Fright Night (1985)
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Director: Tom Holland
Writer: Tom Holland
Cast: Chris Sarandon (Jerry Dandrige), William Ragsdale (Charley Brewster), Amanda Bearse (Amy Peterson), Roddy McDowall (Peter Vincent), Stephen Geoffreys (Evil Ed), and Jonathan Stark as Billy Cole.
Opening sequence:
Review:
Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) and Amy Peterson (Amanda Bearse) are lying on the ground kissing, while a scream echoes in the background. A woman screams, an old man walking in front of a coffin, holding a stake, he is a vampire hunter. The title flashes on screen, Fright Night. Fade to black, and the next sequence is the iconic Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall); The introduction to the T,V. series, Fright Night.
Charley gets a bit out of hand, and Amy tells him to stop. He does, but as he tries to tell her his honest opinion about their relationship, he notices a figure pulling down the shades, next-door. He could've sworn he had seen long finger nails, but his attention was on the new neighbor, grabbing the binoculars, and watching. Ignoring his girlfriend. Amy tries to say something, but Charley continues, he describes the man, and the actions. He had freaked out, a nervous glance, did the new guy next-door see him? Meanwhile Amy sits on the bed, trying to understand what just happened. Charley ignores her, and continues watching the guy next-door. The TV series Fright Night, another scream, more antics by the iconic Peter Vincent, Fade to black.
The film has a corny beginning. Charley sees something strange, everyone in his life presently doesn't believe him. Evil Ed (Stephen Geoffreys) his weird best friend, and his girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse); Not a very large cast but enough to get it done the 80's way. A story about a teenager that saw something weird, and what turned out is the supernatural vampire of mythology. The amazing thing about this story is that it grows on you. A typical 80's movie, a corny musical score, horrible acting. But, when it came out the film was nothing more than amazing. The sequence i introduced is the opener for the film. I love that introduction because it manages to set the tone, teenagers doing their thing, while something creepy, evil, happens next-door. The nostalgia begins, and when you watch it, the film is done, and you're almost at awe, because the film hit you pretty hard. You're scratching, pulling the hair on your head trying to figure out what just happened.
Film's like Fright Night manage to suck you in from the beginning. How cool was Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) when he realized that Jerry (Chris Sarandon) was a vampire. My favorite scene is when Charley and Peter walk up the stairs, Jerry is looking at both of them, all vamped out; (Or if you're a #Buffy the vampire slayer fan, you'd say, game faced). Anyway the vampire descends slowly, glaring at the vampire hunters. Peter holds his cross to the creature of the night, but fails. Jerry tells him faith must be behind the cross, in order for it to work. Then Charley goes right to him, his cross wards him off, pushing the vampire back. A great horror sequence, it takes you to the scene, the magic of an 80's film. Hollywood remade Fright Night, in 2011, the budget of 30 million, grossed world wide 37,098,649. The 1985 movie had a 9 million budget, grossed 24 million world wide, the main point here is that the 80's film got a cult following, and the film despite it's corny feel really was a hallmark for horror.
Stranger Things:
The cast and direction of the Netflix's original series, #Stranger Things does it all from the beginning, all the way to the end. This series is an example of true direction, and fusing together one of the best actors, and stories told. What it did, it broke records, ratings, and these guys are headed in the right direction. Not only did they bring back the 80's but it kept you glued to you're seat, something special in these movies, series, no matter what the story is about. Look at E.T. A film that has young actors, a magical story about a boy and the little alien from another planet. The concept alone is out there, but it worked. Feel, connection, everything in these films are great. Here is another example of a great 80's films. The original Gremlins film; A corny, funny, goofy film, that had a wonderful story, it was for all ages, not just for kids. Yes it was Steven Spielberg a big time director, but in the day, he was trying to get movies done the right way, his creativeness gave us great movies we could talk about even today. Imagination, creative juices that make up a movie, it's not just about how it looks. Special effects are great, but without the story, it's a book without the words.
Fright Night:
The film has enough action, silly scenes to make you want more from a fan standpoint. The 80's remind us of a time of change. The wall went down between East and West Berlin, an event that changed the world, made it a little safer. The 80's had Michael Jackson's wonderful music, along with the cool videos, like Thriller. MTV was very different around that time, in fact it only played music videos, which i wish it could go back to. In that time we got movies that made us cry, laugh, movies that brought us down to earth. Back to the Future (1985), The Lost Boys (1987), The Thing (1982), Top Gun (1986), Aliens (1986), Return of the Jedi (1983), Labyrinth (1986), Footloose (1984), Dirty Dancing (1987), The NeverEnding Story (1984), Platoon (1986), Full Metal Jacket (1987), Die Hard (1988). These movies all had one thing in common, they're loved, no matter what it is, action, comedy, or Fantasy. The 80's had so much to offer, and even today it continues to offer in a big way. Directors, even screenplays are changing the style, because the nostalgic pull the 80's have will always be remembered. Movies had a vibe, a certain flow to them. The way folks talked, expressed themselves. The 1980's will be remembered ten, twenty, or more years from now, because it truly was a time of change.
TV:
The TV medium is doing well for now, because folks like the character progression. The facts are in, and the reality of it is not hard to figure out. Netflix's is doing well because people, audiences love to watch their favorite show, movie, the whole streaming thing is here. I personally love the full control of it; Start where you left off i guess. The control is all yours. That to me is ingenious, because time may not be on you're side. Work, School, our busy lives keeps us moving right along, and having a streaming service that is inexpensive is a wonderful thing. Take for example the #Walking Dead; I know folks that watch the show, after it ends, on Netflix. Cable might be to expensive, so they go the streaming route. The TV series, movies, to me should all be streaming. The basic understanding that you need internet, but why pay a higher price for cable, when you could stream the show, or movie you want to see. The future is here, and i believe in the next 10 or so years the theater experience will be very different. Imagine that hot new movie you want to see, but don't have the time to go opening day. Stream it, Netflix did it with Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: The Sword of Destiny. The option being at your disposal is a huge deal. The main reason why those 80 movies did so well, because they're different, and that's the main complaint i have with movies today, is that directors, actors, scripts, are all upside down. Instead of taking the time to make something beautiful, it became ugly, distorted, very different then what was intended. The package is all there, streaming is real, and it will always be a reality. Will it make a difference in what you watch, yes. Fright Night could be a new series, because if the demand is there, then it will happen. The true essence of viewing a film, the way you view it is all that matters.
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