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Fright Night

Fright Night (1985)

Reviewed by Geno McGahee – April 27, 2008

“Welcome to fright night, for real.” – Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon)

Tom Holland, the writer of other 1980’s horror hits like Child’s Play and The Beast Within, strikes gold again with his 1985 entry, Fright Night. This is a very unique and interesting film, mixing elements of horror and comedy with great actors and a pace that keeps you glued to the screen.

Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) is a young horny kid, trying to get into the pants of his girlfriend, Amy Peterson (Amanda Bearse). You will automatically recognize Bearse. She played the role of Marcy on the long running hit comedy series: “Married With Children.” Well, she doesn’t allow Charley to fright her night if you know what I mean (If you don’t know, I’m talking about sex), leaving him no other option but to peep in on his neighbor, Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon), as he makes it with a girl. As he’s about to jack off, Brewster sees Dandrige kill the girl. Snuff is not Charley’s thing and now he is convinced that his neighbor is a killer. When prostitutes are constantly turning up dead, he now suspects that not only is Jerry a killer, but he is also a vampire.

To combat this vampire, Brewster goes to his friend “Evil” Ed Thompson (Stephen Geoffreys), who is very helpful, telling him just what he needs to know to stop the murders. When more bodies pile up, Brewster goes to the famous Vampire Killer, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), for assistance. Unfortunately, Vincent is only that role on television and believes as everyone else does that Brewster is crazy. The next stop is the police station, and the detective and Brewster invade the household of Dandrige, meeting up with his “life partner” Billy Cole (Jonathan Stark). Maybe they’re not life partners, but two guys living a big house together….something is going on, and the detective is snooping around until Brewster reveals that there is a vampire in the house. Now the kid is in trouble because the cops won’t support him and the Vampire Killer has brushed him off, and now Dandrige and his man toy know that he knows about them and the murders.

Eventually, Vincent is convinced to appease Brewster by proving that Dandrige is not a vampire, but when he sees no reflection in the mirror, the truth is exposed. Vampire next door is one problem for Brewster, but now Dandrige is trying to nail his girlfriend, Amy, and he has long vampire fingers…which probably is a hint of what he has downstairs, making the odds of Brewster hanging onto his girl minimal. He should have tried to bang Billy Cole. That would teach Dandrige. If you screw my main squeeze, I’ll screw yours (or rape, depending on whether he was willing or not).

With Amy now held up in Dandrige’s house, Vincent and Brewster team up to face off against the vampire and his lover(s). This movie is pretty good and has that 1980’s feel to it, and it still stands out as a classic from that time. I recommend it.