www.fearnet.com: Even if Imogen Poots didn’t have the sexiest English accent this side of Kate Beckinsale, she’d still be able to level men with one flash of her enormous blue eyes. Maybe it’s for the best then that in the new Fright Night Poots sports an American accent as she takes on the role of Amy, the wholesome girl next door who gets seduced by evil vampire Jerry Dandrige, thus inviting her boyfriend Charlie (Anton Yelchin) to do battle for her soul… I chatted with Poots on the Fright Night set last year at the Hard Rock Hotel and Café in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After the jump, find out what she had to tell me and a few other journos about finding her inner vamp.

Can you talk your Amy in this and how it’s different from the original Amy?

I suppose it’s a modern take.  The premise is pretty much the same regarding the vampire and the main plot.  In terms of their relationship, it’s universal.  Charlie and Amy are still going through the same adventure.  But I’ve made it different in the sense that I’ve made it my own.  I think that’s what is important when you’re embarking on a remake, to find something new and original.  To sum up the characterization, I think my Amy is quite strong.  I’m not saying that the other one is weaker in any way, but she’s definitely got a strength.  Which means that she’s able to be on par with Charlie in dealing with Jerry and the vampire situation.

Is there a similar sexual tension between Charlie and Amy?

There’s a sexual tension.  Probably mainly from Amy’s point of view.  I think there’s a running gag where she’s constantly trying to get him to deliver “the goods” and he doesn’t because he’s always a vampire.  So that’s kind of funny.  I guess maybe they’re unusual because they’re always dealing with running away from vampires and very suspicious situations.  So there’s not much time to mess around.

Can you talk about working with your two leading men?  How is like working with Colin Farrell and Anton Yelchin?

Anton Yelchin is absolutely amazing and brilliant.  He’s a very inspiring person and actor.  He’s so intelligent and very funny, and Colin Farrell as well.  It’s a real pleasure to be able to work with both of them.  Colin is playing Jerry in very kind of sensitive and gentle way, which is unnerving and very unsuspecting.  Anton is very much full of energy and full of life.  It’s wonderful to play with his character.

Do you get a kick out of doing genre movies?

I suppose I find the characters intriguing for girls.  I think a lot of the time a lot of the roles are stupid for girls.  I knew that Craig Gillespie was very genius from Lars and the Real Girl.  And I really respect Toni Collette to an extremely high level.  Anton and Colin also, and David Tennant too.  So I really wanted to be part of this so much.  I know that I’ve done some genre films before, but often those are the parts where the journey is the most compact and the storyline is a real arch for the character to go on and that’s always important.

Can you talk about the comedic aspect of the film and what challenge that presents to you coming from genre films and darker stuff?

The comedy aspect is really thrilling.  There’s a lot of room for improvisation.  Craig is really liberal with the script.  That’s important because Anton and Toni are very free with their language and it’s important to find the naturalism through that.  People are funny.  You don’t’ need to create humor.  I think people are awkward enough to be hysterical.  I think it’s a matter of finding that.

We’ve heard that the film kind of pokes fun at the current notion of romantic vampires.  Is your character at all a commentary on today’s typical Twilight-loving girl?

Potentially.  In no disregard to Twilight, those books are very special.  But I think that in terms of how one as a girl would put a man on pedestal, a vampire is a very appropriate form.  It’s something that is completely sexual and completely forbidden.  A vampire is a real kind of wonderful allegory for that I suppose. That’s why the success of the vampire films has been so immense recently.  I think girls can relate to that in many ways.

Are you doing an American accent or are you talking with your accent?

I’m doing an American accent.  Which is great because you’re dismissing my British identity with something stuck up my bum and being American.  I’m trying to be an all American girl, which is really fun.

Is it a challenge for you with the accent?  Are you careful because improvising if you don’t have the accent down could be…

It’s such an international cast and everyone’s accent is so fantastic.  Toni’s obviously Australian and Colin is Irish.  I think that an accent is a really integral part of the character and Amy is an all American girl. So I knew that and dedicated myself to that.  The accent is something I worked on a lot and hopefully that isn’t too much of a hold up for the character.

Without giving too much away, those that have seen the original know that Amy undergoes a little bit of change in the third act.  Do you get a little bit of makeup experience in?

Oh yeah.  It’s a big makeup experience.  I’ll just say “chin” That all I’ll say. I’ve never experienced so much experience on my chin before.

You turn into Jay Leno?

[Laughs.] No, but that’s another fun thing.  There’s that little transition and that’s a really wonderful thing as an actor to then play a part within a part.

Just how evil does Evil Ed get?

Ed gets pretty evil.  But I think his outrage with Charlie comes from their friendship that has been broken.  So it’s not a pure evil.  It’s hurt and it’s something human.  Which I think is quite wonderful, that these vampires have something flawed in them that can be related to something flawed in human beings.

Were you yourself a vampire fan or a horror fan in general?

I get real scared really easily.  So, not particularly.  I guess my family is a pretty good sport.  They’ve had to put up with a lot of blood and guts, so I’ve gotten used to it too.  I’m not a big fan, but I was really excited about the people involved with the project and that’s what inspired me to do it.

Can you talk a little bit about working in 3D?

It’s amazing.  I haven’t noticed too much of a difference apart from that the camera is much bigger and that you get to wear cool glasses in between takes.  It’s so interesting from an intellectual technological point of view of filmmaking.  It’s really interesting and quite daunting how fast the transformation has taken place.  Javier, the DP, is a genius and things just look so crisp and beautiful.  I’m really excited about being part of this new 3D.

Can you talk about David Tennant’s performance?

David Tennant is hilarious.  He’s so funny.  I have seen him as Dr. Who, and I don’t know what it’s like in America, but it’s a big thing in England.  He’s completely dismissed that character to play Peter Vincent, who is hysterical, and based on a lot of people that you may recognize in the public eye, and he’s incorporated that into his characterization.  We’ve done a little bit together and he’s very funny, and it’s nice to have fellow Brit around.