The ’80s were no doubt a creative and unique time for horror films, with the vampire sub-genre being one that really hit its stride by the midway to end points of the decade. Over the course of it, fans had their choice of more tongue-in-cheek affairs such as Once Bitten (1985), My Best Friend’s a Vampire (1987), and Vampire’s Kiss (1988), to more straight-forward, well-known and polished classics like The Lost Boys (1987) and Near Dark (also 1987).
But one has always stood out above the rest (yes even more so than the beloved Lost Boys mentioned above), 1985’s Fright Night. Released on August 2 of that year, newcomer Director Tom Holland blended horror and comedy so seamlessly one easily gets lost within its own world.
William Ragsdale plays Charley, who, after figuring out that his neighbor Jerry (Chris Sarandon) is indeed a creature of the night, does all he can in vain to convince his best friend (Stephen Geoffreys) and girl (Amanda Bearse) of his findings. When they don’t “bite,” he enlists the help of a somewhat passed-his-prime horror show host in the form of Peter Vincent (played brilliantly by the late Roddy McDowall in a tribute to both Vincent Price and Peter Cushing).
From then on, the fun truly begins, leading to a surprisingly atmospheric, good vs. evil film where the young heroes are fighting for their lives while their cries for help to parents and/or authorities just land on deaf ears. What begins as a battle of wits comes down to a classic life-or-death battle in the finale.
A sequel, simply titled Fright Night Part 2, emerged three years later in 1988, and an eventual glossly remake came out in 2011, but neither were able to fully capture the magic of the original. I can still remember discovering it for the first time on TV late at night as a kid, and knowing I was watching something truly unique (everything down to the poster artwork to even the music just felt perfectly placed). As the old saying goes, “They don’t make ’em like they used to.” If you give Fright Night a visit again anytime soon, you’re sure to see why.
