Fright Night (1985) Tom Holland

Country: USA | Director: Tom Holland

For young Charlie Brewster, nothing could be better than an old horror movie late at night. Two men move in next door, and for Charlie with his horror movie experience, there can be no doubt that their strange behavior is explained by the fact that they are a vampire and his undead day guardian. The only one who can help him hunt them down is a washed-up actor, Peter Vincent, who hosts Charlie's favorite TV show, Fright Night. Vincent doesn't really believe that vampires exist, but does it for the money...

An 80's vampire romp that continues to be an awful lot of fun. William Ragsdale is teenager Charley Brewster, a guy with a taste for the horror genre who particularly enjoys watching former actor turned TV horror host Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall). One might therefore automatically assume that when he accuses his neighbor Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) of being a vampire, it's just his imagination working overtime. But Charley's serious...and Jerry is the real deal. When friends and police naturally dismiss Charley's story, he turns to Vincent for help. While there are aspects of this film that scream out the 80's and date the film a little, its entertainment value remains intact no matter what. Writer - director Tom Holland, who'd previously worked as an actor and screenwriter ("The Beast Within", "Class of 1984", and "Psycho II" are among his credits), debuts as a director in high style. One can see and appreciate Holland's fondness for horror films of the past, and crafted his own modern vampire tale that takes full advantage of the advances that had been made in special effects. (Richard Edlund and company do some excellent work here, especially the transformations.) It's essentially a "boy that cried wolf" tale brought up to date. It's sexy, spooky and builds to a grand finish. Brad Fiedel comes up with some great themes, and the soundtrack is full of catchy songs. Sarandon is the perfect dapper, handsome and charming vampire, and McDowall is a joy to watch as the "fake" who rises to the occasion when he has to. (Nice nod to Peter Cushing and Vincent Price in terms of his character's name.) Future 'Married with Children' actress Amanda Bearse is cute as Charley's girlfriend Amy, Jonathan Stark quite amusing as housemate / protector Billy Cole, and Stephen Geoffreys a total hoot as flamboyant pal "Evil" Ed. All in all, "Fright Night" is entertaining right from beginning to end. It's definitely worth watching for vampire film fans.