Fright Night (Tom Holland, 1985, USA)

Fright Night is one of the iconic 80s horror comedies, and for good reason. The film brought back the vampire when the vampire movie was considered passe. It marks Tom Holland's excellent run during the 1980s, culminating with 1988's Child's Play. The film centers around Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale), a teenager in suburban America who is convinced that his new neighbor Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire. He enlists the help of his misfit friend "Evil Ed" (Stephen Geoffreys), girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse), and a local horror TV host named Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) in his attempt to expose Jerry.

While the film is an expert class in casting, the true MVP in the film is Chris Sarandon as Jerry Dandridge. Sarandon is excellent in the role. He would later collaborate again with Tom Holland on Child's Play. Sarandon oozes smooth charm and is also sinister. Another highlight in the film is "Evil Ed," who has some bizarre mannerisms that make him both quite believable and also endearing. The movie has moments of humor but attempts to scare the audience. While the makeup hasn't aged as well as the rest of the film, it is still admirable.

Other highlights in the film include Brad Fiedel's (The Terminator) score, which has to have one of the most memorable 80s horror themes in "Come to Me." Fright Night is memorable because, even in its 80s shlockiness, we still feel that the stakes are high (no pun intended) for our protagonist and his friends. It isn't surprising that Fright Night spawned a franchise, including a successful remake. Sadly, Tom Holland never repeated the string of successes he had in the 80s, but he still delivered some admirable efforts including the Stephen King adaptation Thinner. Fright Night is a delight for horror fans.

8/10