Just to get this
straightened out right now, I am reviewing the 1985 Fright Night,
not the 2011 film which was a remake, which you may or may not have
known. I still have yet to see the new one, but I'm interested in
checking it out. Back in that day, vampires weren't what they are
today. You know, they weren't particularly romantic, or a teen
fantasy and they definitely didn't sparkle. But they weren't really
that popular. Vampires were a big deal in the 1930's when Dracula
first hit the big screen and again in the 1950's when the Hammer
Horror company brought back the Dracula name and that continued well
into the 1970's. But in the 80's, there wasn't much of note in the
genre as horror movies had taken a turn toward the slasher genre with
Halloween and Friday the 13th and
movies like that. This is where Fright Night came in. It
payed homage to the vampire films of old, while doing something new
and interesting for the 1980's. Later, vampires would continue to be
popularized by movies like The Lost Boys. It's a chance to see
what it would be like if vampires were around today, unlike most of
the classic films which were period pieces.
The film opens with Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) and his
girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse) making out in Charley's room and the
horror movie show Fright Night is playing. Charley is a big fan of
the old gothic horror films. Amy decides that maybe it's time for
them to take the big step in a physical way, but Charley can't help
but notice that a coffin is being brought into the next door
neighbour's basement. This ends up with an argument between the
couple, but he just can't stop wondering what is going with his new
neighbours. He talks to his friend Ed (Stephen Geoffreys), who
everyone calls “Evil” and of course, he doesn't think much of it.
But one night. Charley is at home and witnesses a girl being seduced
by his neighbour, who sprouts fangs and claws before closing the
blinds. And wouldn't you know that the girl he saw is on the news as
a murder victim. Charley is so freaked out that he goes to the
police, who don't believe his story. So, he has no choice but to go
to the one man who can help him, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) the
host of the Fright Night show and legendary actor who killed many
vampires in his old movies.
I think when you watch
a lot of teen movies from the 80's, you sort of need to know what
you're getting into. This isn't a very serious movie and I have to
confess that some of the lines are ridiculously outdated and cheesy,
but there is a charm to that. It's a product of its era and that
works for some people and won't for others. Fright Night is by
no means a classic, but it certainly does have its place in vampire
movie history. And its a fun idea. It's like if you mixed Dracula
with Hitchcock's Rear Window. Although, I wish there was more
ambiguity in regards to whether or not his neighbour was actually a
vampire. It's pretty obvious right away, which is kind of a shame
because I think what helped make Rear Window the classic that
it is, was the fact that there was a lot of mystery.
If you can like your
lead and still not be sure if you believe him, that means you have a
strong character. In Fright Night, we want people to believe
Charley because we know he's right, though he isn't too likeable at
first. Fortunately, he becomes a stronger character as the film
progresses, which is better than him continuing to be a neglectful
and selfish boyfriend. The stronger character of the film is probably
Peter Vincent, who is clearly named after Peter Cushing and Vincent
Price, two real old horror actors who killed their fair share of
vampires in their films. Peter Vincent hides under the facade of a
confident and charismatic actor, but it becomes quite clear that he's
feeling washed up and useless, with his show Fright Night just
recently being cancelled. The reason is that teens were more
interested in watching slasher films than his old vampire classics,
which is pretty reflective of the time.
The story progresses
well in a lot of ways, although there might be a little too much
fluff in the second act because it started to feel like it was
dragging just before the third act comes in with a strong finish.
There is a good amount of build up to the actual big events of the
film, which mostly happen near the end for a surprisingly awesome
display of 80's special effects. It actually really makes me miss the
practical effects of the era because there is something really
charming in how shamelessly over the top the gore can be, while
actually being really ingenious in delivery. So many movies these
days rely on digital blood splatter so nothing comes across as
believable. Conversely, there are gore-porn movies where the blood
effects are hyper realistic so that it's quite uncomfortable for
viewers like myself. These vampire death effects are almost like
realistic cartoons in how bloody and exaggerated they are and it
doesn't disturb me; it's all fantasy.
While this might not be
for everyone, those interested in
light horror that allows humour and irony in the mix, will find that
Fright Night stands up. It has aged better than some of the
films of the era. Personally, this sort of self aware monster flick
is much more my style than the slasher films of the time which were
popular. Those relied too much on formula, counting down the dead
teenagers until one somehow bests the killer. This one occasionally
defies expectation while staying true to the roots of the vampire
mythos, in a tongue in cheek way.
Did I mention that the
vampires don't sparkle?
4 Stars
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