Fright Night: Original Recipe cheesy but watchable
First, let me say upfront that I love cheesy movies. Calling them cheesy is in no way meant to diminish their efforts. Who can deny that the original Fright Night is loaded with campy moments we learned to prize in the mid 80s. It is a horror comedy, after all. I feel like the actors knew what kind of audience they were playing for and delivered. Chris Sarandon especially knocks it out of the park as the neighbor from Hell...or rather, Transylvania. Lots of scenery chewing and I mean, check out those practical effects!
In case you've never seen either the original or remake, here's a short rundown of the plot. At first, no one believes Charley Brewster that his new neighbor is in fact a vampire. He consults The Nerd Friend, Evil Ed, but doesn't get much to go on. His girlfriend dismisses his fears and seems upset he isn't more focused on their relationship issues. So where does Charley go next for assistance? A local late-night horror TV show host, Peter Vincent, who is getting fired because his viewership numbers are too low. Seems logical, right?
Roddy McDowall, with what looks like sprayed-on grey hair, nails his character, Peter Vincent, the host of those late-night scream marathon shows. Whatever happened to those, by the way? Remember those? You'd see movies you'd never get to see otherwise and the host always looked like they were on the cheapest set possible. Good times.
Then, there's Amanda Bearse, who played Marcy on Married With Children a few years after this film was released. The nightclub scene was sort of inappropriate but befitting the erotic Dracula mythos. It helps that the actress wasn't really a teenager but still...ick.
All in all, a fun film for this month, a nice break from heavy gore or deep psychological horror. And then there's the remake.
Fright Night Remake: kind of sad to watch
Due to the suddenness and incredible circumstances of his death, it always makes me a little bit sad to see Anton Yelchin onscreen. Don't get me wrong. I think he's an incredible actor who just got better and better. I was looking forward to seeing where he could go in Hollywood. But it still is a bit raw watching his films knowing how things end. Ok, enough of the sads.
Even with that powerhouse of a woman, Toni Collette, as Charley's mom, versatile and enigmatic Colin Farrell in the role of the sexy vampire neighbor, and always capable and reliable Imogen Poots as Charley's girlfriend, guess who steals this movie? That's right. David Tennant. His Peter Vincent feels like Russell Brand meets Chris Angel but with a heart of gold underneath the swagger. And rewatching this recently after seeing Good Omens makes me wonder if Crowley's distinctive walk originated from this role. Hmmm.
Fright Night, Original vs Remake? Eh, they're both worth a watch!
Honestly? I think both have high rewatch value. If you can put aside melancholy over Yelchin no longer being with us, and don't mind camp and practical effects, BOTH films are worthy of your #31daysofhorror watchlist challenge. Happy viewing!