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Didn't I say this would sound ridiculous? All they need is a van, a talking dog, right? But here's the thing about Fright Night. What seems at best a Saturday morning cartoon premise is in truth a cleverly written hybrid of a bloody thriller - and a benign satire of a bloody thriller. It's a preposterous B movie send up lovingly crafted, cast and financed into something far superior.

That's not to say it's perfect. Because the "kids" in this story are so obviously well into their 20s, yet are thrust into some uncomfortably adult situations, there's an added "ick" factor to some scenes that either takes you out of the movie or makes you want to take a shower. I could also point out that Jerry’s behavior makes no sense - he openly advertises what he’s doing, slaughtering hot, naked women in front of open windows directly across the lawn from a horny teenage boy. What did he expect? This whole mess could have been resolved early in the second act by simply installing a set of parallel blinds. But then, this story takes place in an alternate John Hughes universe where the roof could blow off your house while a biker gang drags coeds up and down the street and somehow, absolutely nobody in the entire neighborhood sees a thing.

What I’m saying is, this is the kind of breezy flick that requires you to take out your brain, put it back in the box with the instructions and warranty card, and just enjoy the things happening on the screen. Every scene is just a contrivance meant to set up the next, but that’s okay. In the end, this is the age-old yarn about two guys marking their territory. Just...one of them happens to be a Satanic blood-sponge. And really, all Fright Night is trying to do is have a little fun, and that it does, very well. Anyone who’s read more than one of my columns knows my criteria - does a movie build a world, establish how things work, and adequately fulfill its intentions? That alone gets you two and a half stars from me.

The best thing about Fright Night is how invested everyone clearly is. Sure, there’s dark subject matter. Yes, there are occasionally disturbing themes - one death near the end is unexpectedly poignant; you’ll know the one. And of course, there’s plenty of gore. But there’s an infectious delight to this movie - it’s just playing around, and it wants you to have fun too. The actors - particularly Sarandon - are clearly invested, writer/director Tom Holland obviously had a blast creating all this, and even the makeup guys put every dollar of their budget to good use. If you like being scared and having fun, Fright Night will be right up your alley. If not, then why are you watching movies in the first place?

And for God’s sake, if you’re going to murder college girls in your bedroom, get some freaking drapes, okay?

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