Every day for the month of October, Coming Soon is making a new horror movie recommendation for those eager to find a new frightening flick for Halloween. From the creepy goodness of a classy ghost story to a blood-spattered gorefest and everything in between, we’ll have something for every taste of horror. And today’s pick is…
Fright Night (1985)
What’s Fright Night about: Long before the meta gem that was Wes Craven’s Scream franchise, the horror genre franchise was seeing a breakdown of conventions in which classic monsters and tropes were being re-evaluated and revised for modern audiences to better fit with the more outrageous time period, from the fourth-wall breaking Freddy Krueger to the genre-blending An American Werewolf in London, but one film to find the balance between them all was 1985’s Fright Night. Following 17-year-old Charley Brewster, the story sees the teen struggle to convince his mom, his girlfriend and even his horror-movie obsessed best friend that his new neighbor is a vampire that is after him and his mother after he witnesses the murder of a woman in the house in vampiric fashion. With no one left to turn to, Charley begs TV show host Peter Vincent, portrayed by the legendary Roddy McDowall (Planet of the Apes), for help in bringing down the bloodsucker before he and everyone he loves becomes the next victims.
Why Fright Night rules: In his debut, writer/director Tom Holland (Child’s Play) proves he has a knack for balancing some stellar comedy with some creepy elements and a unique take on the “Boy Who Cried Wolf” story. Taking every page from the movie vampire book and shredding what he doesn’t like while amplifying what interests him, Holland depicts a charming-yet-menacing vampire in Jerry Dandridge, truly the most memorable vampire in the genre save Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
How scary is Fright Night: While there are no outright jump scares and a comedic tone is present throughout the film, there are moments in which, thanks to some chilling makeup and effects work, we are treated to some creepy and shocking moments that may last in many audiences minds for a long time. Never forget a cross when battling a vampire.
Be on the lookout for:
Where to watch Fright Night: The film is available for a digital rental on Amazon for $2.99 and purchase for $12.99. You can pick up a Blu-ray copy of the cult classic here or a DVD copy here!
CS October Horror Movie Recommendations:
October 1 – Session 9
October 2 – Bubba Ho-Tep
October 3 – City of the Dead
October 4 – Drag Me to Hell
October 5 – Opera
October 6 – It Follows
October 7 – Chopping Mall
October 8 — The Descent
October 9 — The Vampire Doll
October 10 — Poltergeist
October 11 — Jennifer’s Body
October 12 — Grave Encounters
October 13 — Dolls
October 14 — High Tension
October 15 — The Ranger
October 16 — Sleepy Hollow
October 17 — Paranormal Activity 3
October 18 — The Innkeepers
October 19 — I Saw the Devil
October 20 — 28 Days Later
October 21 — Tower of Evil
October 22 — The Cabin in the Woods
October 23 — Green Room
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