An undying pleasure awaits for those who like comedy-horror done with style and wit. One of the best vampire flicks in ages, "Fright Night" is grand entertainment - rollicking good fun with an expert cast and a daintily enjoyable script.
William Ragsdale stars as Charlie Brewster, a high-school student who suspects that his new next-door neighbor, Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon), is a vampire. He sees Jerry luring prostitutes and call-girls to his house, even undressing them and biting their necks! Charlie is ever the voyeur, watching these acts of violence with his trusty binoculars, and is less attentive to his girlfriend, Amy (Amanda Bearse). Of course, when Charlie reports the unholy vampiric duties in the neighborhood to the police, he is disbelieved, even by washed-up actor, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), a former host of vampire flicks. Charlie's giggling, posturing, Jack Nicholson-like friend, Evil Ed (Stephen Geoffreys) is no help either.
There is an element of Anthony Perkins to William Ragsdale as Charlie in the way of his gestures, his frightened, sweaty face, and his aw-shucks mentality - they mirror Perkins completely. Ragsdale would have been a fitting replacement in the "Psycho" remake.
The vampire, Jerry, as played by Chris Sarandon is suave, handsome, romantic, whistles "Strangers in the Night," and eats apples. He is not like any traditional vampire, but he has charm, elegance, and is believably frightening at times. Jerry even has a roommate, Billy Cole (Jonathan Stark), who is not a vampire yet not entirely human either.
The camaraderie between Charlie, Amy, Evil Ed, and the older, wiser Peter Vincent is at the heart of "Fright Night" - without them, the film would be a futile exercise in gruesome special-effects. Their exchanges and witticisms make this a cut above the norm. There are the usual cliches about vampire lore, but all done with great humor. Consider the scene where Charlie seeks advice from Ed on how to destroy a vampire - Ed explains all the rules but with such relish that it seems all new and fresh. There's also a great early scene where Charlie meets Peter and tries to convince him that vampires do exist. McDowall brings a level of poignance to the scene, addressing how nobody believes in vampire movies anymore - "They prefer men in ski masks hacking up young virgins."
"Fright Night" also has its share of frightful scenes and some bloody, tongue-in-cheek special-effects. There are wolves with red eyes, female vampires with grotesquely big mouths, erotic club scenes (the dance between Sarandon and Bearse builds with sensual energy), skinless bats, hidden coffins, gallons of neon green blood, gothic houses surrounded by fog, and the usual brand of crosses, stakes, and vials of holy water. It all leads, of course, to the inevitable question of faith.
"Fright Night" becomes over-the-top towards the end and repetitious, but it is a consistent balance of fright and fun. Sarandon and McDowall are perfectly cast - rising above all the horror with splendid, memorable performances. 1985 was not a bad year for comedy-horror and vice-versa. This film along with the cult classic "The Return of the Living Dead," "Critters," among others showed how much fun filmmakers could have with the genre. This show is a real treat to savor.
For more reviews check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at http://buffs.moviething.com/buffs/faust/
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