My Best Friend Is a Vampire (1987)

Director:

Jimmy Huston

Writer:

Tab Murphy (written by)

Release Date:

6 May 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Romance

Plot:

Young student finds himself being transformed to a vampire after a night with a quite attractive female vampire...

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Teenager | Teen Angst | Boyfriend Girlfriend Relationship | Transformation

Cast

Robert Sean Leonard	...	Jeremy Capello
LeeAnne Locken	...	Candy Andrews (as Lee Anne Locken)
Cheryl Pollak	...	Darla Blake
Cecilia Peck	...	Nora
Fannie Flagg	...	Mrs. Capello
Kenneth Kimmins	...	Mr. Capello
Evan Mirand	...	Ralph
Michelle La Vigne	...	Flo
Harvey Christiansen	...	George
David Warner	...	Professor McCarthy
Paul Willson	...	Grimsdyke
Rene Auberjonois	...	Modoc
Erica Zeitlin	...	Gloria
Gary Chason	...	Drivers Ed Instructor
Kathy Bates	...	Helen Blake (as Kathy D. Bates)
John Chappell	...	Buddy Blake
Jill Bianchini	...	Waitress
J.P. Conroy	...	Butcher
Amelia Kinkade	...	Brunette in Punk Bar (as Mimi Kincaide)
E. Linda Moore	...	Girl at Bar (as Linda Moore)
Marianne Simpson	...	Blonde in Punk Bar
Staness Caroll	...	Redhead in Punk Bar
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	...	Bouncer (as Ronald P. Rondell)
Chris Wycliff	...	Police Officer #1
Coy Sevier	...	Police Officer #2

Directed by
Jimmy Huston

Writing credits
Tab Murphy		(written by)

Produced by
Dennis Stuart Murphy	....	producer (as Dennis Murphy)
Tab Murphy	....	associate producer
Dennis Stuart Murphy	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Steve Dorff

Cinematography by
James Bartle

Film Editing by
Janice Hampton
Gail Yasunaga

Casting by
Pennie DuPont		(as Pennie du Pont)

Production Design by
Michael Molly

Set Decoration by
Jeanette Scott

Costume Design by
Rona Lamont

Makeup Department
Christy Belt	....	hair stylist
Christy Belt	....	makeup artist
Shirley Bukrey	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Ken Aguado	....	executive in charge of production
Tina Brawner	....	production manager
Matthew Irmas	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sanford Hampton	....	first assistant director
Kristi Morais	....	second assistant director (as Kristie Morais)
Blake Pratz	....	additional second assistant director
Spiro Razatos	....	second unit director

Art Department
Jim Cavalucci	....	scenic artist (as Jim Cavulucci)
Walter T. Celestine Jr.	....	carpenter (as Walter C. Celestine Jr.)
Catherine Davis	....	assistant property master
Danny Everett	....	art swing
Barbara Haberecht	....	leadman
Richard G. Huston	....	set designer (as Richard Huston)
Jill Johnson	....	second assistant property master
Holly McDonald	....	property master
Rodney Rincon	....	art swing
Chuck Singleton	....	construction coordinator
Ivy Whisnant	....	construction

Sound Department
Randle Akerson	....	sound editor
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Carole Black	....	assistant sound editor
Stephen Bushelman	....	supervising sound editor
Norval D. Crutcher III	....	assistant sound editor
Norval D. Crutcher	....	sound editor
Samuel C. Crutcher	....	supervising sound editor
Tim Himes	....	sound mixer
John Paul Jones	....	sound editor
Rudy J. Lara	....	apprentice sound editor
Murray McFadden	....	sound recording engineer
Ron Meredith	....	assistant sound editor
Gary Mundheim	....	sound editor
Art Names	....	sound mixer
David Parker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Susan C. Smith	....	boom operator
Stephen Stalheim	....	assistant sound editor (as Steve Stalheim)
Beth Sterner	....	sound editor
Bob Waller	....	boom operator

Stunts
Buzz Bundy	....	stunts
Eddy Donno	....	stunts
Christina Fong	....	stunts (as Christina Fung)
Greg Gault	....	stunts (as Gregory G. Gault)
Andy Gill	....	stunts
David M. Graves	....	stunts
Roy E. Harrison	....	stunts (as Roy Harrison)
Freddie Hice	....	stunts (as Freddie Hile)
Terry Jackson	....	stunts
J.D. Martin	....	stunts: BMW specialist
Bernie Pock	....	stunts
Spiro Razatos	....	stunt coordinator
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (as Ronnie Rondell)
Fred M. Warsh	....	stunts
Wendell Wasinger	....	stunts: BMW specialist
Fred Waugh	....	stunts (as Fred M. Waugh)
Al Wyatt Jr.	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Doug Brennaman	....	second assistant camera
Shirley Bukrey	....	still photographer
Carl Christensen	....	gaffer
Brown Cooper	....	first assistant camera
Jim Dinn	....	electrician
Linda Field	....	grip
Austin Goss	....	grip
Andy Graham	....	additional second assistant camera
Steve Graves	....	grip
Jim Cody Harrington	....	best boy grip
Jeff 'Moose' Howery	....	key grip (as Jeff Howery)
Levie Isaacks	....	camera operator
George Mays	....	best boy electric
David Schmalz	....	video assist operator
Michael Vacker	....	electrician

Casting Department
Ric Johnson	....	casting: Houston

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fran Allgood	....	wardrobe supervisor
Eva Prappas	....	wardrobe assistant
Scilla Scandiuzzi	....	wardrobe assistant
Bernie White	....	tailor

Editorial Department
Albert Gasser	....	assistant film editor
Anny Lowery	....	assistant film editor
Goran Milutinovic	....	assistant film editor
John Morris	....	assistant film editor
Paul Parsons	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
George Doering	....	musician
Larry Herbstritt	....	orchestrator
David Tweet	....	assistant music editor
Stan Witt	....	music editor

Transportation Department
John Anderson	....	driver
Ray Bellamy	....	transportation captain
Amy Broad	....	driver
Homer G. Brown	....	driver (as Homer Brown)
Brad Grzesiek	....	driver (as Brad Grzessieck)
Bobby Keigley	....	driver
Michael Kern	....	transportation coordinator
Robert J. Manning	....	driver (as Bob Manning)
Lonnie Micks	....	driver
Jimmy Ray Pickens	....	driver (as Jimmy Pickens)

Other crew
Linda Brattain	....	assistant production accountant
Carlos Compean	....	production assistant
Michael Davidson	....	craft service
Jock Evans	....	production assistant
Diedre Green	....	production assistant
Mike Harrowing	....	location manager
Travis Hasler	....	production assistant
Joe Kee	....	production assistant
Francine Lauzon	....	production coordinator
Kassie O'Connell	....	assistant to producer
Eagle Pennell	....	location manager (as Eagle Penell)
Alicia Rivera Frankl	....	production accountant (as Alicia Alon)
Frank Schnider	....	production assistant
Suzanne Sherrill	....	assistant to director
Randy Smith	....	production assistant
Nicholas Toth	....	animal handler (as Nick Toth)
Charlene Webb	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Kings Road Entertainment

Distributors

• Starlight (1987) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Kings Road Entertainment (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1989) (Canada) (VHS)
• Succéfilm AB (1988) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA (1989) (Canada) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Teenage Vampire" - Philippines (English title)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Iceland:L | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Houston, Texas, USA

Company:

Kings Road Entertainment

Trivia:

The license plate on Ralph's car reads "BVR HUNT"

Goofs:

Continuity: Darla's window goes from being closed during the police chase, to being open (with her hand hanging out the door), after the car rolls over.

Quotes:

Jeremy Capello:This blood's for you.

Movie Connections:

References "Adam-12" (1968)

Soundtrack:

Heartbeat Getting Stronger

School, girls, parents and… fangs?!.

Jeremy Capello is a teenager who has dreams about the gawky Darla Blake. A girl who doesn't think that highly of him, but there's also a beautiful Barbie-like cheerleader named Candy who's actually keen on him. So his best friend Ralph suggests that he should seek out someone unknown for a one-night stand to get this get his mind thinking straight. While, doing his job he encounters the mysterious Nora, who invites him over for the night. So Jeremy with little help from Ralph meets her, only to be bitten by her and a crazed loon (possibly the husband) break in. The day after Jeremy goes through some minor changes and finds out that Nora's place has been burnt down. Through the course he learns that these are vampire hunters after them, but they seem to think that Ralph is the vampire.

The mid-to-late 80s was a time for vampire films (and even teenage monster themes too). This pleasant little romp is the standard mould of these monster comedies (maybe one of the lesser ones), but surprisingly it makes for a decently breezy time-waster if you're looking for a little 1980s nostalgia in your viewing. It has some generally amusing moments, especially from Rene Auberjonois' sneaky vampire mentor role as Modoc and you can see David Warner is having a ball in his ripe crack-ball role of Prof. Leopold McCarthy, vampire hunter.

Most of the performances are reasonably charming. Robert Sean Leonard ("Dead Poet's Society" and who would probably be best known for the recent TV series "House") is delightfully good as Jeremy and Evan Mirand turns in a joyful performance as the loutish Ralph. A fetching Cheryl Pollack is fair as the geeky Darla. Fannie Flagg and Kenneth Kimmins trump in with marvellously tuneful performances as Jeremy's overly worried parents. Paul Wilson makes solid of Prof. Leonard's bumbling assistant Grimsdyke. Let me not forget the minor role of the seductively alluring Cecilia Peck (Gregory Pecks' daughter) as Nora. Oh and look out for a slender Kathy Bates. The variable cast had a witty script to play along with and most of it was quite satisfying when it came to the punch.

Director Jimmy Huston does a competent job without doing anything overtly special, but he gets a lot spirit and odd developments running through some humorous situations. It can get corny in parts and extremely sappy when it comes to its closing moral. A trailblazing 80s pop soundtrack (notably Blondie and Oingo Boingo) features strongly in the film's make-up with the utterly hip and catchy title tune, "The future's so bright (I've got to wear shades)" by the TIMBUK 3. The stereotypically lucid premise (which shares similarities with the Jim Carrey vampire flick, "Once Bitten") is routine and derivative, but still it has some nice touches and diverting trivia on the vampire mythology. None of this should sideswipe your entertainment of it, unless you're looking for something with more aggression amongst its bite. I guess you'll know if you're going to like it after the first 15 minutes.

It might be far from revolutionary (just look at the title and you should know what to expect), but there's just something endearing about this campy lightweight piece.