FRIGHT NIGHT (1985): Starring- Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Stephen Geoffreys, Jonathan Stark, Dorothy Fielding, and Roddy McDowall.
Directed by- Tom Holland
And so, Hollywood's remake fever has struck yet another of my favorite movies...
... Goddamn you, Hollywood. Goddamn you!
However, I'm not here to trash a remake that I haven't even seen yet. (And yes, I do plan on seeing it at some point.) I merely decided that now was as good a time as any to review the original FRIGHT NIGHT. So, without further ado, let's dig in to FRIGHT NIGHT!
The film begins when young horror fan Charlie Brewster (Ragsdale) notices some strange activity in the house next door. He spots his new neighbor, Jerry Dandrige (Sarandon), moving a coffin into his cellar. Soon after this, people soon begin to disappear around town, and Charlie begins to believe that Jerry may be a vampire.
Unfortunately, Charlie can't convince anyone around around that Jerry is a vampire. Both his girlfriend Amy (Bearse) and Evil Ed (Geoffreys), his horror-obsessed classmate, believe that he's losing his mind.
After Jerry, who is indeed a vampire, threatens to kill him, Charlie goes to the one person he believes can help him: washed-up horror movie star, Peter Vincent (McDowall). However, Vincent also thinks Charlie is crazy and merely humours him by performing a "vampire test" on Jerry. During the test, Peter accidentally sees Jerry's lack of reflection in a mirror and is convinced that Charlie is telling the truth.
This realization comes too late, as Evil Ed is soon transformed into a vampire by Jerry, and Amy is kidnapped with the intent of turing her as well. It's up to Charlie and Peter to save Amy and destroy the vampires before more victims are taken.
I LOVE this movie! Like, THE WOLF MAN (1941), this one has held a special place in my heart ever since I was a young minion of terror. I can actually remember staying up late to watch this on AMC's Fear Friday (remember that?) when I was about nine or ten years old. Even at that young age, I knew I had found something special. But, enough of my totally-unbiased nostalgia. On to the movie!
The movie is beautifully shot and edited. It's one of the most well-put together horror movies of the 1980's. And the special effects are top-notch. This movie is one of the pinnacles of special effects and make up in 80's horror movies.
But what makes this movie is its cast. Chris Sarandon is pitch-perfect as Jerry Dandrige, ranging from comedically over-the-top to terrifyingly serious. He takes what could have been a standard movie monster and makes him one of movie history's great vampires. Roddy McDowall is also perfect as washed-up horror star Peter Vincent (Named after Peter Cushing and Vincent Price) The thing is, I don't think we're supposed to like his character initially, but it's just impossible to dislike Roddy McDowall in any role he plays, especially this one. He brings such pathos and sympathy to the role that you immediately enjoy watching him. William Ragsdale is good as Charlie. He brings charm to the character and does a good job of making you root for him. Stephen Geoffreys steals every scene that isn't nailed down as Evil Ed, although his voice can be a bit annoying at times. The only weak link is Amanda Bearse, and it's not that she gives a bad performance. She's just not given much to do other than worry about Charlie and then get kidnapped. With that little given her, she's easily outplayed by the rest of the cast.
Another thing I love about this movie is it's love for the genre. This is the horror geek's horror movie. I think just about every one of us over 10 years old can remember being like Charlie Brewster: staying up late, catching whatever horror movie was showing in the wee odd hours of the night, scaring the hell out of ourselves with said horror movie and losing sleep because of it. It's a movie that makes me think back on my childhood.
So, in summation, look this movie up. I guarantee it'll be one you enjoy. It carries The Unkown Movie Fan Seal of Approval. And, as for that... other one, I'll get to that later...
My Rating- * * * 1/2 out of * * * *
