DVD - Fright Night (1985)

I saw the remake for this before I saw the original, and I'm kind of glad I did. The original Fright Night is such a stereo-typically 80's film. Focusing on the lead, Charley Brewster (played by William Ragsdale), who is trying to get into his girlfriends pants (Amy, played Amanda Bearse), until a man moves in next door, who, Charley is convinced is a vampire. The man, Jerry Dandridge (played by Chris Sarandon), is caught by Charley, through an open window, about to sink his teeth into an unsuspecting girls throat. From that point on Charley, Amy, and Charley's friend Ed (Stephen Geoffreys) are on Jerry's bad side. Charley approaches TV actor Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowell), who plays a vampire hunter on the late night show Fright Night. Vincent plays along, after Amy agrees to pay him, but then he's in for real when he discovers Dandridge really is a vampire. It's up to the group to try and take Jerry down.

I didn't enjoy this version. I thought it was slow and cheesy. Very 80's. While the 2011 Fright Night has its ridiculous moments, it seems to do a better job at not being as cheesy as this one. A lot of people like this version, but it wasn't for me.

Fright Night (2011)

Fright Night is another addition to the long list of remakes Hollywood has been putting out of horror movies that were beloved classics in the 70's and 80's. The difference, though, is that the plot of Fright Night is so simple that, if you just do a half way decent job, cast some decent actors, and have good effects, it's hard NOT to make an enjoyable movie. Luckily, they did that.

Kid is living next door to a vampire. Vampire is killing everyone around him, and targets him next when he figures it out. That's it. That's the whole plot. Director Craig Gillespie and lead actors Anton Yelchin (as Charlie Brewster, the high schooler tasked with killing the vampire) and Colin Farrell (as Jerry, the vampire), don't miss any beats and keep Fright Night lean and mean. Supporting actors like Toni Collette and Imogen Poots (as Charlie's Mom and girlfriend, respectively) and David Tennant (as "vampire hunter" Peter Vincent) give Charlie the back up he needs to fight Jerry.

Fright Night is fun. Gillespie doesn't try to make it something it's not, thankfully. This isn't the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, where more effort was put into the visual aspect than the story or acting. This film knows EXACTLY what it is, and it knows its limits, and it doesn't mess around. It's a rather light, gory, fun horror film that you can't say too much bad about.