Fright Night

02/31 Movies for October

10/02/2017

Fright Night

Story: 4

Plot: 3

Theme: 5

Acting: 4

Overall: 4

“Welcome to Fright Night” says a Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), host of a late night ghosts and ghouls tv show. He can only be described as a wannabe Vincent Price. All around the bedroom no one is to be found. But wait, is that the sound of two young lovers engaging in… Oh… no… they’re just kissing. “I think I’m ready” Amy (Amanda Bearse) says to Charlie Brewster (William Ragsdale). The pair become involved for a moment before Brewster lets out a “OH COME ON, we’ve been going together…” blah blah blah. He ruins it. Of course he ruins it. Every good man ruins it once in their lives. Or more. Most likely more. We are only human of course. Unlike the creepy next door neighbor in this comedic horror film. Mr. Dandridge (Chris Sarandon aka Jack Skellington), a man of 40, charming, handsome, and for some reason has long fingers and fangs coming out of his mouth. WAIT. I think that’s a vampire and so does Charlie. After a brief encounter with a sultry woman in front of Dandridge’s house Charlie rushes inside to see why she went into the obviously spooky home next door. Much to his displeasure he doesn’t see much except for the next day at the local burger joint. The T.V. caster shows an image of the woman and claims she was turned up dead. This is when the obnoxiously acted Ed (Stephen Geoffreys) pops in an mentions each victim on the news recently have shown up headless. Then laughs that terrible, slimy, twerpy laugh. If you don’t want to punch him in the face, I don’t know what’s wrong with you. After a failed attempt to corral a detective into believing his story Charlie turns to his beloved TV hostest with the mostest, Peter Vincent. Rightfully so, and very much embittered by his recent cancelling of his tv show Mr. Vincent  shrugs off Charlie like he is some crazy fan just hoping to score an autograph.

Now we start Chapter two. The decision to murder the vampire next door. Charlie goes all out in his efforts in preparing to slay the undead creature. In this he frightens Amy and twerp-man Ed enough that they enlist, through a hefty sum of money, Peter Vincent to deter Charlie from attempting the murder of Dandridge. All four go next door and “try” to prove Dandridge a vampire. After hesitantly drinking holy water Dandridge does not, to the upset of Charlie, melt and perish. It’s not until they are leaving when Peter Vincent happens to pull out his iconic vampire hunting mirror and notices no reflection of the supposed vamp. Terrified, he hurries all three out and send them home. Ed, always in poor taste, scares the couple into thinking he’s been attacked only to be cornered and converted by the Evil spirit himself. Almost immediately after, Dandridge makes his attack on Amy. He seduces her in an 80’s nightclub. Ohlala. There’s actually a pretty gnarly scene here where Charlie breaks Amy away from his gaze and he goes ape shit and slashes some dudes face in half and choke slam/throws a bouncer through the crowd causing an uproar and quick let out at the club. There is a small chase but ultimately the bad guys steal the good girl. Oh and kicker. The vampire bangs the girl and turns her as well!

Chapter Three. The death of an ancient one. Ed’s a Vampire minion, Amy is abducted by Count Dandridge and Peter Vincent is slowly growing some balls. The final fight is amazing. Vincent and Charlie show up at the house which is by the way, spookier than ever, and are let in by the front door ominously opening and inviting them inside. Cautiously they walk in, trying to judge where the attack might come from. The door slams shut! Dandridge walks down the steps. Failing to have the faith necessary to ward of the vampire with his cross, Vincent is shown up by the persistent Mr. Charlie Brewster and is rewarded by hearing his love in the next room groan in discomfort as she transitions into a monster of the night. A mini boss battle ensues leaving Dandridge in full vampire mode outside figuring how to murder these intruders with haste. First he sends his ever dutiful human-ish slave to attack and maim. Vincent shoots him 6 times with his revolver, each time causing an obscene amount of smoke to form in front of them. When the smoke settles we discover the mutilated, but still alive-ish, body trekking forward to kill them! Thinking quick Charlie takes his wooden peg and stabs it through the heart triggering the strangest vampire death I’ve ever seen. Imagine if a person started oozing neon green liquid, the same substance as Slimer in Ghostbusters, followed by skin melting off to reveal muscle prompting the muscle to sizzle off showing only the skeleton then BAM. The thing explodes like someone threw tnt between it’s ribcage. This leads to the epic showdown on Immortal vs. Mortal. Amy finally wakes up but has gone full vampire with some of the most wicked prosthetics I’ve seen in a while (she’s the disgusting vampiric face on the movie poster). Dandridge gets injured at some point during the fight and reverts to full bat mode, yet another brilliant practical monster created during a time when CGI was still too shitty to cut it but also made movies infinitely better for it. The creature of the night flies away crashing into objects as it goes. The chase is on. In a full-on hand to hand brawl Charlie dukes it out with his love/now vampire Amy meanwhile The Vampire Hunter himself squares off against the Agent of the Eve. While it was a slightly uneventful match the otherworldly ignition of the vampire turned bat was a spectacle to be seen. Bright yellow and green ethereal lights blast open whole chunks of flesh and the creature writhes in pain hoping for one last breath of life. KABLOOOOOOOM is evaporates into thin air and nothing is left of Dandridge.

Chapter Four. Amy de-vampirifies. Vincent gets his show back but now has more up-to-date themes for the younger generation and the young couple FINALLY get it on.

This is a classic that everyone should watch. Great acting, great story, great fun and some very memorable quotes and scenes to toss at your horror aficionado.