By Lee Pfeiffer
Twilight Time has released the 1985 cult hit Fright Night as a limited edition (3,000 unit) Blu-ray. The film, written and directed by Tom Holland, has gained a devoted following over the years, and for good reason. The film is primarily played for laughs, but Holland refrains from going over the top into outright spoof by providing at least a few scenes that have a genuinely chilling element to them. Charley Brewster (well played by William Ragsdale) is a well-adjusted high school student. His suburban lifestyle with his single mother is comfortable and relatively carefree, with his main problem being his unsuccessful attempts to relieve his girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse) of her virginity. Life as he knows it ends when he notices a coffin being brought into the empty house next door in the dead of night. Turns out the new neighbor is Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon), a handsome, charismatic young man who has brought along his equally charming "roommate" Billy (Jonathan Stark). Although there are decidedly gay overtones to his relationship with Billy, Jerry is very much a lady's man. Charley witnesses a sexy young woman entering Jerry's house, only to see her listed as a murder victim on the evening news. Other murders of young women begin occurring regularly. Through eye witnessing Jerry's behavior through an open bedroom window, Charley becomes convinced that his neighbor is a vampire. Predictably, he is mocked by his girlfriend and best friend Evil Ed (a very deft comedic turn by Stephen Geoffreys), an eccentric rocker with a sarcastic sense of humor. Ultimately, events become eerier and more sinister in scope and when Charley's naive mom invites Jerry into their house, Charley is convinced he will be next on the kill list. With Amy and Evil Ed finally convinced there is something sinister going on next door, the trio approach Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall, playing a character named in honor of Peter Cushing and Vincent Price), a once-legendary horror film star who has fallen on hard times and who has been relegated to introducing B monster movies on late night TV. Charley believes that Vincent's on-screen abilities to slay vampires might be of use in his efforts to kill Jerry before he can make him his next victim. Vincent is understandably skeptical but ultimately becomes convinced that Jerry is a real life vampire. The three teens and their aging screen hero make it their cause to do away with the vampire even at the risk of their own lives.
Fright Night remains notches above most horror film spoofs thanks to the "spirited" performances of the likable cast members. McDowall is especially delightful in one of his best late career performances. As the cowardly reel-life vampire slayer who finds himself facing the real thing, McDowell steals every scene he appears in, though Stephen Geoffrey's wry interpretation of goofy Evil Ed is also a delight. Likewise, Chris Sarandon was far ahead of his time in his portrayal of the fanged fiend. Young, sexy vampires may be all the rage in the Twilight era, but his Sarandon's charismatic turn was quite innovative in its day.
Fright Night is well written and directed with zest by Tom Holland, but the film still has some absurdities even in the context of a comedic horror film. The fact that the action takes place in houses on a typical suburban street (i.e surrounded by neighbors) makes it fairly implausible that the hellish battles between good and evil are never noticed by anyone else. There are no passersby and the folks a few doors down must be tone deaf to not hear the thundering action taking place in the dead of night. Holland also makes a bit of a mistake by having the vampire unveil himself to terrified partygoers in a crowded disco. Exactly why a real life vampire would not elicit an investigation from the authorities is never quite explained. But it's foolish to take seriously a movie that presents such tongue-in-cheek humor. Fright Night has an enduring legacy for good reason: it's withstood the test of time in a way most horror spoofs rarely do. (It was remade in 2011).
The Blu-ray release includes two theatrical trailers and the usually informative collector's booklet with a great essay by Julie Kirgo.
(Note: We've just learned from Twilight Time that this title proved to be so popular that the limited edition run sold out very quickly. It is available on the collector's circuit via eBay and Amazon, but is already commanding high prices.)