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Charlie Brewster is an all-american boy next door who has a girlfriend, a whacky best friend, and a semi normal home life. That is until one night when he peers out his bedroom window and sees his new next door neighbors carrying a coffin through the back yard.
Tom Holland, who wrote Psycho II, directs with his debut film about vampires living in suburbia.
This is a funny film. It is comfortable as a teen comedy, but just as relaxed as it gets on with those disposable notes, it conjures up some really effective creepiness when it starts turning into a classic old monster-movie styled thriller. All of the Universal ghosts seem to be watching here, and I think that may be largely due to the casting of Roddy McDowall. His role as a tv actor portraying a fearless vampire killer gets tested for real when Charlie Brewster confronts him to help protect his friends and family from the new fanged neighbors. Naturally, the "fearless" vampire killer thinks this is a silly joke. At first.
Roddy McDowall has been around Hollywood for a long, long time. He's hosted parties to the biggest stars, and collected libraries worth of 35mm prints, so it's no surprise that having him in a film like this lends a sizable amount of gravity and bravura. There's a gentle and good humored demeanor about him, but there's also a bit of a thorny diva, and all of this personality really makes Fright Night stand out.
Brad Fiedel, who scored The Terminator, also contributes some memorable score that helps develop the changing moods of the picture.
Chris Sarandon (Prince Humperdink) plays Jerry, the vampire next door. His charisma mixed with an underlying no-nonsense air of superiority and playboy cock sure'ness assists with the working of tv actress Amanda Bearse (Marcy from Married with Children).
Rounding out the cast is a very funny, if briefly showcased, Jonathan Stark as the vampire's support system, William Ragsdale as the affable Charlie Brewster, and Stephen Geoffreys as Brewster's squirrely and obnoxious best friend, who actually turns in the most memorable performance in the film as a mentally injured jokester who may have the option to succumb to the dark side of the night.
I really like the effects this film has to offer. They are simple in-camera tricks with a few optical passes thrown in for good measure, but they pop because the colors chosen are classy. You take well rendered visual effects and combine them with a nice fog and set design and you have my movie coin for sure.
What else can I say? This is a classic film that deserves film preservation. It's at the top of my list for vampire themed films, and it's a hell of a good time, to boot!
Fright NighT (1985)
Director: Tom Holland
Director: Tom Holland
Charlie Brewster is an all-american boy next door who has a girlfriend, a whacky best friend, and a semi normal home life. That is until one night when he peers out his bedroom window and sees his new next door neighbors carrying a coffin through the back yard.
Tom Holland, who wrote Psycho II, directs with his debut film about vampires living in suburbia.
This is a funny film. It is comfortable as a teen comedy, but just as relaxed as it gets on with those disposable notes, it conjures up some really effective creepiness when it starts turning into a classic old monster-movie styled thriller. All of the Universal ghosts seem to be watching here, and I think that may be largely due to the casting of Roddy McDowall. His role as a tv actor portraying a fearless vampire killer gets tested for real when Charlie Brewster confronts him to help protect his friends and family from the new fanged neighbors. Naturally, the "fearless" vampire killer thinks this is a silly joke. At first.
Roddy McDowall has been around Hollywood for a long, long time. He's hosted parties to the biggest stars, and collected libraries worth of 35mm prints, so it's no surprise that having him in a film like this lends a sizable amount of gravity and bravura. There's a gentle and good humored demeanor about him, but there's also a bit of a thorny diva, and all of this personality really makes Fright Night stand out.
Brad Fiedel, who scored The Terminator, also contributes some memorable score that helps develop the changing moods of the picture.
Chris Sarandon (Prince Humperdink) plays Jerry, the vampire next door. His charisma mixed with an underlying no-nonsense air of superiority and playboy cock sure'ness assists with the working of tv actress Amanda Bearse (Marcy from Married with Children).
Rounding out the cast is a very funny, if briefly showcased, Jonathan Stark as the vampire's support system, William Ragsdale as the affable Charlie Brewster, and Stephen Geoffreys as Brewster's squirrely and obnoxious best friend, who actually turns in the most memorable performance in the film as a mentally injured jokester who may have the option to succumb to the dark side of the night.
I really like the effects this film has to offer. They are simple in-camera tricks with a few optical passes thrown in for good measure, but they pop because the colors chosen are classy. You take well rendered visual effects and combine them with a nice fog and set design and you have my movie coin for sure.
What else can I say? This is a classic film that deserves film preservation. It's at the top of my list for vampire themed films, and it's a hell of a good time, to boot!