Welcome to Wednesday’s Blue Light Special! We’ve got another installment of Original vs. Remake series. This month’s movie is Fright Night. I will review the 1985 original, and Tiffany A. White will review the 2011 remake this coming Friday on her blog.
When I was a teenager, this was one of my favorite movies. It was campy, yet cool. It had a great soundtrack. And I loved the movie poster. So, when Tiffany suggested we feature Fright Night, I jumped at the chance to write about it.
Check out that fantastic poster:
Fright Night was released August 2, 1985. It starred Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, and Stephen Geoffreys. Tom Holland directed.
[Fun Factoid: Tom Holland also directed Child's Play.]
Summary:
A teenager realizes his next door neighbor is a vampire and enlists a washed up TV vampire killer to help him make his neighborhood safe again.
Watch the trailer:
About the Movie
Fright Night plays on the classic “boy who cried wolf” theme.
Charley Brewster figures out his new neighbor is a vampire. He tells his mother who doesn’t believe him. His girlfriend doesn’t believe him. The police don’t believe him. They think he’s off his rocker.
The vampire figures out Charley is on to him and warns Charley to butt out. Far from butting out, Charley plots to do away with the vampire. This begins a vendetta between the two. The vampire, who has much more experience in these matters, is very obviously going to win.
Charley enlists the help of his hero, Peter Vincent. Peter (played by Roddy McDowall) is a washed up actor famous for playing a TV vampire hunter. At first, Peter thinks Charley is crazy but soon realizes the vampire is real. He agrees to help.
The result is something along the lines of Shaggy and Scooby vs. Nosferatu.
As an extra added bonus Stephen Geoffreys plays Edward “Evil Ed” Thompson, Charley’s friend who turns out to be more foe than friend.
[Fun Factoid: In the 1990s, Stephen Geoffreys acted in several pornographic films under the alias Sam Ritter.]
Is it a Blue Light Special?
Back in 1985, I loved this movie. The big teen vampire movies of the 80s were The Lost Boys and Near Dark. Both of those movies were very serious and even somewhat scary. Fright Night wasn’t. Its campiness made it relatable and fun.
In 2013, I barely sat through fifteen minutes of this movie. The camp was too campy. The characters seemed silly and one-dimensional. The only bright spot was Roddy McDowall.
I am curious to see what Tiffany thinks of the remake. Be sure to check out her review this coming Friday on her blog.
Have you ever re-watched an movie you loved back in the day only to realize it has not aged well?
And don’t forget…
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susielindau said:
Such a scary movie. I have never watched the whole thing!
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Catie Rhodes said:
I think I recall thinking it was scary at the time, too! But I watched the whole thing. I love being scared.
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William Simon said:
I enjoyed the original for the nostalgia factor: the late-night horror host, “Peter Vincent” (could it be more obvious? Peter Cushing and Vincent Price?!?!), the hero no one listens to, the references to the Classic Monsters of the 1940′s, etc., and it was just goofy enough to be fun. The remake was, in my opinion, as dull as dirt and a waste of time and money.
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Catie Rhodes said:
Interesting to know about the remake. They often are dull and a waste of energy. Which is a shame.
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William Simon said:
The remake was one of those “I’ll catch it when it hits cable” movies from the get-go. And I’m glad I did; I’d have been angry if I had paid money to see it…:)
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daleamidei said:
It’s still hard to accept Roddy McDowall as anything other than a chimpanzee scientist.
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Catie Rhodes said:
Thanks for the laugh.
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Gregory Carrico said:
I’m afraid I have to admit I never watched the original. I could comment on the remake, though. But behave for once and wait for Tiffany’s post
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Catie Rhodes said:
I will look for thoughts on the remake Friday. But, personally, I can’t believe you’re making any effort whatsoever to behave. What’s wrong? Feeling off kilter today?
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Gregory Carrico said:
I guess so, ’cause I ain’t behaving, and I’m not even lying about it very well.
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Patricia Yager Delagrange said:
I have not seen this movie! I LOVE the poster. It’s gorgeous and in my opinion, it could be a poster of a current movie. Very well done.
I have to see if I can get this on Netflix, which I now have!
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Catie Rhodes said:
I hope you find Fright Night. Let me know what you think. And, yes, the poster is just gorgeous. Fabulous artwork.
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August McLaughlin said:
I loved Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much” as a kid. Back then, I found in suspenseful and exciting. I watched it again recently and found in nostalgic, but definitely not the same wonder it used to be. I suppose our thresholds for freaky plot points and film quality change, as does acting style. Intriguing post, Catie.
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Catie Rhodes said:
I think you’re right that our tastes change. Changing tastes, coupled with the evolution of storytelling on film, creates a conflict between what we used to like and what we like now.
Recently, I re-watched Twin Peaks–which I loved when it was on TV–and found myself struck by how dated it seemed. Back then, it was so different from anything else on TV. It seemed very cutting edge. I felt a great deal of nostalgia when I watched it, of course, but I was a little bored. That surprised me.
Glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for commenting.
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Julie Glover said:
Did you see the Peter Lorre or Jimmy Stewart version, August? They are quite different, though both directed by Hitchcock.
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August McLaughlin said:
I saw the Stewart version. I’ll have to check the other one out.
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August McLaughlin said:
Wow. *in* x two LOL
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Catie Rhodes said:
Don’t worry about it. We are busy women. We make errors.
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Tiffany A White said:
As always, I love your takes on these movies! I LOVED Fright Night growing up. LOVED. And perhaps that’s the only reason why I can still watch it today. Because you are right. It’s pretty campy.
And have I ever rewatched a movie to discover it wasn’t so great today? Um, yes. Recently. Xanadu. Oh, I loved it so much when I was a little girl. I can’t even tell you how many times I watched it, made my mom put ribbons in my hair just like Olivia Newton John, and skated around my house. It was on cable not long ago and it was horrible. But the final skate scene still rocks, even with the horrible special effects. It make me still want to get up and start skating around. And I still remembered all the words. My guy was laughing hysterically. He’s very worried about me.
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Catie Rhodes said:
“Xanadu your neon lights will shine for you Xanadu.” LOL
Confession: I saw Xanadu when it was on at the movie theater. And I thought it was sooo cool. I haven’t watched it, however, since I saw it at the theater in 1980. I bet you a crisp twenty dollar bill I couldn’t sit through it right now. Now, Flashdance…maybe. Just maybe.
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Tiffany A White said:
I don’t normally take bets I know I’m going to lose… LOL.
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alandhopewell said:
I saw the original when it came out, read the movie tie-in book, thoroughly enjoyed them, and enjoyed the film again when I bought the DVD last year. I haven’t seen the remake, although I might if it shows up on THIS Network, or something.
Not a film, but a tv show….when I was a kid, I thought THE INVADERS was one of the creepiest shows on television. I watched it in syndication a few years ago, and I couldn’t believe how slow and boring it was.
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Catie Rhodes said:
LOL on your comments about THE INVADERS. That was how I felt when I re-watched Twin Peaks. And Friday the 13th: The Series. I couldn’t believe I enjoyed those so much.
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Lauralynn Elliott said:
What I would love to do is watch the original again (it’s been a LONG time), then watch the remake. I know the original was a great movie.
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Catie Rhodes said:
You definitely should watch the original again. I got it off blockbuster via mail. You could probably get it through Netflix’s DVD program. I noticed it’s on Amazon streaming for $9.99. No thanks!
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Austin Berkel said:
Bram Stoker’s Dracula did that to me. I remember watching it when it came out and thinking it was very well done, very moving and atmospheric…Completely forgetting I was around twelve or thirteen. We were supposed to watch it in a gothic literature class I took a few semesters ago but I missed the first day we were going to watch it and when I showed up the second day the teacher had decided the movie was so bad she wasn’t going to play the second part. I was confused, cuz like I said, atmospheric, moving, yadda…a while later, just a few months ago actually, I was watching movies at a friends house and saw that he had a copy on blueray. I insisted we watch it…and managed about an hour or hour and a half before insisting we change it…
Haven’t seen the original Fright Night, though if Lost Boys is “serious” and “scary” in comparisson I’m not sure that I will
I love Lost Boys, but serious? I’ve only seen a few minutes of the Fright Night remake and it didn’t look particularly good or bad, but to be fair I caught it probably just past halfway through, so everyone was rushing around and there was obviously supposed to be tenssion and whatnot…I just hadn’t been there to see it build or get to like any of the characters.
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Catie Rhodes said:
Of course I thought The Lost Boys was scary in 1987 when I was 14 years old. LOL
It’s all about perspective. In 1987, the scariest movies available were the Shining, Phantasm, and The Thing. You’ve got to understand that, aside from Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequels, most horror movies were stuff like Prom Night and My Bloody Valentine. With very few exceptions, the slasher movie was horror. However, the slasher movie had been done to the point where it was not even scary or gross to watch people get cut to ribbons.
So, in 1987, The Lost Boys was fresh, hip, and, yeah, sort of scary. Even though I laughed more than once, the idea that the guy who owned the video store was the king of the vampires thrilled me a little. Also in 1987, movies like Angel Heart and Hellraiser came out. Those were undeniably more scary than The Lost Boys, but, as far as vampire movies went, The Lost Boys and Near Dark were about as scary as it got, mainly due to lack of competition.
But there’s no way The Lost Boys could ever be even remotely scary to another generation of teenagers. Not after the popularity of Twilight, Sookie Stackhouse, and The Vampire Diaries. Nowadays, being a vampire seems more like a fantasy than a curse. Like I said, it’s all about perspective.
The only horror movie I watched as a kid and still find scary is Rosemary’s Baby. The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the best horror movies ever made, but I still think Rosemary’s Baby is scarier.
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Austin Berkel said:
Scarry I can understand. I was seven or so at the time and remember being terrified (a lot of it came from the dog oddly…the bubble bath scene horrified me but it was all because of Nunook). Serious is what I’m giving you a hard time about
even at sever I was rolling my eyes at the Frog Brothers.
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Emma said:
That poster is cool. Fright Night was never one of my favourites, but I loved and still love The Lost Boys and Near Dark.
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Catie Rhodes said:
That poster is downright sexy. It is one of the best movie posters I’ve ever seen. I still watch The Lost Boys about once a year. And the movie tie-in written for Lost Boys is great…for a movie tie-in. I haven’t seen Near Dark in years. I remember thinking it was scary. I would like to rewatch it.
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sandylrowland said:
I haven’t seen the original in ages, but I remember it creeped me out.
I never saw the remake. Is it more frightening?
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Catie Rhodes said:
I couldn’t tell you about the remake, Sandy. I haven’t watched it. Visit Tiffany’s blog Friday and see what-all she has to say about it.
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Julie Glover said:
This line cracked me up: “Shaggy and Scooby vs. Nosferatu.” I think that gives me a pretty good idea of what to expect from the original FN.
I wonder if this would work in reverse, where a movie you hated then, you might love today. Perhaps I might actually like Princess Bride after all? Nope. Can’t see it.
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Catie Rhodes said:
You’ve met me a few times. So Imagine me sitting down ready to watch a beloved horror film only to say, “Okay. I can’t watch this” after 15 minutes. I couldn’t believe it was so, so, so cheesy.
I am trying to think of a movie I hated then so I can test out your theory. It’s an interesting idea.
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Julie Glover said:
More films I hated then that others liked: Beaches, Steel Magnolias, The Fly, Platoon. I don’t have it in me to experiment there.
But I am getting to experiment with films I liked then when we watch them with our kids. So far, I still like Back to the Future, Gremlins, Star Wars, Bond, and some others. Soon watching Monty Python’s Holy Grail.
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David N. Walker said:
How can anyone hate Steel Magnolias, Julie? I loved it, and it’s a great movie for illustrating the ingredients in a novel – protagonist, antagonist, conflict, etc.
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Catie Rhodes said:
I still love Barbarosa, The Warriors, and Pretty in Pink. And The Breakfast Club.
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David N. Walker said:
Have to disagree with Julie about Steel Magnolias. Loved the movie. Besides, it’s great for instruction on the craft of novel-writing: protagonist, antagonist, conflict, etc.
Growing up in the late 40s and 50s, I loved every cowboy movie that came out. Now it takes a classic like Rio Bravo to get me to watch it. Most of them bore me pretty quickly.
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Catie Rhodes said:
For what it’s worth, David, I like Steel Magnolias, too. I also like Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. I never thought about studying either for craft. Will put on the must-do list.
My dad has that cable channel that features all westerns He watches quite a few that aren’t very good. I think he just does it to have background noise, but yikes.
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Jolyse Barnett said:
Sorry, haven’t seen any of the moves mentioned. Not a horror flick fan as you know. Cool, creepy poster for Fright Night though. Like Julie, I didn’t like Steel Magnolias *hangs head in writer shame*
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Catie Rhodes said:
Two people who didn’t like Steel Magnolias. Maybe something is wrong with ME. lol
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Lauralynn Elliott said:
Make that three. LOL I didn’t like it either.
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Catie Rhodes said:
Oh dear. I must have very, very bad taste. LMAO
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Donna Coe-Velleman said:
Maybe but it isn’t because you like Steel Magnolias. (Only teasing you Catie) I think it’s a great movie. I get a kick out of Shirley Maclaine’s and Olympia Dukakis’ characters. I think they make the movie.
I’ve never seen Fright Night nor cared to. Not really into that but it is a cool poster.
I haven’t watched any movies again that I saw when I was a teenager. At least not in a long time. Movies like the original Walking Tall, Death Wish, The Taking of Pelham123 (original) were out when I was about 18 and 19. A Clockwork Orange really disturbed me. I couldn’t listen to I’m Singing in the Rain for months.
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Catie Rhodes said:
I think you’re right. Shirley Maclaine and Olympia Dukakis make Steel Magnolias. To not be from the deep south, Shirley plays a southerner remarkably well. We most recently saw her in Bernie and were just howling. But I also remember her in Terms of Endearment.
A Clockwork Orange is one of the most disturbing movies I’ve ever seen. I watched it in college as part of a study on how film and literature use the same techniques to convey story. Later, my husband heard about it and expressed a desire to see it. I found myself dreading watching it again and didn’t even stay in the room while he watched it.
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filbio said:
I remember this movie well when I was in my early 20′s. I used to love it, as the movie was campy and scary at the same time. I saw it in a drive in. I miss those – they were fun. Especially if you had a date in your car!
Personally, I think most of these current remakes lack the charm of these older flicks.
Phil
http://www.blog.theregularguynyc.com
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Catie Rhodes said:
I miss the drive-in, too. I am several years younger than you, but I remember seeing Urban Cowboy, Grease, and Meatballs at the drive-in.
We’d make it a family event, with my parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. The adults would sit in the car enjoying the movie and seat us kids in front of the car in lawn chairs. Fun times.
The way you talk about Fright Night reminds me of the way I think about Scream. I thought it was campy and scary. Plus, I got all the horror references.
Thanks for stopping by.
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