News
Late to the Party: Fright Night (1985)
Welcome back, spooky darlings, to another edition of Late to the Party! This week I watched Tom Holland’s 1985 classic, Fright Night.
Fright Night, I’ve realized, is essentially a modern-day suburban retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. You’ve got Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) as a stand-in for Johnathan Harker. He realizes that his new neighbor, Jerry Dandrige (who has moved in to an aging mansion with enviable stained glass windows and antique architectural fixtures that seem oddly out of place in this 80s suburb, but, okay) has some rather frightening secrets.
Charley seeks the assistance of a renowned occult expert and supposed vampire slayer, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall). But Vincent is a much more reluctant and dishonest double for Van Helsing. Though he eventually rises to the occasion, he begins his journey as a floundering entertainer and steadfast cynic.
Like Dracula, Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) has a Renfield-like “familiar” in his roommate, Billy Cole (Jonathan Stark). Billy takes out the trash, drives their jeep, and generally helps Jerry with the acquisition and disposal of victims. They’re best buds!
Charlie’s girlfriend, Amy (Amanda Bearse), plays the role of a surrogate Mina. She is seduced by Jerry and soon is transformed. Charley’s only hope is to kill Jerry, releasing Amy from his spell and saving them all in a grand heroic gesture.
One scene that stuck out to me was the dance floor seduction of Amy. The subtle primal awakening is communicated perfectly.
This poor girl has had a bit of an on-again, off-again relationship with Charley, and our first introduction to them as a couple is Carley’s low-key attempt to pressure her into having sex. When she bundles up the resolve to give it an honest try, Charley is too distracted by Jerry’s in-a-coffin arrival to realize that this is kind of a big deal for Amy. She storms off in a huff.
In subsequent scenes, Amy tries to open up to Charley to address the challenges in their relationship. She is continually frustrated as Charley becomes more obsessed with his new “my neighbor is a vampire” theory.
Enter Jerry. Seductive, sexy Jerry (or, at least he was 80s sexy). He is taken by her resemblance to an old lover and his raw vampire magnetism draws Amy in like a moth to a flame. She’s finally granted sensual attention, and damn, this girl is so ready.
As always, I went head-over-heels for Fright Night‘s practical effects. There are some fantastic transformations punctuated by melting flesh and cracking bones. I was practically giddy, you guys.
I don’t care what anyone says, the real way to a woman’s heart is through gruesome practical effects.
Another scene worth highlighting is the wolf death. It’s actually heartbreaking (completely sold by Roddy McDowall’s reactions) and – again – the visuals are solid. I felt actual emotions because of this scene, which is no easy feat (trust me on this).
I’m going warn you about spoilers for the next paragraph, so if you – like past me – haven’t seen Fright Night, perhaps skip ahead?
The scene between the dying wolf and Vincent is skillfully presented. Vincent – who had run off to seek help – finally lives up to the strength of his as-seen-on-TV character. He gains confidence that he can be the knowledgeable vampire slayer that he pretends to be. But it’s a tragic discovery, since it comes on the heels of killing young “Evil” Ed. Ed, the awkward outcast, who was lured to the vampire life by Jerry’s promise: “they won’t pick on you anymore”. As Ed dies, he reaches out for comfort, foiled by the monster he has become.
Overall, Fright Night really grew on me, and I’m glad I finally gave in and watched it.
For more Late to the Party, check out the full catalogue of recent discoveries!
I’ll leave you with this song because if I’m going to have it stuck in my head all day, dammit, you should too.
Featured image by Chris Fischer
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
News
Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role
Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.
Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.
“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”
Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.
While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?
The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
Editorial
7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch
The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.
The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.
We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.
Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?
Scream Live (2023)
Ghostface (2021)
Ghost Face (2023)
Don’t Scream (2022)
Scream: A Fan Film (2023)
The Scream (2023)
A Scream Fan Film (2023)
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
Movies
Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month
Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.
Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.
According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.
Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.
Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.
Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.
While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.
According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”
The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
-
News4 days ago
This Horror Film Just Derailed a Record Held by ‘Train to Busan’
-
Movies4 days ago
Watch ‘Immaculate’ At Home Right Now
-
News3 days ago
Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween
-
News2 days ago
Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers
-
News5 days ago
Read Reviews For ‘Abigail’ The Latest From Radio Silence
-
News5 days ago
Melissa Barrera Says Her ‘Scream’ Contract Never Included a Third Movie
-
Editorial6 days ago
Rob Zombie’s Directorial Debut Was Almost ‘The Crow 3’
-
News4 days ago
A24 Joins Blockbuster Movie Club With Their Biggest Opening Ever
You must be logged in to post a comment Login