Episode 16 : Fright Night (1985)

Finally, the Halloween episode has arrived! And no other movie better illustrates the scary, fun-loving spirit of the season than Tom Holland’s Fright Night (1985). It’s not just a run-of-the-mill vampire flick... it’s responsible for altering the entire vampy genre, which has been around since the beginning of moviemaking. In the years that preceded Fright Night, many felt the vampire genre had become stale and played out, definitely moving away from being anywhere near terrifying. And in 1985, writer/director Holland changed the vampire genre landscape forever.

▶️ Fright Night skillfully blends horror and comedy, which makes for a supremely fun and entertaining film. When a teen boy-next-door type discovers his charming new neighbor is an enthralling and murderous vampire, how will he ever convince anyone to believe him? We dive into how this film reinvigorated the vampire genre with fresh blood (pun intended) and a different take on vampires, the smartly casted crew of actors, practical special effects vs. digital effects, the hauntingly sexy synth-heavy soundtrack and how a simple idea with a smartly written script can result in brilliance.

▶️ Picks of the Fright Night Week hold strong to the vampire genre. Justin chose Near Dark (1987) with Bill Paxton, an early film by Kathryn Bigelow that departed from typical vampire movies, this time going for more a western-style, action film. Lindsay went for Once Bitten (1985), a Jim Carrey vampire comedy roped into teen sex-comedies of the day more so than the vampire parody realm.

▶️ Who woulda known there was a way to connect Billy to Fright Night’s Roddy McDowall!? Find out how in this week’s MurrayMoment deep cut!

▶️ Fright Night isn’t a tired old vampire yarn and it’s not a slick, teen vampire movie either. Holland’s self-referential, directorial debut means to scare, while making you smile at the same time. It’s a treat for horror fans, and for those non-horrorheads ... You may actually enjoy being frightened this time out!