Fright Night
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Movie Reviews of Fright Night
Movie Review: Lock your doors and windows tight!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Warning: Spoilers
Fright Night is by far one of the best scary movies ever made. The characters, plot and imagery are very easy to follow, and the gore is not something out of the "Saw" movies. That said, this movie has some great humor in it as well.
First and foremost, the storyline is very original. We have an ordinary boy named Charlie who seems to lead a life that most of us know. High school. Girlfriend. Homework. Beat up car. But wait, what's this? A new neighbor has moved into the old house next door, and he is carrying a coffin into his basement???
The characters are so interesting to watch. I especially like the sophisticated and devilish nature of Jerry Dandridge, and I know how evil this dangerously deceptive person is. I see them all the time, especially in the democrat party. Our heroes are strong-willed and determined to save the day, and I really like the dynamic of Charlie and Peter working together to destroy the neighborhood vampire. Poor Amy is caught in the middle of good and evil, and Ed completely turns on his friends.
The humor is great, and I love the scene where Amy pushes a hamburger into Charlie's face for ignoring her. I am fairly certain that some men can relate to this type of treatment from their women. It was funny, and there are other moments of levity as well.
Yeah, it's got some violence in it. I mean, we are talking about a vampire that kills people, so of course the good guys have to kill him in order to save the innocent people.
All in all, it's a fun movie to watch, and it's not too scary.
Movie Review: Makes fun of old vampire movies, until...
Summary: 5 Stars
Saw it when it came out (feels like 1955 now) at the movie theater, and it was a riot. I don't know how it plays on DVD at home, but I have so many fun memories. You probably already know the premise of the boy who has trouble convincing his friends and everyone else that the guy who just moved in next door is a vampire on a killing rampage. The boy is a fan of a late night tv show, Fright Night, whose host is played my McDowall. The casting of McDowall is one of those things that could have exploded in the face of the producers, but as it turns out it worked brilliantly. McDowall made a career camping it up in B-grade horror movies, and here he plays someone who made a career camping it up in D-grade (pun intended) movies. This type of self-parody is carried to an extreme, because the movie spends most of its first half making fun of the established cliches of the genre, only to use them all, ALL, in the second half, with a straight face, and to great effect. It is not nearly as gory as the reality-horror we see these days, and I know that to some this will detract from the film, but not for me. Also, this may have been the first movie where the vampire transformation changed the whole facial demeanor of the monster, at least to my knowledge, so there's a little innovation in the genre's rules right there. And then there's Geoffreys' performance (the scene with the mop on his head, then reading the note, is the type of disturbing scary that stays with you, rather than boo-hoo scary), and Sarandon's, suave and threatening, Bearse's seduced virgin, and Ragsdale's earnest geek. Zap the popcorn, unplug the telephone, turn off the light, and enjoy!Movie Review: First Christopher Lee, then Chris Sarandon
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll make this really short. I was 14 years old when I saw this film. It scared the living hell out of me. It also thrilled me to undeath. The first DVD I bought when I bought a DVD Player in the Spring of 2000 was this one. It is my favorite vampire film of all time. Christopher Lee opened my eyes to the fun of vampirism with "Horror of Dracula" and "Dracula Has Risen From the Grave". Public television used to run these films on Friday nights when I was a teenager. So I say, thanks, Uncle Ted. He was the host of the monster movie show which brought you older movies.
Fast Forward to the eighties horror where sometimes vampires aren't seen or they're laughed at. Don't do that to Mr. Holland. His direction is extraordinary. Twenty years have passed and this classic deserves a special packaging from Paramount Pictures with some bonus stuff if any exist. All the traditional things you know about vampires are in this film. Mr. Holland doesn't fool around and try to put a tolerance level of sunlight on vampires. The crucifix is definitely painful, as is being staked. Bram Stoker doesn't have to haunt the screenplay writer. This is a wonderful horror film. Treat it with respect. It's even human enough that it pays tribute to Peter Cushing and Vincent Price. Applause from me. These guys made it possible for a film like this to be made. Some humor is thrown into the film, since there is humor in life. Real emotions. Real actors. 20th Anniversary ought to be in session. Mr. Sarandon, if I could, I'd hand you some kind of "Christopher Lee Award" for vampire portrayal excellence.
Buy this DVD.
Movie Review: It Still Wears Well, and I Miss Roddy McDowell
Summary: 5 Stars
I decided to write up this review since this is the "scary season." "Fright Night" is one of those great chillers that takes every cliche about vampires and somehow makes it all work well. Chris Sarandon, a very underappreciated actor (Prince Humperdink from "The Pricess Bride" and the voice of Jack Skellington), plays vampire Gerry Dandrige to a charmingly oily, serpentine perfection without being remotely campy. Stephen Geoffreys, who plays uber-geek best friend "Evil Ed," lightens the mood of the film with sometimes horrific comedy, and Amanda Bearse ("Marcy D'Arcy" from "Married With Children) and William Ragsdale are perfectly cast as teenagers caught up in a battle of wits and wills with Dandridge. But, the icing on this cake is Roddy McDowell's homage to Peter Cushing as the embittered, washed-up B movie vampire movie star who manages to find both his dignity and his faith as he comes to the ultimate realization that vampires DO exist and he is the unlikely choice to do battle against them. McDowell's performance was so fine - alternatively funny and prosaic - it is worth watching this film to see how an older actor can still turn in stellar performances, who uses the script and props without letting them overpower his range. It is such a pity this wonderful actor has since passed on since "Peter Vincent, Vampire Killer" is arguably one of his best roles.
The movie does have scary parts, so I would be leery of showing it to kids under thirteen.
Just a really, really fantastic vampire movie and well worth watching.
RECOMMENDED.
Movie Review: Popcorn never tasted so good
Summary: 5 Stars
Anyone settling in for the night with some snacks and a couple of friends would not fail to enjoy this movie. It is a gruesome, slightly campy horror romp that hardly gets anything wrong. It's a great deal of fun.Charlie is a normal teen; all he wants out of life is to get some nooky from his girlfriend and maybe pass his trigonometry test, too. But Charlie has a new neighbor who likes to drain the blood out of prostitutes, and he can't just sit by without doing something about it. Yes, he discovers the guy next door is a vampire, and of course no one believes him.
The cast is perfect. The wonderful, underrated Chris Sarandon plays the dapper vampire, whose name (Jerry!) isn't all that scary, but he still manages to serve up plenty of menace. Charlie is capably played by William Ragsdale. Reluctantly assisting Charlie in his crusade are Amanda Bierce ("Married...with Children") as his whiny girlfriend, Stephen Geoffreys as his goofball buddy Ed, and Roddy McDowell as a has-been TV horror flick host who talks the talk but is too cowardly to walk the walk. Geoffreys in particular is priceless. He is easily the most entertaining character in the movie, especially after he encounters Jerry in an alley late one night (in a haunting, surprisingly sympathetic scene). When the "vampire hunters" finally make their stand at Jerry's house, all hell breaks loose.
Gore galore, laughs and scares... All I can say is, have fun!