Review of Fright Night (1985) by John P — 08 Jun 2010

"Fright Night" was one of my favourite horror movies from the 1980s.

Tom Holland, the screenwriter behind good thrillers such as "Psycho II" and "Class of 1984", takes the helm as writer/director here. He pays homage to the old horror movies of the 1960s and 1970s, while giving the film a modern 80s vibe.

Teenager Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) is convinced that his new next door neighbour, Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire. His mother thinks he's on drugs, the police think he's nuts, and his friends are worried about him. However, his attempts to expose Dandridge lead him to be a target. He enlists the help of washed-up horror actor Peter Vincent (a brilliant Roddy McDowall), and together they go on a wild horrific ride.

Sure, the movie has aged, and that's why it's so fun to watch. Its comedic timing and camp balance the fact that it truly is a horror film with some pretty tense moments.

The special effects are good (for their time), and the performances are fantastic across the board. Sarandon is smooth and sexy as the potential vampire, Ragsdale is good as the naive teenager, and McDowall channels old horror movie actors with ease. Surprisingly, even the supporting characters are memorable, such as Charley's girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse), his flighty mother (Dorothy Fielding) and especially his whacked-out best friend Evil Ed (Stephen Geoffreys).