Fright Night

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Director: Craig Gillespie

Stars: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant (more)

Release Date: August 19, 2011

Synopsis: Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) guesses that his new neighbor Jerry Dandrige (Colin Farrell) is a vampire responsible for a string of recent deaths. When no one he knows believes him, he enlists Peter Vincent (David Tennant), the opportunistic host of his favorite TV show, to help him take down Jerry and his guardian.

Why We're Excited: While kids today do have the patience for vampires, nothing will eclipse the original's noteworthiness (including the career transition made by Stephen Geoffreys). That said, the assembled talent here impresses, those in front of and behind the camera are all likable to lovable, and most everyone is an underdog in a Hollywood movie star way. Look for Colin Farrell to score big in his first of two big remakes (Total Recall is up next for 2012), while David Tennant should expand on his cult audience who loved him as "Dr. Who".

Why We're Not: Could this be lost in the late-summer shuffle? People like us, who following nerdy things like release-date positioning, know that August is typically a dumping ground. Also, dating back to last summer, a handful of thoroughly entertaining, like-minded movies have tanked at the box office: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Piranha 3D, Machete. We're hoping Charley Brewster doesn't meet a similar fate.

Trivia: The original movie was also released in the U.S. in August; the exact date was August 2, 1985.