Fright Night (1985)
Fright Night is a fantasy, horror, comedy from 1985 directed by Tom Holland and starring: William Ragsdale and Amanda Bearse as Charlie Brewster and Amy Peterson, a young high school couple struggling to build their relationship; Stephen Geoffreys, as the nefarious "Evil" Ed Thompson; Roddy McDowall, as the disgraced midnight-movie television host, Peter Vincent; and Chris Sarandon, as the immortal vampire next door, Jerry Dandridge. It is a film that, at a glance, could have been overlooked and tossed aside. It released amid the golden age of horror cinema -- a single drop of water in a sea of bloody classics that included Evil Dead, Poltergeist, the Fly, A Nightmare on Elm Street, the Thing, the Shining, Day of the Dead, Pet Cemetery, Child's Play, etc. But Fright Night feels like a love-letter to everything fun, cool and enticing about about the horror genre and about the culture of the American 1980s in general; it oozes sexuality from every cinematic pore, most notably from the character of Jerry Dandridge and in the ab-so-fucking-lutely amazing 80's synth-driven soundtrack. And it blends this sexuality in with just enough comedy, romance, coming-of-age scenery and bloody disgusting practical effects that it sets itself above and apart from so many of the iconic horror slashers that surround it.
In a world of heavy horror, Fright Night wasn't afraid to have fun. Sure, it can be goofy at times. And there are plot holes that are never adequately explained. And some of the characters and the dialogue feel weak, but the film approaches the horror genre with self-reflection, and references a lot of the classic horror tropes with respect and love. And there are some surprisingly emotional moments in this film; the final transformation and death of Evil Ed, for example, really pulls at your heartstrings. You can see the pain on Peter Vincent's face as he watches Ed writhe around in pain, desperately reaching his bloodied hands out for help. He knows he's just killed a kid, and he has to live with that -- and with the fact that it took a tragedy like that for him to become the legendary vampire killer that Charlie needed him to be.
Pantheon films are unique and special. They're films you want to share with your family and friends, that you'll reference and recommend to others, and that you'll keep coming back to over the years. Fright Night is an impressive and inspiring film fits this definition perfectly, and we are proud to feature and celebrate it at Adventures in Videoland.
-Nathan Plantenga, Videoland Staff Writer
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this review are those of the Pantheon Council and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Nathan Plantenga.