Cult Classic: Fright Night (1985)

“Jerry Dandrige is a vampire!”

1985 was a great year for movies. Back To The Future, The Breakfast Club, and Cocoon are just a few of the films released that year. Horror films also had a great year with classics like Silver Bullet and A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge being released. A number of cult horror films were also released including Ghoulies, Day Of The Dead, Lifeforce, and the film that I’m taking a look at today, Fright Night.

The film’s story centers around young Charley Brewster’s (William Ragsdale) belief that his new neighbor, Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon), is a vampire who is responsible for recent unsolved murders in the area. When his girlfriend, Amy (Amanda Bearse), and goofy bud, “Evil” Ed (Stephen Geoffreys), don’t believe his claims about Dandrige, he seeks out the help of Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), a washed-up actor who hosts a local late-night horror show. The pair then have to face off against Dandrige, his familiar and guardian named Billy (Jonathan Stark), and recently turned Amy and Ed. Will the duo survive the night? Watch Fright Night and find out!

The film does a wonderful job of combining horror and comedy. Most of the comedic moments are split between McDowall and Geoffreys, but Ragsdale gets a few funny moments of his own, as does Sarandon in some very subtle ways. It’s worth noting how easily Bearse transitioned from being the somewhat milquetoast and virginal Amy to her very seductive vampire version.

The film also features an amazing score by Brad Fiedel and a soundtrack with songs by artists like Devo, Autograph, and J. Geils Band. On top of that, the visual effects, headed up by Richard Edlund (co-founder of Industrial Light & Magic), were amazing. Practical effects included a werewolf transformation, a large bat attack, numerous fangs and gory mouthpieces, and Chris Sarandon’s final look in full vampire form.

The film would spawn a sequel in 1988 and would be remade in 2011 starring Anton Yelchin as Charley, David Tennant as Peter Vincent, and Colin Farrell as Dandrige. Imogen Poots co-starred as Amy and Christopher Mintz-Plasse portrayed Evil Ed. A direct sequel to the original film has been rumored to be in the works for many years.

I had the immense pleasure of meeting both Ragsdale and Bearse last year at the Houston Horror Film Festival. They were both very nice. Bearse was exceptionally cordial and I highly recommend meeting her and Ragsdale. Oh, and despite my enjoyment of Fright Night, I had them autograph photos for me from their most popular sitcoms, Married…With Children and Herman’s Head.

Be sure to check out Fright Night. I also recommend the sequel and the remake (although neither are superior to the original). A sequel was also made for the remake, but I’m not a big fan of it.

Thanks for checking out my post. See you soon!