'Fright Night' is, when you look at it, a horror comedy with every cliché of the genre in it. And that's the whole idea I guess.
The story begins as a kind of a 'Rear Window' take, when young Charley (William Ragsdale) notices his new neighbor is carrying a coffin in his cellar. Soon after that he learns, that a woman he saw going into the mans apartment has been found dead. He starts to believe, that the man is a vampire, but of course no-one believes him, so Charley has to ask a horror specialist, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) to help him before it's too late.
Out of the cast MacDowall does the best job. After him comes, of course, the vampire, Chris Sarandon, though in the end it's pretty much the cause of the good special effects. Young Amanda Bearse does a nice role as a mandatory virgin girlfriend. The most annoying cast member has to be Stephen Geoffreys as "Evil" Ed, as he does his bit a bit too extreme.
The special effects of the film are great and have been taken the stand of time relatively well. The transformations are very fluent and gruesome. Surprisingly enough the movie isn't, even though it's made in the heart of the 80's, in your face screaming "look this is the 80's". Of course there are the clothes and the music and the hairdo's, but somehow they aren't in your face, like they were in 'The Lost Boys' for example.
'Fright Night' is perfectly good way to spend a couple of hours, if you want to see some horror and some comedy. Well directed film, with good enough cast.
The story begins as a kind of a 'Rear Window' take, when young Charley (William Ragsdale) notices his new neighbor is carrying a coffin in his cellar. Soon after that he learns, that a woman he saw going into the mans apartment has been found dead. He starts to believe, that the man is a vampire, but of course no-one believes him, so Charley has to ask a horror specialist, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) to help him before it's too late.
Out of the cast MacDowall does the best job. After him comes, of course, the vampire, Chris Sarandon, though in the end it's pretty much the cause of the good special effects. Young Amanda Bearse does a nice role as a mandatory virgin girlfriend. The most annoying cast member has to be Stephen Geoffreys as "Evil" Ed, as he does his bit a bit too extreme.
The special effects of the film are great and have been taken the stand of time relatively well. The transformations are very fluent and gruesome. Surprisingly enough the movie isn't, even though it's made in the heart of the 80's, in your face screaming "look this is the 80's". Of course there are the clothes and the music and the hairdo's, but somehow they aren't in your face, like they were in 'The Lost Boys' for example.
'Fright Night' is perfectly good way to spend a couple of hours, if you want to see some horror and some comedy. Well directed film, with good enough cast.