Fright Night

This is an old favorite and, having just seen it for the first time in 15+ years, I can see why. The practical effects and humor hold up surprisingly well and the gore is pretty feisty. Not at all scary, just loads of gross fun. Charley (William Ragsdale; Fright Night 2, The Reaping), his girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse; Married with Children) and his quirky friend “Evil” Ed (Stephen Geoffreys; 976-Evil, The Chair, and according to IMDB a bunch of porn) discover that his new neighbor Jerry (Chris Sarandon; The Resurrected, The Sentinel) is actually a vampire! This 80s horror classic boasts the standard teen tropes when, upon Charley’s initial discovery of his blood-drinking neighbor, he starts yelling “vampire” to everyone (his mother, the police) and, not surprisingly, no one listens to this nonsense. But thankfully his buddy Ed knows the tricks of the monstrous trade (for some reason; not unlike the Frog Brothers of The Lost Boys). Also following the standard yet somewhat pleasing tropes of the time, his mother grants invitation to her very single fanged suitor (again, followed suit by The Lost Boys). Our vampire snacks on apples for dental health, makes some idle threats to a teenager, strangles and toys with the kid when he could have just ripped his head off, and is thwarted by a pencil wound to the hand. However silly, this all leads us down a rabbit hole of more exaggerated antics when Charley canvases his room with rosaries, crosses, garlic and candles (he must have a big allowance) and then our teenaged protagonists enlist the help of television horror host Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall; Embryo, Shakma, Fright Night 2), who happens to be an actual expert when it comes to dealing with the fanged undead. And let’s not forget the needlessly long “seduction dance scene” which, given this film is pretty old, gets me wondering if it wasn’t one of the first movies with such a scene (i.e., a long dance scene whose entire purpose was to be sexy or to seduce, LOL). There was Return of the Living Dead (1985), although not deliberately “seductive” there was A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985), I only mention the Lost Boys (1987) because that singer might have gotten that saxophone pregnant, perhaps the undead ballerina solo in Evil Dead 2 (1987), then of course there was Night of the Demons (1988) and Night of the Demons 2 (1994) with their blatant and numerous demonic sexy dances. The first hour of the movie offers little in the way of gore and some decent semi-scary vampire make-up, but in the final 30 minutes things get really good. I mean, it’s still silly. But this movie features a looong gory death scene that doubles as a gooey transformation scene (to a werewolf-looking form), a super disgusting melting death, a huge and ugly vampire bat, and the monstrously over-sized vampire mouth that would subsequently be used in the Fright Night (2011) remake and the From Dusk ‘til Dawn (1996) films. Director Tom Holland (Child’s Play, The Temp, Thinner) really hit this one out of the park. There are no scares, nor are there meant to be, although the monsters look menacing enough. This is entirely fun—sometimes funny, sometimes gross-out gory, but always a rewatchable joy that withstands the test of time.

Cult classic American horror film from 1985, one of those films I had heard of and meant to watch but just now got around to seeing. It was a lot of fun, I liked the cast and the overall story, it has some good practical effects, it was great seeing Roddy McDowall, and it was a blast of 80s nostalgia. Good nods to classic vampire tropes too. Fitting nicely into the “kids/teens fight evil in the suburbs, protecting a disbelieving or unaware town” subgenre, a subgenre I really like, the movie’s central character is Charley Brewster (played by William Ragsdale), a 17 year old high school student and fan of a local late night TV series called Fright Night, hosted by a former well known horror movie star named Peter Vincent (played by Roddy McDowall). One night, while with his girlfriend Amy Peterson (played by Amanda Bearse), he notices that the next-door neighbor, newly moved in, is, well, odd, and soon concludes this neighbor, Jerry Dandridge (played by Chris Sarandon) is in fact a vampire. Only no one believes Charley, not Amy, not Charley’s best friend Edward “Evil Ed” Thompson (played by Stephen Geoffreys), not his mom, not the police, no one. With women in town vanishing or turning up dead, all the signs that Jerry is a vampire, and no one to turn to…well I can’t say much more, but the film does end up involving Peter Vincent as well. I liked the movie’s progression from Charley trying to convince his friends that Jerry is a vampire, protecting himself and his mom from a threat his mom is blissfully unaware of, to a group assembled to fight Jerry (ok, that may be spoilerish). It is a fun movie, a little campy maybe at times but it is mostly pretty earnest and is a lot of fun, clearly a movie made as a love letter to classic horror films. Lots of surprisingly good practical effects, especially the climatic scene, and it was fun to see a really traditional vampire, more like the ones in the old black and white movies rather than any new revisionist, modern take. I liked especially the Peter Vincent and Evil Ed characters, the first such a classic embodiment of Vincent Price and Peter Cushing type characters, the second a classic 80s character. Just a fun horror movie.

I first watched this movie after it had been released for television. I was instantly hooked and have been a devoted fan since then. The story is about a young guy named Charlie Brewster who is into horror flicks and a stale, campy t.v. show named "Fright Night" hosted by an aging actor named Peter Vincent ( Roddy McDowall) . One night, from his bedroom window, Brewster sees his new neighbors carrying what appears to be a coffin to the outside, basement entrance of their house. Brewster's natural curiosity leads him to discover that his new neighbor is a vampire and may be involved in the disappearance of a young call girl and several other victims. Of course no one believes Brewster including his mother, his girlfriend (Amanda Bearse) , and their mutual friend "Evil Ed" Thompson (Stephen Geoffreys) and the local police. Brewster's new neighbor Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon) and his "roommate" Billy Cole (Jonathan Stark) find out that Brewster knows that Dandridge is a vampire and that sets off the chain of events that leads Brewster to contact Peter Vincent who naturally thinks Brewster is an over zealous, fanatical nut. But after much persuasion and a bribe of around $500.00, Brewster convinces Vincent to telephone Dandridge and ask if he, Brewster, Amy and Ed can pay a visit ,complete with a cross and a small bottle of "holy water", to either prove or disprove Brewster's claim of vampirism. When Brewster, Amy, Ed and Vincent arrive at the Dandridge residence and after some accusations by Brewster, Dandridge holds the little bottle of water near to the flames of a lit fireplace then reluctantly drinks the " holy water ". When nothing happens, Peter Vincent chides Brewster on wasting everyone's time. Just before they leave, Vincent turns from the group to admire the house and its numerous antiques and pulls from his lapel pocket a gold cigarette case. While looking at the little mirror inside of the case, he discovers he can see the reflections of everyone behind him except Dandridge's reflection. Startled, he drops the case, unaware that the corner of the small mirror broke off and is on the floor. Vincent nervously apologizes for the inconvenience then quickly ushers the other 3 out of the house. Once Vincent is in his car and about to leave he confesses to Brewster what had happened with the mirror and quickly leaves. Inside the house as Dandridge is telling Billy that no one will ever believe Brewster's story now, he walks across the room and steps on the broken piece of mirror. The look on Dandridge's face makes it clear to the audience that he is convinced that Peter Vincent now believes that Dandridge is indeed a vampire. In order not to divulge too much more and spoil the ending, I'll leave the plot summary at that. "Fright Night" is a very well made cult classic that is a "Halloween night must watch" movie that can be enjoyed any time of the year. I'd like to add that Roddy McDowall (in my opinion) is one of Britain's finer actors. His portrayal of the character " Peter Vincent " brings the perfect "old world" charm to this 1980's cult classic. I very highly recommend this movie!!

Excellent high resolution and plenty of special features. Highly recommend this blu-ray as one of the best 80s vampire movies.

The original "Fright Night" (1985) deserves its status as a cult/campy Halloween classic. Horror movie aficionado Charlie Brewster (William Ragsdale) knows that Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon), his new next door neighbor, is a vampire--but he can't convince anyone else of that fact. The dark and mysterious Dandridge plots to kill Charlie, and claim his girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse) as his next "vampire bride." Charlie seeks help from horror TV host Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall). Trouble is, Vincent is just an unemployed actor who, at first, also thinks Charlie is bonkers. Vincent eventually notices that Dandridge does not cast a reflection in a mirror, and then it's a race against the clock to save Charlie and friends. The plot is "The Boy Next Door VS. The Vampire Next Door", but it's all done with style, fun, flair, some excellent spooky/scary moments, and a cheeky self-awareness. "Fright Night" is that rare genre movie that knows how to mix horror and humor in just the right amounts. The make-up designs are excellent. The special effects are also quite good, in a "1980's nostalgia" sort of way. William Ragsdale exudes an innocent and refreshing Boy Next Door sexiness; and Chris Sarandon is perfectly cast as his vampire nemesis. But the excellent Roddy McDowell steals the show as the harried and reluctant vampire killer. McDowell respects the genre while simultaneously having fun with it.

The new Fright Night with Colin Ferrel was very good.But thie classic one here was a bit better,as all the originals are. :)

After I finished reading the truly horrible script for the 2011 remake of Fright Night I found myself with a new appreciation of the original movie. Peter Vincent is probably the most enjoyable character in this film. Roddy McDowall stole the show as the slightly cowardly TV horror host who grows a spine and rises to be the heroic vampire killer he had always pretended to be. The soundtrack is incredible. The acting is brilliant. I have always loved Gothic Horror, particularly the old Hammer horror films such as what Peter Vincent shows on his TV show. Not only do I not see a purpose in the Fright Night remake but I feel it fails on my many levels where the original excels. The vampires of the original Fright night had the powers of Dracula, himself. They could turn into horrible little bats, or wolves, or mist. They could enthrall human wills and could show up on film as a human might. In the remake they have no such abilities and this is not so-well compensated by an excess of explosions. The writer of the remake claims that horror movie hosts don't exist anymore. Not only is this not true but there are more horror movie hosts on TV AND Internet today than there ever were on TV in 1985. Elvira's Movie Macabre, Mystery science theater 3000, Nostalgia Critic, just to name a few... I think they made a huge mistake in changing Peter Vincent to a nearly unrecognizable stage magician in the remake. If anything the movie host is more relatable now than ever before. Skip the remake, stick with the original. It makes more sense. It has more accessible characters. Peter Vincent actually has depth rather than the show pretense of depth with the added backstory given in the remake. Charlie is a lot nicer and a lot more sympathetic in the original. And this one had memorable and catchy songs on the soundtrack. The vampires are more frightening while at the same time more charming and strangely sympathetic while also terrifying and deadly. The humor isn't forced and there's no obnoxious product placement. The remake... has none of these qualities. This is by far the superior film. Skip the remake, kids. Stick with the original!

BOTTOM LINE: One of the THE BEST horror movies pretty much EVER, actually. It has a timeless quality, despite the obvious hairstyle & clothing selections which squarely pegs it as an 80's flick. Top-shelf acting across the board, with the wonderful Roddy McDowell being a stand-out. (IMHO, he deserved an Oscar for his terrific turn as hollow, egotistical B-movie has-been, Peter Vincent.) Excellent practical & optical effects still provide the jolts needed to keep you jumping throughout. Sensuous, slick synth soundtrack by Brad (Terminator, T2) Fidel. This Blu-ray plays flawlessly on all machines and the picture is worlds above the previous DVD editions. The extras alone rate 5 STARS, but with the superb hi-def transfer as well, this would be a 10 STAR release, if such a thing were allowed. :-) THOUGHTS: I have loved this movie ever since first catching it on cable decades ago. It is one of those movies that you never get tired of, the kind where if you come across it on TV you'll settle in and watch it, no matter how far along into the film it is. Writer/director Tom Holland crafts a full-blooded film that takes many of the time-honored vampire tropes and embraces them, while at the same time adding new wrinkles, all without smudging the trappings we've come to know and love about the genre. Every actor here is putting in A+ work, with only Charlie's mom coming across as over the top/farcical in her performance, (though it's still not too far-out and, thankfully, her needed presence is brief). Chris Sarandon as new pain-in-the-neck neighbor Jerry Dandridge is smooth & suave yet also frighteningly threatening... yet still a little sad. Young William Ragsdale makes for a wholesomely good all-American boy next door as our hero, Charlie Brewster. Amanda Bearse, as Charlie's girlfriend Amy, is both a quirky cutie pie and a smoldering seductress (post neck-bite). Stephen Geoffreys is hilarious and appropriately scatterbrained as Charlie's dorky monster nerd pal, 'Evil' Ed. And rounding out the main cast, is legendary thesp Roddy McDowell, playing an in-joke former sort-of 'star' as Peter Vincent. Vincent is on his last legs; eking out a living milking his tarnished status as a former horror film icon to host a chintzy local late night creature feature TV show (which, much to his bitter disappointment, has just been cancelled). He lives in the rose-colored past, pompously clinging to his former (not so glorious) glory days. The character arc for Peter is wonderful, and lifelong yeoman actor McDowell masterfully exploits his character's hidden strengths and abundant weaknesses to their fullest. His transformation from bitter, self-important fop to fearless slayer of all things evil is a joy to behold. (And his quiet monologue in his apartment when Amy & Ed come to visit him is unexpectedly touching.) Truthfully, the man should've gotten the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance, or at the very least a nomination. He did however win the Saturn Award in that category that year, so his work in FRIGHT NIGHT wasn't completely ignored. THE BLU-RAY/DVD COMBO SET: I wasn't sure about ordering this, as it was a non-US release, but took a chance based on the recommendations of other Amazon customers. Shouldn't have worried. This Blu plays just fine in Region 1 machines. The picture & sound jump in quality from the old DVD release is like day & night. A 4k restoration results in a super-sharp picture, with little in the way of dirt & debris not much artifacting, pixelation, edge-enhancement nor crush to spoil it. Vibrant color palette, without accursed over-saturation, bleeding or the villainous use of DNR to ruin the original vision of the cinematographer & the director. Likewise, the soundtrack & audiomix are worlds improved. The mix is properly balanced here now, allowing you to fully enjoy composer Brad Fidel's haunting, sensual score, without it overpowering the dialogue scenes. The BIG bonus for fans of the film is the wealth of fantastic bonus features, the best of which is a thoroughly exhaustive 'Making of...' piece that's almost two and half hours long!!! Lots of other great stuff is included as well. This Blu-ray/DVD combo will likely be THE definitive edition to own for some time to come. Do yourself a favor and buy this! (Score some brownie points with a friend who doesn't yet have a Blu-ray player and give them the DVD .)