For those of you that are unfamiliar with the 80s cult classic Fright Night (1985) and its sequels and remakes, I advise reading about it here before continuing to read this review.This sequel came out three years after the original, and it has William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall reprise their roles as Charlie Brewster and Peter Vincent respectively. This film is just as fun as the first and just as well acted and the cinematography and music are just as great as the first film as well. The only areas where this film really lacks are in its special effects and writing. The writing is still pretty good overall, but there are points in the film where certain things (although may be cool) don't make a whole lot of sense (I'd give the specific example but I don't want to give the surprise away). The special effects however are really where this film suffered, specifically the effects with the vampires. The vampire effects are much different from the first film, (which is too bad because the vampires in the first Fright Night are some of the most unique and coolest looking vampires in the history of film) here they sometimes come off as fake and hokey. The plot of the film is that it is years after the events in the first film, and Charley is now a young college student who has undergone years of therapy that has convinced him that the events in the first film never happened and that vampires don't exist. He also has a new girlfriend, on the anniversary of the events of the first film, and sort of to show himself that he has been cured of his delusional beliefs about vampires, Charley decides to reconnect with the washed up horror movie actor turned TV host, Peter Vincent. Upon visiting Vincent's apartment building though, Charley once again sees someone carrying a coffin into the building, just like the beginning of the last film. Shortly after seeing the coffin and those carrying it, Charley becomes stalked by a beautiful woman, who as you find out later is actually Jerry Dandridge (the vampire from the first film)'s sister bent on getting revenge on Peter Vincent and Charley. The actress who plays the vampire in this film does a wonderful job of being very hypnotic and exotic. The sets are great in this film too, some return from the last movie, and others are very appropriately 80s gothic. This film was not as big of a success as the first film, due partially to the fact that it had a limited theater release, and it's almost impossible tofind on any form of home video.
The VHS release of the film came in a coffin shaped box and is now a collectors item, the DVD went out of print very shortly after it was first released (plus the DVD is a horrible fuzzy Pan-and-Scan transfer) so it's hard to find, and it is still not yet known if the film will be released on Blu-Ray, although if amazon is correct you can buy a copy on Blu-Ray for $400. I enjoyed the film despite its flaws and not being as good as the first, I give it a 4/5. You can view the trailer below:
I've
seen a lot of movies lately that have been based around the famous horror short
story by English author W.W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw. In The Monkey's Paw a
mother wishes that her recently deceased son would come back to life, but when
he does he's not the same way she wished he was. The Monkey's Paw is a "be
careful what you wish for" story, and so is Deathdream. Deathdream is
about a family whose son goes to fight in Vietnam and gets killed, and the
mother in her deep grief and denial about her son's death, somehow manages to
bring him back home from the dead. Upon the son's arrival back home the family is
immediately aware that something is different with Andy and he is completely
different from how he was before the war, he becomes increasingly violent and
he seems more dead than alive. The film is also a less than subtle look at the
issue of how war changes people and a look at the baggage they bring home with
them (primarily PTSD). The film covers troubled relationships the soldiers had
with family and friends upon coming home, but also their romantic relationships
and how difficult that could be, and the film also symbolically looks at soldiers
and the drug addictions they would come home with (primarily Morphine because
of its use as a pain medication), even though the main character needs blood to survive instead of actual drugs.
The movie is a good "be careful what you wish for" story, as well as a unique zombie and vampire story. This was one of director Bob Clark(Black Christmas, Porky's, and A Christmas Story)'s
first films, and for famous horror movie make-up artist and actor Tom Savini
(original Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th, Creepshow, The Burning, Martin,
and Knightriders)'s first film. I love Bob Clark and his style and
cinematography that he brings to each of his films, and that style is still present
even this early on in his career, and the special effects are of course great
(of course because they're by Savini) as well. The acting is great too by the
whole cast which includes John Marley (The Godfather)as the father and Oscar
nominated actress Lynn Carlin (nominated for Faces[1969] in which she also
starred with Marley) as the mother. Deathdream is marvelously creepy and lots
of fun because of it and it's message, be it metaphorical or not is much like
the message of another film I reviewed recently
(The Walking Dead[1936]), which is "let the dead stay dead." That
message of course can also be reinterpreted to apply more directly to one's
life as "let the past stay in the past." I loved the film and I give
it a 5/5. The film is mentioned in Rue Morgue Magazine's 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need to See. You can view the trailer below:
This film is one that should be a vampire classic but for some reason often gets overlooked. Martin immediately preceded George A. Romero(the Living Dead pentology, creator of Tales From the Darkside)'s Dawn of the Dead (1978). Martin is a low budget (sometimes artsy) independent film that examines someone who could either just be a regular angsty teen who doesn't fit in, or an 84 year old vampire, you can't really tell though because martin doesn't have any traditional signs of being a vampire except for the craving of blood, but since he doesn't have fangs he has to get it through slashing his victim's wrists. The film is a very interesting look at how we humans as a whole are affected by traditions and superstitions and the faultiness of our own memories (his flashbacks might actually be from movies he's seen instead of actual memory. This film also serves well as a psychological case study of this person who may be a sick teen, or maybe real vampires are just totally different from what we think. This film can be found on several underrated movie lists, or cult horror film lists including the three main movie books I consult: Rue Morgue Magazine's 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need to See, Horror! by Kim Newman, and 500 Essential Cult Movies by Jennifer Eiss, yet it is STILL largely unheard of. My main beef with this one was that the blood was super fake and there was too much of it, otherwise I give it a 4.5/5. Look for a cameo by a young george romero as the priest. You can view the trailer below:
Yet another original, Fright Night (1985) has a huge cult following, a sequel, a remake, and it's sequel had a remake as well.This 80s classic was written and directed by Tom Holland two years before he would go on to write and direct Child's Play (1987). This is arguably the first time the story of "my neighbor is a [insert supernatural beast here]" was filmed, though the story might be overdone and trite now, it even pre-dates The Lost Boys (1987). Once Bitten (1985) starring a young Jim Carrey, had a similar plot and came out the same
year, but Fright Night is by far superior. It is a perfect horror comedy, part parody and tribute of the horror genre featuring the main character teaming up with a washed-up horor movie star to slay the vampire. It also has a great 80s soundtrack and a well done dance sequence. The special effects are some of the best of all the 80s horror flicks, and it has a unique brand of humor that keeps it fresh to this day, as well as the vampire played by Chris Sarandon (Susan Sarandon's first husband and namesake). Sarandon's portrayal of the vampire is totally unique, at once terrifying and seeming like a regular joe you could hangout with. The film is also actually pretty scary in parts (most 80s horror flicks don't scare me). I really enjoyed the music and decided to post my favorite song from the film here (though this version is not actually in the film). There was a better vocal version of this song but that's from the sequel and can be heard here. Plus this movie has the best/scariest movie poster/DVD cover of all time, I remember seeing it in video stores and having nightmares about it when I was little. I give it a 5/5
