Review of Fright Night (1985) by Racine F — 03 Jul 2014

"Fright Night" is a hidden gem among the horror genre, living safely in-between the meta mindset of the "Scream" franchise and the slashfests that never hesitated to carbon copy "Halloween". In the '80s, audiences apparently thought of vampire flicks as being so 1957 - the film opens with two teenagers having a make-out fest with a bizarro Vincent Price vehicle playing in the background, ignored but still sitting in the contentment of nostalgia.

But this film is not a homage, nor a spoof, nor a self-referential satire. It is, instead, a combination of new and old values, ranging from John Hughes staples to Dario Argento gore to Hammer horror theatricality. The product is something that gleams with a sort of newness, not fading into the grips of the dusty past. It makes the "Twilight" films seem even tackier, because, let's face it: vampires are a heck of a lot more fun when they serve as sexy villains rather than sexy love-interests.

Our "hero" is Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale), a Keanu Reeves look-alike with a Marty McFly likability. He has been dating Amy Peterson (Amanda Bearse) for over a year, but their soon-to-be serious relationship hits a road bump when he begins to notice weird things happening next door.

First, he sees a coffin being moved into the cellar. Next, a beautiful woman arrives at the house in the afternoon, only to mysteriously be transported in a body bag in the dead of night. But all assumptions come to a halt when, emulating Peeping Tom, Charley sees his brand-new neighbor (Chris Sarandon) quite literally bite the neck of an attractive young woman. When he sees the fangs, the evil-looking eyes, it becomes official - he lives next door to a vampire.

But Charley, who apparently doesn't have much common sense, decides to call the police, to scream attention to himself, to let everyone know what he knows. Of course, no one believes him, and in return, he gets a blood-thirsty vampire hot on the tail of him and his friends.

Chris Sarandon makes for a terrific vampire - he has the look of a movie star, but there is a hint of something dangerous, untrustworthy about him. There are moments where his face is taken away from him, and the real vampire beneath him is bared in an ugly fashion - yet, he is almost more menacing when he looks like Chris Sarandon, silently stalking his prey with unassuming suave.

"Fright Night" works well because it keeps things slightly silly and slightly terrifying, making for a thrill ride that is plenty thrilling, but plenty fun. When the gore hits, it is covered with over-the-top goofiness, but we are able to still take the horror with a serious mind. It's a balancing act that never loses itself, sitting in-between the dark and the light.

Perhaps the most integral part of the film is Roddy McDowall's performance as Peter Vincent, the TV vampire-hunter that Charley enlists to help him take down his undead neighbor. His name is a winking combination of Vincent Price and Peter Cushing, vintage horror royalty. McDowall himself was a has-been in 1985, similar to the man he plays, and in response we get a performance that rings true even in its biggest moments of comic book character nervousness. His wide eyes and jumpy gasps make him more of a Shaggy than a Fred, but his intimidated demeanor works perfectly when alongside Ragsdale's boy-next-door earnestness.

"Fright Night" is a fun '80s throwback that deserves its name as a cult-classic. Surely, it is much more entertaining than the rethreads that smothered the decade, and it serves as a good precursor to the meta confidence of '90s horror.