"Fright Night" has definitely earned a cult-like status over the years but I still think it's widely unseen and unsung. Man, this movie is just so under-rated. I saw it in a theater when I was 12 and at that time it scared me pretty good. But what a rush. A couple of years later it was one of those movies that you could see on HBO ten times a month, and it was at that point that I watched it several times and it became one of my all time favorite movies. Maybe it was just one of those things, where you have that certain window of time at a particular age, or a particular mood, and something registers. Whatever it was, "Fright Night" just hit me as one incredibly awesome horror flick.
Like Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" did in book form, "Fright Night" was a classic American vampire story. All of the trademark folklore was there: the creepy house, mysterious neighbors, missing local girls, crosses, garlic, holy water, wooden stakes, and a general chill in the air. Chris Sarandon was terrific as Jerry Dandrige, the modern day Dracula who moves into the house next door to high-schooler Charley Brewster (excellently played by William Ragsdale). Roddy McDowell, in one of his ultimate performances, was also perfectly-cast as Peter Vincent, the reluctant vampire killer.
The thing that made "Fright Night" different from a lot of the typical 80's horror movies was that perfect balance between horror, comedy and drama. Scary scenes all over, comedy from Ragsdale's fumbling, awkward high-school student and his best friend Ed. Drama in the night club scene, and when Charley begs a frightened Peter Vincent for help. Much like "American Werewolf in London", the other great 80's horror-comedy, this one has it all. Make no mistake, if you're the type of person that gets scared or can let yourself get scared at vampire movies, you will be. But there are sweet, tongue-in-cheek moments laced throughout the film that let you know it never takes itself too seriously. The music is killer and the make-up effects are way better, and more terrifying, than you expect.
From top to bottom this is really a very well-made film. There are just too many great things to say about "Fright Night" and almost nothing bad. If you have never seen it, you are missing out on a classic. I practically had to force the DVD on my brother, but of course he loved it when he watched it. Writer-director Tom Holland deserves a lot of praise for creating an extraordinary movie.
Like Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" did in book form, "Fright Night" was a classic American vampire story. All of the trademark folklore was there: the creepy house, mysterious neighbors, missing local girls, crosses, garlic, holy water, wooden stakes, and a general chill in the air. Chris Sarandon was terrific as Jerry Dandrige, the modern day Dracula who moves into the house next door to high-schooler Charley Brewster (excellently played by William Ragsdale). Roddy McDowell, in one of his ultimate performances, was also perfectly-cast as Peter Vincent, the reluctant vampire killer.
The thing that made "Fright Night" different from a lot of the typical 80's horror movies was that perfect balance between horror, comedy and drama. Scary scenes all over, comedy from Ragsdale's fumbling, awkward high-school student and his best friend Ed. Drama in the night club scene, and when Charley begs a frightened Peter Vincent for help. Much like "American Werewolf in London", the other great 80's horror-comedy, this one has it all. Make no mistake, if you're the type of person that gets scared or can let yourself get scared at vampire movies, you will be. But there are sweet, tongue-in-cheek moments laced throughout the film that let you know it never takes itself too seriously. The music is killer and the make-up effects are way better, and more terrifying, than you expect.
From top to bottom this is really a very well-made film. There are just too many great things to say about "Fright Night" and almost nothing bad. If you have never seen it, you are missing out on a classic. I practically had to force the DVD on my brother, but of course he loved it when he watched it. Writer-director Tom Holland deserves a lot of praise for creating an extraordinary movie.