A
horror film fanatic named Charley
(William Ragsdale) enjoys watching his
favourite late night TV show Fright Night
hosted by Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall).
However, he discovers that he has a new
neighbor named Jerry Dandrige (Chris
Sarandon) but things seem strange.
He spies on the house as he notices that
someone is carrying a coffin and then
later on bodies in bags are being buried.
Next he spies in a window with binoculars
as a lady is making out with Jerry and
then Charley sees him turn into a vampire
and bites her on the neck. Next thing you
know, Charlie's Mom invites Jerry over
for a drink which is a big mistake as a
vampire can never come to your place
unless you invite them.
Jerry threatens Charley afterwards but
then Charlie talks to Peter Vincent about
trying to destroy Jerry.
First the two go to Jerry's house along
with Charley's friends Amy (Amanda
Bearse) and Evil (Stephen Geoffreys) as
they try to get him to drink holy water
but the water isn't blessed.
However, Peter's pocket mirror doesn't
show a reflection on Jerry. Next,
Charley, Amy and Evil all walk home and
Evil decides to make a shortcut to his
place but Jerry traps him and turns him
into a vampire himself.
Next, he kidnaps Amy and then tells
Charley and Peter to come to his place if
they want to see Amy again alive.
The two try to battle Jerry as well as
his victims who are now vampires to try
and reach Amy if it's not too late.
This is a fun film
all the way through as it is a total
taker on other vampire films and
imagining if you had a vampire living
next door to you.
Lots of good humor and if you love 80's
retro horror films you will no doubt
enjoy this one as it is very well paced.
Check it out.
The acting is very
80's cheesy style like but still quite
good. Chris Sarandon is great as
the vampire Jerry bringing his charming
but evil character come to life on the
screen.
We also have a nice witty performance by Roddy
McDowall as the TV host of Fright
Night trying to do away the real
vampires.
We have a very energetic performance by Stephen
Geoffrey's with his hyperactive
performance which is one of the films
plus. A shame he became a gay porn actor.
Charley stares outside his
window with binoculars and spots a woman
in the window of his house next door and
spots that her bra is taken off by his
neighbor vampire Jerry and her breasts
are exposed.
A pencil is
stabbed through Jerry's hand
A sharp wooden object is stabbed through
Evil's chest
There are some other gruseome moments
such as a wooden stake through another
vampires heart and he melts with green
ooze.
Tom Holland
is marvellous with this one as he made
the film packed with action and comedy
too.
A nice and nasty menacing attitude on Chris
Sarandon when he acts physical
towards William Ragsdale in his
room.
I enjoyed his work with Sarandon
and Amanda Bearse the most when
they worked together especially during
the club dance scene.
He had great shots of the scenery there
as well as at the two houses where
Charlie and Jerry the vampire lived too.
There's a good moment with Sarandon towards
Stephen Geoffreys when he tempts
him on a street corner about him having
power and no one can torment him again.
There is a nice moment with Geoffreys
acting frightened towards Roddy
McDowell and then tries to attack
him as Geoffreys actions were
great.
I enjoyed Holland's work with Sarandon
and Amanda Bearse the most when
they worked together especially during
the club dance scene.
A perfect camera shot on a car driving
away with Geoffreys in the
backseat laughing with his evil vampire
grin.
His best direction was when there was the
classic battle between Ragsdale and
McDowall against all the
vampires at Jerry's house which is
extremely well paced and slick too.
Tom of course was also famous
for his work in the original Childs
Play flick.
The music is great and non
stop fun composed by Brad Fiedel,
Christopher Franke, Edgar
Frosse and Johannes
Schmölling as all of them
collaborated well composing different
kinds of music for each scenery.
All but Fiedel were uncredited
in this film for some silly reason as
they were all terrific with their work in
it.
We also
have a terrific soundtrack by many 80's
groups like The J. Geils Band
performing the theme song during the
closing credits (A classic!), White
Sister, April Wine, Devo, Sparks, Ian
Hunter, Evelyn
"Champagne" King, Steve
Plunkett, Fabulous Fontaines and the
main song "Come to Me"
performed by Brad Fiedel which
is only instrumental during the scenes
instead of on the soundtrack album while
Jerry tries to woo Amy.
The soundtrack is apparently out of print
but if you find it at a second hand music
store or at ebay by all means buy it!
Charley
Brewster: Look, Detective Lennox,
Jerry Dandridge is vampire!
Detective Lennox: Yeah, sure, and
I'm Dirty Harry!
Evil
Ed Thompson: And to what do I owe
this dubious pleasure?
Evil
Ed: So, did she find out what you're
really like?
Charley Brewster: Get lost, Evil!
Evil Ed: Oh, call me anything you
want. Only you're the one failing trig,
not me.
Charley
Brewster: That bastard! Why didn't he
tell us there was going to be a pop quiz?
Evil Ed Thompson: That's the point
of a pop quiz, Brewster... to surprise
you.
Evil
Ed: Charley, that wasn't the only
murder. Second in two days. And get
this...
[Smirking]
Evil Ed: Both of them had their
heads chopped off.
[Chuckling]
Evil Ed: Could you believe it?
Charley Brewster: You're sick.
Jerry
Dandrige: Now we woundn't want to
wake your mother would we Charlie? Cause'
then I'd have to kill her too, RIGHT?
[Dandrige throws Charlie across his
room and picks him up by the throat]
Jerry Dandrige: Do you realize how
much trouble you've caused me Charlie?
Spying on me. Almost disturbing my sleep
this afternoon. Telling policemen about
me! You deserve to die boy. Of course, I
can give you something I don't have... a
choice. Forget about me Charlie. Forget
about me and I'll forget about you. Well,
what do you say Charlie?
[Charlie holds out a small cross but
with no affect]
Jerry Dandrige: Faithless fool!
[Charley
turns to a now believing, now terrified
Peter Vincent for help fighting vampires]
Peter Vincent: That's just a
character I played in a movie! Peter
Vincent's not even my real name!
Peter
Vincent: The kids today don't have
the patience for vampires. They want to
see some mad slasher running around and
chopping off heads.
Evil
Ed Thompson: Oh, you're so COOL,
Brewster!
Peter
Vincent: I am Peter Vincent, vampire
killer!
Charley
Brewster: Jesus, I warned him!
Evil Ed: He got me, Charley! He
bit me! You know what you're gonna have
to do now, don't you? Kill me. Kill me,
Charley... before I turn into a vampire,
and... GIVE YOU A HICKEY!
[after
Evil Ed fails to listen to Charley's
warning]
Charley Brewster: No vampire's
gonna want him anyway. Probably give him
blood poisoning.
[Jerry
Dandridge has cornered a terrified Evil
Ed into an alley]
Jerry Dandrige: Hello, Edward. You
don't have to be afraid of me. I know
what it's like being different. Only they
won't pick on you anymore... or beat you
up. I'll see to that. All you have to do
is take my hand.
Charley
Brewster: What if he was really in
trouble?
Amy: It's Just Evil!
[shouting]
Amy: Quit it! It's evil, not
funny!
[two
bouncers take away Charlie and Amy]
Club Rate Bouncer #2: I got him!
Jerry Dandrige: He's mine.
Club Rate Bouncer #1: You want
chicken, man, you go someplace else.
Jerry Dandrige: Out of my way!
Club Rate Bouncer #1: Move me!
[Jerry's hand changes, his eyes glow
red, and reveals a set of fangs]
Club Rate Bouncer #1: LEON!
Peter
Vincent: Mrs. Brewster. My God, the
phone lines have been cut.
[Evil Ed arises from under the bed
sheets with a wig on]
Evil Ed: I know
[giggling]
Evil Ed: I DID IT!
Peter Vincent: Where is Charley's
mother?
Evil Ed: (removes the wig) Oh,
well, she's working nights. BUT!... she
left a note. (He chuckles like a speed
freak as he removes the note from his
pocket. He reads it.) Mmmmmm mmm! His
dinner... is in the oven!
[Peter
Vincent has just hurt the vampire Evil Ed
with a crucifix]
Evil Ed: The master will kill you
for this! But not fast. Slowly! Oh, so
slowly!
Jerry
Dandrige: Welcome to Fright Night!
For real.
Peter
Vincent: [brandishing a crucifix]
Back, spawn of Satan!
Jerry Dandrige: Oh, really?
[Dandridge grabs the cross, crushes
it, and throws it aside]
Jerry Dandrige: You have to have
faith for this to work on me!
Billy
Cole: Well, what do we have here?
Vampire-killers?
[Billy begins to ascend up the stairs,
and Peter draws his gun]
Peter Vincent: Stop... Stop, or
I'll shoot.
[Billy ignores him and continues to
walk up the stairs]
Peter Vincent: I mean it. I will
shoot.
[Billy still ignores him, and Peter
shoots him point blank in the head. His
body collides down the stairs as Jerry
begins to sneak up behind Charley and
Peter. Charley turns around and draws out
his cross]
Charley Brewster: STOP!
[Jerry covers his eyes, whimpering]
Charley Brewster: We have him.
[Jerry removes his arm from his eyes
and looks down at Billy's body at the
bottom of the steps]
Jerry Dandrige: Do you?
[Jerry smiles and retreats; Charley
and Peter are confused]
Charley Brewster: What did he mean
by that?
Peter Vincent: Nothing! Nothing at
all.
[Behind them, Billy rises... from the
dead!]
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