The 'Burbs

Dante isn't the director who makes sprawling masterpieces, but his films often have a lightness and breeziness that makes them very easy to watch. The 'Burbs is a perfect example. A little ghastly, but mostly just a comedy that flashes by and reaches its climax well within the comfortable 100-minute mark.

The film reminded me a bit of Fright Night, only with adults and without the vampires. The focus lies on one of those typical neighborhoods (hence the title), where everybody walks in on everybody and every place is a good place to gossip. Add one eccentric family to the mix and you have solid setup.

Dante handles it well. The pacing is solid, there are some fun stereotypical characters and the film never gets too serious. The ending is a bit too silly (the film could've done without the final twist) and it's nothing too memorable or outstanding, but it's nice, honest filler. A typical Dante film in other words.