Fright Night
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Movie Reviews of Fright Night
Movie Review: Terrifically funny, yet genuinely frightening!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of my favorite horror movies of the 1980s. It's an updated version on an old theme: Save the young heroine from the evil, blood-sucking vampire.
Chris Sarandon (Lifetime Movie Channel staple) has an absolute field day playing the villainous Jerry Dandridge. Amanda Bearse ("Married with Children") plays Amy, the young high school target of Dandridge's desires. And William Ragsdale (a Hollywood newcomer at the time) plays Charley, the young hero who does his best to convince others to help him save Amy.
No one really believes Charley's rantings that his new neighbor next door is a vampire. Charley's geeky best friend (played devilishly well by Stephen Geoffreys) doesn't believe him; nor does Amy.
Desperate, Charley enlists the help of has-been horror actor and TV host "Peter Vincent, Vampire Killer." Equally desperate, Vincent takes the job as Charley's "savior" because he was fired as TV host and needs the money.
Roddy McDowall plays Peter Vincent extraordinarily well - first as an actor out to (wink-wink) "convince" Charley that Jerry Dandridge is NOT a vampire, and then genuinely terrified when he discovers evidence that Charley's suspicions are true.
Dandridge, upon meeting Amy, sees her unearthly resemblance to a woman he once loved. He is immediately infatuated with the young girl.
But first, realizing his secret is out, Dandridge acts quickly to rid himself of the problem of Charley and his pesky friends.
The special makeup effects in this film are terrific and imaginative. The script is tightly written and well acted and Tom Holland's direction makes it work. (Holland's other works include "Child's Play," "The Temp," and "Thinner").
The DVD transfer is sharp and clean. The disc features both a standard full screen version (4:3) and a widescreen version (2.35:1). Sound is presented as 2-channel, Dolby Surround.
The only DVD extra is the theatrical trailer. Sub-titles are available in several languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai. The disc is also close-captioned for the hearing impaired.
Specs: Running time: 116 mins.
Copyright 1985 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Layout and Design Columbia TriStar Home Video
Movie Review: Excellent movie and, oh yeah...vampires!
Summary: 5 Stars
What would you do if a vampire moved in next door? That's the question this movies asks as young Charlie Brewster gains a most unwelcome neighbor at the beginning of the movie. Charlie isn't the smartest guy in the world but he does figure out that a vampire has moved next door and immediately tries his best to tell others about him... a strategy that is obviously doomed to failure since no one will believe a hysterical teen yelling that a vampire next door is killing people. Without giving away any more of the plot, most of the rest of the movie involves Charlie and his friends trying to survive long enough to kill their new nemesis.
One of the great things about this movie is that it isn't trying to add some weird twist to the idea of vampire movies. It isn't a comedy (Love at First Bite), a grand drama (Interview with the Vampire), an action movie (Vampires), etc. It's a suspenseful vampire movie. Period. That sounds like such a simple idea, yet I've rarely seen any other vampire film actually pull it off like this one. We meet a small group of fairly interesting people, they're put in danger, and we spend the rest of the film on the edge of our seats hoping they get out alive.
Finally, this movie is worth watching just to see Roddy McDowall's performance. The entire cast does a great job, but McDowall really stands out as he plays a washed up actor. A small and frightened man, he is forced to confront extreme terrors or die. McDowall is so expressive and believable that the movie gains a depth that another actor might well have failed to deliver.
If you're a vampire fan tired of seeing bad film after bad film then cheer up, this one will make your day for sure!
Movie Review: Yamahama, It's Fright Night
Summary: 5 Stars
When it comes to horror of any genre, Vampires don't typically sit too high on Sid's priority list. It's not that the thought of a blood craving creature isn't scary but for some reason most of these film portray vampires as being a bit fruity. However there are some exceptions to our opinion with one being the 1985 classic Fright Night. A perfect blend a scares with laughs makes this one perfect for Sid's horror Octoberfest, and even gets the vampires into the mix. This one brings back memories of being very young which always adds a lot in the way of sentimental value.
Fright Night is centered around young Charlie Brewster, his old lady, and annoying half pint buddy Evil Ed Thompson. Charlie is a horror movie junkie who spends most late nights watching some fine b(sounds a lot like someone we know). One night while watching a vampire flick he notices his new next door neighbors and they seem to be getting rid of a body and becomes very unnerved. The more he watches the neighbors the more he starts to think they're actually vampires. After telling his friends, who think he's nuts, he decides to enlist the help of his favorite washed up actor who plays a vampire killer in b movies. Seems logical. Now that he's assembled his crew of a couple high school kids and a old man it's time to take down the vampire neighbors which doesn't go so down too easy.
Fright Night turned out to be just as good as it was nearly 24 years ago, just naturally a little less scary. It's a classic for a reason. It's even one of those feel good older horror films that could become an annual watch around the Halloween season simply for the memories it brings back. We even may hand out an woody award to the squeaky voiced Evil Ed for Hey Baby of the year. All around it was just right for what we'd hoped for in the vampire department. It certainly was enjoyed now as it was many years ago and comes with strong recommendation from the old boy Sid.
Movie Review: 20 YEARS LATER AND STILL A GREAT FILM
Summary: 5 Stars
After twenty years Fright Night remains one of the best Vampire films of the last couple of decades and still scary. A perfect film to watch on dark nights. What makes the movie go is the very believable characters. Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) is a typical teenager. He's a horror movie fan and maybe a bit of a nerd. When a new neighbor moves in next door Charley becomes convinced he is a vampire. He tells his friends Amy (Amanda Bearse) and Ed (Stephen Geoffreys) but they think he's nuts.
Peter tries to enlist the aid of an old horror movie host Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowell), the vampire killer, but he thinks Charley is crazy too. Eventually they all try to humor him by going to the house to meet the new resident Jerry Dandridge played by chris Sarandon. It's all kind of a joke to everyone until Vincent looks in his little mirror and sees that Dandridge does not cast a shadow. With the realization that Dandridge really is a vampire Vincent wants to flee the town. Meanwhile the vampire now comes after Charlie and his friends, kidnapping Amy and taking her to his old, gothic looking Victorian. Charley now has to rescue Amy and figure out a way to stop the Vampire and his servant Billy Cole.
Fright Night has a great atmosphere and is really a throwback to old classic Universal and hammer films which relied on great suspense and atmosphere over blood and gore. The scenes as Charley and Vincent stalk the vampire in the house are truly scary as is Charley's final battle with Dandridge. William Ragsdale and Chris Sarandon are fantastic in their roles. While Ragsdale was actually in his early 20's at the time, his young appearance made him believable as a teen. Bearse was even older at 26, but still pulled off her teen character. Chris Sarandon exuded sexuality as the vampire Gary Dandrige but was equally menacing as well.
A great film!
Movie Review: Terrific 80's vampire classic!
Summary: 5 Stars
Charlie Brewster ( played by William Ragsdale) has gotten an unusual new neighbor named "Jerry Dandriege" ( Played by Chris Sarandon) who's quite savvy with the ladies but he's really a vampire who murders in the night. Charlie's friends such as his girlfriend "Amy" ( Amanda Bearse) and "Evil Ed" start to believe in him after they didn't, he also hires a popular TV host named " Peter Vincent" ( Roddy Mcdowell) who was called " the great vampire killer of the movies" to take down the bloodsuckers.
A refreshing, entertaining, and witty horror comedy that makes fun of the vampire genre with some good ideas, gore, self-referential jokes ( Before " Scream"), great special effects by Richard Edlund, wild vampire make-up effects by Steve Johnson and it's just a down and out fun yet original vampire movie with a cult following, it's one of the best from the 80's next to " The Lost Boys".
The DVD is quite good in picture and sound quality with the theatrical trailer, this is a must own movie for fans of horror comedies and vampire flicks.
Also recommended: " Vamp", " The Lost Boys", "Fright Night 2", " Evil Dead II", "An American Werewolf in London", " Demons", " Cemetery Man", "Underworld", "Vampire Hunter D", "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust", "Blade", "Blade II", "Lifeforce", " Demons 2", " From Dusk Till Dawn", " Night Stalker", "Scream", " Buffy The Vampire Slayer" ( Movie and TV Show), " Dog Soldiers", " Bram Stoker's Dracula", " Def by Temptation", " Bordello of Blood", " Wolf", " Van Helsing", " The Hunger", " Blood: The Lost Vampire", " Dead Alive", " Hocus Pocus", " Salem's Lot" ( Both versions), " The Forsaken", " Habit", " Martin", and "Subspecies".