Fright Night (1985)

A teenager discovers that the newcomer in his neighborhood is a vampire, so he turns to an actor in a television horror show for help dealing with the undead.

Director:

Tom Holland

Writer:

Tom Holland

Stars:

Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse

5 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chris Sarandon	...	Jerry Dandrige
William Ragsdale	...	Charley Brewster
Amanda Bearse	...	Amy Peterson
Roddy McDowall	...	Peter Vincent
Stephen Geoffreys	...	Evil Ed
Jonathan Stark	...	Billy Cole
Dorothy Fielding	...	Judy Brewster
Art Evans	...	Detective Lennox (as Art J. Evans)
Stewart Stern	...	Cook
Nick Savage	...	Bouncer #1
Ernie Holmes	...	Bouncer #2
Heidi Sorenson	...	Hooker
Irina Irvine	...	Teenage Girl
Bob Corff	...	Jonathan (as Robert Corff)
Pamela Brown	...	Miss Nina

Storyline

For young Charley Brewster, nothing could be better than an old horror movie late at night. Two men move in next door, and for Charley with his horror movie experience, there can be no doubt that their strange behavior is explained by the fact that they are a vampire and his undead day guardian. The only one who can help him hunt them down is a washed-up actor, Peter Vincent, who hosts Charley's favorite TV show, Fright Night. Vincent doesn't really believe that vampires exist, but does it for the money...

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | horror host | homosexual subtext | cult film | transformation | 

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Taglines:

There are some very good reasons to be afraid...of the dark.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 August 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fright Night

Filming Locations:

Laird International Studio - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,118,543, 4 August 1985, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$24,922,237

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Vistar Films, Columbia Pictures Industries

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer/director Tom Holland has admitted that the scene with Billy Cole creeping up the staircase behind Peter and Charley was inspired by Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

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Goofs

When the Jerry Dandridge bat-creature is attacking Peter Vincent, it scratches the left side of his face. When Charley Brewster pulls the bat off him, the scratches are gone.

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Quotes

[the vampire movie shows Peter Vincent catching Miss Nina in the act]
Peter Vincent: Stop, you creature of the night!
Miss Nina: [Nina hisses] Who are you who interrupts my nightly feeding?
Peter Vincent: I... am... Peter Vincent, vampire killer!

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Crazy Credits

During the opening credits, the F and T in Fright Night (1985) elongate into a pair of fangs.

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Alternate Versions

The Swedish version (cinema and video) misses the following: The transformation scene with Ed was removed (1m 50sec), and the scene where Dandrige's assistant melts was shortened by 16 sec.

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Connections

Referenced in Angel: Eternity (2000)

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Soundtracks

GOOD MAN IN A BAD TIME
Written by Marc Tanner and Jon Reede
Produced by Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter
Performed by Ian Hunter

User Reviews

So much better then the remake.

This is another one of those examples where the classic is way better then the original. The remake completely changed the story line I would not even really call it a remake.The acting in this one is good and the special effects are actually creepy instead of that CGI crap. Really is a great classic horror.

This movie is about a young guy named Charlie Brewster. While spying on his neighbours one day he sees things to lead him to the suspicion that his new neighbour is a vampire. He is scared for his life while everyone else is scared for his sanity.

I have loved this movie since I was a kid it used to be scary then but now its just funny and enjoyable. Must see for horror fans if not might not enjoy it so much.