Pluskylang Great Film overall

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Matt Greene It's always fun when a movie is firmly set within a world in which movies exist. This is a light horror-comedy outing with some great transformation makeup and lots of self-awareness. More 80s teen dramedy than it is horror, it's as lightly fun as it is completely inconsequential.

Tweekums As this film opens seventeen year old Charley Brewster is kissing his girlfriend Amy while a horror movie plays in the background. He complains that she won't go as far as he would like… then she offers to sleep with him but now he is watching the new neighbours taking what appears to be a coffin into their house. She is not impressed with his behaviour. The next night he thinks he sees the neighbour murdering a woman; biting her in the neck with his obvious fangs. He reports a vampire attack but understandably the police don't believe his story of modern day vampires. The neighbour Jerry Dandrige soon pays Charley a visit and it is clear that he really is a vampire. Wanting help Charley seeks out Peter Vincent, an actor who starred in many vampire films and presents 'Fright Night', a late night horror show. He is not interested but later, after being approached by Amy and Charley's friend 'Evil Ed' who persuade him to show Charley that Dandrige is human… he has quite a shock when he sees that Dandrige has no reflection in a mirror. Initially he just wants to get away but ultimately he and Charley will confront Dandrige in order to save Amy, who he has bitten.I enjoyed this film more than I expected; it has some good scary moments and plenty of tongue in cheek humour. The physical effects are pretty impressive and can be quite gruesome at times. The story is entertaining; I liked that nobody, including the 'vampire hunter' believed Charley until they saw concrete proof that Dandrige is a vampire. William Ragsdale does a solid job as protagonist Charley and Amanda Bearse and Stephen Geoffreys are fun as Amy and Evil Ed. Chris Sarandon is impressive as the suave Dandridge; both menacing and seductive. It is Roddy McDowall however who is most memorable; he is great as Peter Vincent the cowardly TV vampire killer who ends up doing it for real. The tension increases nicely towards the end, but not at the expense of humour, giving us an enjoyable final confrontation. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of '80s horror; it isn't the scariest horror film but it is a lot of fun.

Soroush M "Fright Night" starts with an absorbing and rather fantastic plot idea. A vampire, that triggers a pleasant association with historical tales of Count Dracula and his dark, creepy castle in the heart of Transylvania, here in the middle of an urban area undoubtedly leads to a fantasy undertone and manages to add a touch of humor every once in a while.The first scene unconsciously brings to mind Roman Polanski's much underrated masterpiece "The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)" and with Roddy McDowall's remarkable resemblance to Alfred (Roman Polanski's character in the aforementioned movie), this comparison is further intensified. the movie begins with a comedy scene where two high school sweethearts are making love in the middle of watching a late-night horror movie. This scene is immediately followed by a horror one in which two men are seen carrying a coffin into the basement of the next-door house. This subtle shift of tones between comedy and horror has proved to be quite effective and as said before has a strong resemblance to Polanski's cinematic tour de force.however, it goes without saying that "Fright Night" is hardly comparable to Polanski's flick in terms of the plot, humor and the incredible Transylvanian mood that the latter has to offer. But watching it at 2 o'clock after midnight was an enjoyable experience thanks to the spirit of America's 80's movies that never lets you down.

Alyssa Black (Aly200) What would you do if your neighbor was a vampire? Naturally you would think you are crazy, but if it was true then it's your problem. This is the situation protagonist Charley Brewster finds himself in when his suspicions about his new neighbor, Jerry Dandridge, turns out to an actual bloodsucker. In the lead role of Charley is a pretty neurotic William Ragsdale who is relatively convincing as a teenager. You feel bad for him as Charley goes through normal teenage drama with a pesky friend who belittles him constantly, relationship issues with his girlfriend and a distant relationship with his single mother. When his suspicions are laughed at, we feel that maybe Charley is being ridiculous until he is confronted by Jerry and we know the vampire accusation is no joke. As the film's vampire we are treated to an equally charming and sinister performance by Chris Sarandon. He oozes charm when Jerry is formally introduced to the main character and us, the viewers, after Charley has made his accusation to his friends and mother. Sarandon ups his ante when Jerry threatens Charley to stay silent that we the viewers are as terrified as Charley is. There are various scenes throughout the film that make us both fear Jerry, but are also seduced by his sex appeal. Yet we cheer for the vampire to meet his maker in the end like a traditional horror fan.The film's score lends the atmosphere a creepy vibe as the viewer feels stalked by an unseen presence, our hearts feel adrenaline rush during a tense scene or we are drawn into an odd sense of contentment. The makeup effects are put to good limited use to make the film's vampires look unappealing. They are not attractive creatures in their true form, but rather hideous creatures of the night. With piercing glowing yellow eyes (contacts worn by the actors), sharp yellowing fangs, monstrous facial expressions and the shape-shifting ability to transform into a bat. We are repulsed by these undead beings when their real selves are shown to us.The film is not completely, but is a fun horror flick for Halloween or anytime you need a good scare.