LogFAQs > #979921611

Bitto - Rating: C+

I've seen many movies stumble the third act, but rarely the first one. This one does and it really painted my view of this movie in a bad light. The characters were nonsensical, the pacing felt entirely off, the murder plot being so obvious was baffling, and I couldn't tell where this movie was poking fun at silly horror movies or was a silly horror movie. I was ready to have this be in the bottom tier. Once Peter Vincent really comes into the fray, the movie really finds its identity. Vincent is a really fun character and, honestly, the only good acting in the movie. That said, all the other main characters begin to find their identity too. Evil Ed, a complete nothing of a character, actually becomes somewhat compelling after he becomes a vampire and dies to Peter Vincent. The premise and the plot really start to click in, too.

Johnbobb - This was much better than expected! Seriously, the movie opens with its teen protagonist trying to pressure his girlfriend into sex. Not a great way to introduce your hero! But this is honestly a pretty fantastic Rear Window meets Buffy type of movie. It has pretty much everything I'd look for in a vampire movie: seduction, paranoia, intimate violence, heavy religious symbolism, goofy prosthetics... ok, scratch the last one, but I've seen worse!

Lightning - Youre so cool, Brewster!

Fright Night is a bit of an odd one in that while the film was always well received and successful, it is not that talked about in the modern day despite also being subtly one of the most influential horror movies ever made. At its core this is a fun modern vampire story that mostly keeps to classic tropes with some great practical effects, especially when the vampires die. That bat looked bad though. What really makes it work however is that it is one of the first to have characters truly aware of the horror genre and its tropes.

This is one of the first of a number of the meta-horror films that are so common now. You can see its influence perhaps most notably in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, both the movie and more importantly the TV series, which clearly views this as a seminal text. We as audiences are so used to horror tropes, we always complain whenever a character does something stupid like going up those stairs or splitting off from the group, and what Fright Night does is reflect this audience, if people are aware then the characters should be too. This makes it a more effective horror film, it feels like there is more threat when the characters are smart and know what theyre doing.

Even despite the knowing meta aspects the film still does all of the traditional vampire elements well, there is a charming vampire, a fun twist on the idea of a wise old vampire, and a romance you want to see succeed. The vampires are scary and there is some good tension and laughs. It is effective at just about everything it tries even if it is somewhat lacking in narrative depth.

4/5

Snake - Fright Night is a fun blend of horror and comedy that mainly shines with its charismatic performances, though its not a huge favorite of mine or anything. Roddy McDowall steals the show as Peter Vincent, perfectly walking the line between cheesy and charming, delivering some of the movie's most quotable lines like Peter Vincent's not even my real name!", slays me every time. Chris Sarandon is equally captivating as the suave yet menacing Jerry Dandridge of course. William Ragsdale though I must say isnt really that compelling of a protagonist. The plot can be predictable at times, relying on some familiar horror tropes, and the pacing can also feel uneven, with some stretches dragging a bit. Additionally, some of the humor is dated and only really funny to someone familiar with classic horror media (which I am but it doesnt change the point).

Plasmabeam - An all-too-familiar story with all-too-underwhelming comedy.

Karo - So this teenager has a vampire move in next door to him, something he finds out about because the bloodsucker in question fails to take even the most basic steps to safeguard his identity. I mean seriously you just lug your fucking coffin across the yard right out in the open what the hell is wrong with you.

Basically theres all these awful kids who do stupid high school shit and one of them sees all this dracula stuff and nobody will believe him ha ha ha. It's the one joke of the movie that is quickly beaten into the ground.

They enlist the services of a TV actor who plays a famous monster hunter because everyone knows that TV shows are real and a lot of inconsistent vampire lore later the others find out the truth and Bitey McFangerson comes after everyone to keep the news from getting out. The vampire is so intent to silence those who know his secret that he just up and murders a couple of bouncers in full view of hundreds of people. Nobody seems to really notice this or calls in the army or anything.

I honestly think it would have been better if it all turned out to be a hilarious misunderstanding, rather than just being a generic monster flick featuring a bunch of unconvincing performances as a bunch of forgettable characters but that was probably hoping for too much.

It is a mess that doesnt work on any level, and while it is indeed a very dumb movie, it suffers a fate far far worse than being merely stupid - it is boring, and incredibly so. It is less a fright night, and more a shite night.

Fortybelowsummer - First off, I have to ask: why the hell did the kid whos a horror fanatic have to go to his obnoxious friend to tell him how to defeat a vampire? Garlic, holy water, dont invite him into your house? Yeah no shit, Charley, I know you werent necking with young Marcy Darcy during all of those shows. Anyway, maybe its partly having watched Lost Boys just before this, but Fright Night didnt really do it for me. The aforementioned does almost everything better; the main character is more likeable (I actually hate Charley), the sidekicks are more likable, the mom is less annoying, the vampires are cooler and scarier, and its funnier and more exciting to watch. That about covers it, but it wouldnt be fair to judge it just on comparison to another movie alone. On its own it has very little suspense, Dandrige isnt the least bit scary (maybe a little in his final form), and I actively rooted against the whiney, pleading main character (but hes a vaaaaaampire! cant you just hear his stupid voice). I will say the last 20 minutes were pretty good with some killer special effects and makeup that were enough to keep it out of my 30 spot.

Seginustemple - Chris Sarandon makes a charming villain, the sfx are great, but the core idea of a meta vampire/werewolf movie has way more potential than what this delivers. The protagonist is so lame and spends half the movie with a bad case of "I know it sounds crazy but you gotta believe me" just spinning his wheels. I take it his lameness is intentional, hence "you're sooo cooooool Brewster", but in any case the guy doesn't work for me. And then his buddy Evil Ed is just aggressively awful. Every scene with that ham is grating, his delivery is like nails on chalkboard. There's a scene towards the end where he gets gored in wolf form and tries transforming back to human to garner sympathy from Roddy McDowall, and I'm thinking dude, just stay as a wolf because you are way less likable as Evil Ed. Good transformation sequence, though. My favorite bit is Sarandon prowling around a neon nightclub in a Wesley Crusher turtleneck, just basking in the seductive vampire role. I mean, vampires are cool people, are they not?