow's Bin Laden Film.

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Remember Hong Kong Phooey, the 1970s Hanna-Barbera animated series about a mild-mannered janitor-dog who is really masked crime fighter, Hong Kong Phooey?  There has been talk about a movie version going back to the early 1990s (that I remember).  I think the success of The Smurfs film means we'll be seeing more live-action/animation films made of old Saturdamy morning series.

Well, Eddie Murphy will be the voice of Penry the mild-mannered dog in Alcon Entertainment's live-action/animated Hong Kong Phooey.  For those who don't know, the late great Scatman Crothers was the voice of Penry.  Entertainment Weekly has some details.

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Variety reports that Disney is filling out its Summer 2014 schedule with three pictures:  There will be a Marvel Studios movie May 16.  Two weeks later, a Pixar film arrives on May 30.  The second Marvel picture arrives on June 27.  The films are unnamed, but Variety reports that Marvel has a number of projects in development, including a Captain America sequel and an Avengers spinoff.

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Deadline has an exclusive:  After finishing Prometheus, a kind of prequel to his 1979 classic, Alien, director Ridley Scott will return to another of his sci-fi classics.  Deadline is reporting that Scott has signed on to direct and produce a new installment of Blade Runner, with Alcon Entertainment, producing with Alcon partners Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove. Alcon apparently gained control of the Blade Runner franchise earlier this year.  There are conflicting reports about whether Harrison Ford, the star of the original Blade Runner will return, with some stating that he won't.

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Huffington Post reports that Will Smith is working on a double comeback.  I don't think Smith needs to come back from anything, but let's humor them for the sake of this story.  Smith is working on his first album since 2005.  He hasn't been in a film since 2008's Seven Pounds, but he is working on "Men in Black 3."  Also, Shawn Levy is trying to get Smith for a remake of the 1966 science fiction film, Fantastic Voyage.

Review: Original "Fright Night" Still a Fright

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 72 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Fright Night (1985)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – R
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Tom Holland
PRODUCER: Herb Jaffe
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jan Kiesser (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Kent Beyda
COMPOSER: Brad Fiedel

HORROR/COMEDY/THRILLER

Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall, Stephen Geoffreys, Jonathan Stark, Dorothy Fielding, and Art J. Evans

Fright Night is a 1985 horror film written and directed by Tom Holland. A hit at the time of its original release, Fright Night was successful because it was a horror movie that was both scary and funny. This film is about a teenager who discovers that his new next door neighbor is a vampire, but can’t make anyone believe him.

The story centers on Charlie Brewster (William Ragsdale), a mostly ordinary high school boy trying to convince his girlfriend, Amy Peterson (Amanda Bearse), to go all the way and have sex with him. Charlie also has an active imagination and is huge fan of horror films and of Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), the host of a local horror movie television program.

Charlie’s active imagination kicks into overdrive when two men move into the empty house next door to Charlie and mother, Judy Brewster (Dorothy Fielding). By chance, Charlie discovers that one of the men, the dark and seductive Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon), is a vampire. Charlie tells Amy and his acerbic friend, Edward “Evil Ed” Thompson (Stephen Geoffreys), but they don’t believe him. The police also ignore him, and even Peter Vincent isn’t buying Charlie’s story. Charlie will need to convince someone soon, because Dandridge and his roommate/carpenter/bodyguard, Billy Cole (Jonathan Stark), are preparing to kill Charlie.

I believe that film spoofs work best when they look like the genre in which they are spoofing. Mel Brook’s Blazing Saddles convincingly looks and acts like a Western, so its skewering of the conventions of Westerns is supremely effective. It’s the same with Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, a send-up of Universal Pictures’ black and white horror films. Fright Night is a genuine horror film, but the screenplay takes so many digs at the conventions and stereotypes of vampire movies – from the way movies depict vampires’ fear of the crucifix to the way movies portray vampires seducing female victims.

Even with its humor and gentle mocking tone, Fright Night is a scary movie. I am old enough to have seen it in a theatre when it was first released back in August of 1985. Fright Night was both an old-fashioned monster movie and a vampire movie with a devilishly alluring villain as the vampire, superbly played by actor Chris Sarandon with cool, smooth arrogance and a dark charm. Fright Night was so different from the horror movies that thrived back in the 1980s. These were bloody slasher movies featuring masked maniacs wielding any kind of implement that could gouge and slash out the most blood from their victims. The young actors playing the victims were not interesting and were merely meat for the slasher film beast.

That’s different in Fright Night. The characters are either surprisingly witty or appealingly silly. I can see why this film has been remade. Every time I watch it, Fight Night works its scary movie magic on me.

8 of 10
A

Thursday, August 18, 2011

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