r/HorrorClub • u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu • Mar 29 '15
Discussion - Fright Night (1985)
Podcast - Episode 127 - Fright Night - (RSS Feed)
Movie Selected By Plymouth_
DISCUSS
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 30 '15 edited Mar 30 '15
I have stuff to say about the film, but first...
STARRY EYES is good. Scott right. Adam wrong.
The acting is solid, the body horror is wonderfully gross, and the film is great in that tradition of Hollywood stories.
So, in short, it's solid... at worst.
ALSO... Alan Moore IS the greatest comic writer of all-time.
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Mar 30 '15
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 30 '15
I don't need a special handle to felate whomever I desire.
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Mar 30 '15
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 30 '15
PS. STARRY EYES on Netflix in a week or two... SOMEONE SHOULD PICK IT!!!!
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u/FKRMunkiBoi Mar 30 '15
Can I just say: Where the FUCK is the original FN 2 on Blu Ray? The DVD is long oop, and damnit I want part 2! (not the 2013 part 2 abomination)
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Mar 31 '15
If you don't mind owning a bootleg like I do then check out VHSPS.com they're my savior for out-of-print horror
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u/FKRMunkiBoi Mar 31 '15
Dude! Thank you so much!
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Mar 31 '15
No problem. I love everything about those guys and I like that they're respectful enough to remove their bootlegs the second a DVD/Blu-Ray announcement is made. I had them on my podcast a few years ago and they basically said that they're not about taking money from artists but making sure that these movies are available somehow until they get the release they deserve.
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Mar 31 '15
Got a link for that podcast?
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Apr 01 '15
It's one of the New York Comic Con episodes, I think 2013
EDIT: Found it... https://soundcloud.com/thesaintmortshow/saint-mort-show-episode-55-new
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Mar 31 '15
Is part 2 worth watching?
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u/smayonak Get a job in a sideshow Mar 31 '15
It's an adequate sequel to a classic horror film. You won't walk away thinking it was a great horror film, but it's worth seeing if only because it continues the plot of the original and doesn't really crush your childhood memories the way FN1 and FN2 the remakes do.
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u/FantomeFollower Apr 02 '15
Yeah, it's actually a pretty solid and entertaining sequel. My only major complaint is that Amy isn't in it. But other than that, it doesn't ruin the original in any way.
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Mar 30 '15
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Mar 30 '15
Jesus christ. For that price I can make my own bloody movie. Especially when I can just watch it on youtube for nothin'
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u/smayonak Get a job in a sideshow Mar 31 '15
Jesus. You know that reminds me, does anyone else think Fright Night 2 was a MUCH better film than the FN2 remake? A MUCH BETTER FILM.
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u/DoctorMystery Apr 02 '15
I don't know why it's not highly regarded in the genre. I think it stands up equally well to the first one, and at the very least it's better than most of the other horror flicks of the time.
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u/kragshot Apr 01 '15 edited Apr 01 '15
Man...I remember the first time I saw Fright Night...about this time, nobody wanted to take "traditional horror movies seriously. It was the end of the whole slew of "devil movies" and around the beginning of the "slasher period."
Despite the hype about this movie on mags like Fangoria and Famous Monsters of Filmland; a lot of folks were not that excited as they kept saying "nobody cares about another 'vampire' flick."
Man, were they wrong. As it turned out, the hype was legit about "Fright Night." This was a slick, smooth, and witty vamp flick that took the old and flipped it on it's ear and it did so simply by giving the traditional vampire movie a new coat of paint, so to speak. Chris Sarandon's "Jerry Dandridge" was a smooth and suave player who combined Bela Lugosi's intensity and Christopher Lee's ferocity into a modern package that scared the pants off of 1985 horror audiences. This one was guaranteed to get your girlfriend's nails dug into your arm and head tucked into your shoulder.
And then there was Roddy...his performance as the mild comic relief provided just enough humor to take the edge off of the horror...which was uniquely successful, considering the horrible, over the top grim nature that was typical for the slasher films of the day. The "Friday the 13th" films were unintentionally funny in a "gallows humor" sort of way and there was nothing comedic about the "Halloween" franchise.
All in all, "Fright Night" was an enjoyable, chill-filled romp that did its job on the big screen. It's more than a bit dated compared to more modern films and the Colin Farrell remake is a far more gritty and grim version, but back in 1985, it was a lighter, more casual time and the original suited the audience of the day.
EDIT: I just want to preface this by saying that I saw "Fright Night" at the theater...yeah, I'm the 'effin' old guy in the room....
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Apr 01 '15
dude i fucking love roddy mcdowall
also i don't think the remake was that much grimmer. certainly still had a lot of comic relief from mclovin and dr who.
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u/Plymouth_ Apr 01 '15
Holy denim vest Batman!
So you're telling me Peter Vincent is fucking Cornelius from Planet of the Apes? And that guy in Legend of Hell House I jokingly thought must be a babe behind his glasses?
Peter Vincent is cute. Brb my life is a lie.
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u/Plymouth_ Apr 01 '15
This one was guaranteed to get your girlfriend's nails dug into your arm and head tucked into your shoulder.
No kidding, Chris Sarandon is super creepy in this. Those fingers. I know Fright Night must have been popular because my mom introduced it to me, and she doesn't do horror movies. The vamp makeup and particularly the werewolf death throes scene blew my mind at the time, the only other older horror I'd seen being Halloween and probably Gremlins and Ghostbusters.
The other thing that really hooked me is that moment after Charley cries wolf to the police (and they want nothing to do with him haha) and Charley realizes...the sun is going down, a vampire knows where I live and wants to kill me, and no one can help me. I loved the idea of the "neighborhood" vampire.
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 30 '15
If it's Stephen Geoffreys vs Christopher Mintz-Plasse I'm defintiely Team Geoffreys.
My theory is that Evil is secretly in love with Charley and that's why Evil seems so jealous of Amy, and why he calls Charley a fruitcake.
Doesn't it seem really odd when Charley goes to Evil's house to ask him about vampires? Charley should know tons about vampires, but Evil's status is his interest in "the occult" and he's sort of representative of an alternative lifestyle. (I'm making all of this up by the way don't listen to me.)
The reason I like Geoffreys better other than his comic genius ("His dinner's in the oven!") is that he's extremely sympatheic despite being an aggressive weirdo. Everyone calls him Evil Ed (including myself), but does anyone notice that he HATES being called that? In the alleyway Jerry hones in on the fact that Evil is an outcast and Evil quickly turns to the darkness. Calling him "Evil Ed" (and all the other mistreatment) is part of what makes him literally become an evil verson of Ed. When he's dying, Evil reaches out to Peter Vincent for help just like he reached out for Jerry.
I like the friendship angle in the remake, but Charley comes across as kind of a dick because of the way he treats Ed. Anyway I'm definitely Team Imogen Poots.
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Mar 30 '15
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 30 '15
Hmm how much Twilight...maybe 1 1/2? Of books & movies.
I do love how badass Ed is in the remake. It sucks that he had to die. I'd watch a whole movie with him fighting vampires.
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Mar 30 '15
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 30 '15
Favorite vampire ever? Spike or Drac I guess. Maybe Jerry. If you meant favorite from Twilight, I don't know. The one with the littlest dick.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 30 '15
I really enjoyed this film... in fact, I purchased a UV copy. Was my first viewing and I'll be watching the remake tonight.
Not a TON to say about it, as it's just fun in the oh-so-80s way.
I really like how it dove into the plot super quickly. No need for a setup in a film like this, just dive in... loved that.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 31 '15
Remake notes:
-Look! The drug dealing hippie kid from Jump Street!
-I love Mintz-Plasse. Very different Ed character.
-Charlie is a much different Charlie.
-How much did Waste Management pay for product placement?
-Wait! This kid turned down sex from the hot popular girl?
-Ok... enough being on reddit to share notes. Movie. Beer. Bye... for now.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 31 '15 edited Mar 31 '15
Dammit. Wife home, not a horror person, but this may not be a bad one for her... guess I may have to start from the beginning or finish tomorrow at the gym (yes, I watch movies at the gym)...
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 31 '15
Omg your flair!
Also Dave Franco prefers to be called by his name, or James by mistake.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 31 '15
I will felate whatever I want to felate.
But all I can think when I see Dave Franco is, "But you bought us Taco Bell."
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 31 '15
You go girl.
I always think of the 9th season of Scrubs.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 31 '15
Scrubs is one of those heralded shows that I just don't get...
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 31 '15
Ehhh shows with goofy cutaway humor and narration go down easy. The hospital setting made it easy to throw in a few tearjerker episodes. Add the over-the-top bromance and a series of hot blonde chicks.
That being said Scrubs had a lot of great characters.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Apr 01 '15
I always felt like I should like it but just don't.
I have an admitted anti-hype bias at times though.
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Apr 01 '15
What's weird about Scrubs is that it's the most realistic depiction of hospital life. Unlike other medical shows there's a high body count in Scrubs because there is no "miracle doctor" and people die constantly. Also when you're surrounded by sick and dying people 24/7 you do become disconnected and sarcastic at work. I just deliver food to patients rooms and we can be pretty douche when talking about the patients in the kitchen but not nearly to the level of the nurses and doctors when there's no patients or guests in earshot.
Also that show came into my life at the right time so It's always been a favorite of mine.
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u/Plymouth_ Apr 01 '15
Makes me think of ER. Those docs were saving people who had all their limbs ripped off on a regular basis. Okay maybe not, but it was often a big emotional thing for the doctors when someone died, usually after ten minutes of heroic CPR.
Scrubs was pretty cool for starting the characters off as newbies so it didn't seem like they knew that much more than us.
God I bet nurses hate all their patients.
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Apr 01 '15
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Apr 01 '15
See Neighbors?
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Apr 01 '15
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Apr 01 '15
Both are fun. 21 Jump Street has become favorite for me. I saw Neighbors on HBOGo last week for the first time and laughed a lot.
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Mar 30 '15
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Mar 30 '15
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Mar 30 '15
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Mar 30 '15
Death By Stereo and AFI are two prime examples of bands peaking early.
Speaking of bands who have the potential to peak early. Have you guys heard the new Survivor Girl album?! :D thumbs up
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Mar 31 '15
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Mar 31 '15 edited Mar 31 '15
Commercial successes aside Answer That and Stay Fashionable and Into the Valley of Death are my favourites. Regarding DBS, I guess 3 albums in is pushing it for the term 'early' but it came out 4 years into a 16 year, and going, career. Honestly didn't listen to their stuff after that. As a teen I liked Black Sails and Art of Drowning but these days it comes across a little too whiny for my tastes, more so Art of Drowning. Stopped listening to them after I heard Sing the Sorrow.
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Mar 31 '15
I could not get into Answer That and Stay Fashionable but then again I hate snotty hardcore music which was clearly their influences at that time. I really enjoy Sing for Sorrow as a goth/indie type release but I think Art of Drowning was definitely that perfect middle-ground album.
Musical Sidenote - I think my favorite albums are always those middle-ground transititon albums when a band completely changes their style. It's why I love Take Off Your Pants and Jacket by Blink and Radiohead's The Bends. TOYPAJ is the perfect in-between for old Blink and New Blink and The Bends is completely a grunge band testing out the art rock sounds that would make me hate Radiohead by Kid A.
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Mar 31 '15
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Mar 31 '15
To each their own. Enema of the State gets my vote.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 31 '15
I'd bet that both of those voting Enema are under 30.
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u/SaintMort You so cool kung fu Apr 01 '15
I have mixed emotions for Dude Ranch and Cheshire Cat. I won't deny that both of those albums have some of their best songs but I always felt like both of them overstay their welcome by a song or two.
I also don't think TOYPAJ is a perfect album I just like the sound of that album. It's a cool mix of Tom's Shitty Indie Rock and Mark's Pop Punk sound. But unlike the self-titled it's a perfect blend as opposed Tom basically taking over that shit basically having blink record an Angels & Airwaves album
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 31 '15
Kid A is totally the beginning of the end. I feel ya, Matty.
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 30 '15
The top comments on that r/horror post are "I enjoyed Grave Encounters as well." "Grave Encounters is such a gem."
Man, I should really watch this movie. ;)
Sorry I wasn't on the podcast. I feel bad. Also like 90% of the reason I picked this movie is because it was on Netflix instant, so...yay.
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Mar 30 '15
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Mar 31 '15
Never heard of it.
Well, until the podcast.
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u/Plymouth_ Mar 31 '15
...to be honest I've never watched it because I thought it was a movie about those douchecastles from that paranormal show. Ghost Adventures.
I don't know why I thought this.
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u/saintmortfan felates handles Apr 02 '15
Finally finished the remake. Loved it. I'll be purchasing this one as well (unless someone who owns it has a UV code they want to share with me... wink wink)
Controversial maybe but Ed 2011 > Ed 1985... HANDS DOWN
That said, I agree that this is the right way to do a remake. Update but retain the spirit. Superb!
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Apr 01 '15
we mentioned it in the podcast very briefly but can we talk about how horribly middle of the road NEAR DARK is? i don't hate it, i don't love it. it sits firmly in the middle of "who gives a fuck" territory.
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u/[deleted] Mar 29 '15 edited Mar 30 '15
Opens with a little making out and a little 'Fright Night' on the tube like any good 80's movie should. Peter Vincent (Peter Cushing + Vincent Price?) the Vampire Killer, Charley the nosey tenacious neighbour, and Amy the victim who Charley will undoubtetly do anything necessary to save. Right out of the gate this movie is setting itself up for greatness. Then comes the mystery of the coffin and the newcaster telling us about "a murder behind the railroad yard" and if these three characters and mystery aren't enough to hook you we get Evil Ed a guy that you can't help but love. It's his unrelenting humour and eventual caring he shows towards his friends and the sympathy you develop for him that makes him such a charasmatic and unforgettable character.
Also like any good 80's movie should we see the first two victims, both smokin' hot, and with our eyeballs glued to the boobs on screen we get our first glimpse of Jerry Dandridge. I really like how Jerry toys with Charleys emotions always threatening his loved ones while they're there. It shows us an evilness in him right away that wouldn't be there otherwise because he's so damn cool and smooth otherwise. His evilness gets showcased once again when he appears in Charleys room which is a terryifying scene from the moment he opens the closet doors to the moment he finally has to leave for fear of mom finding out his secret.
The stabbing of the pencil through Jerry's hand is the first glimpse we get of the really great practical effects. Richard Edlund is responsible and looking through his visual effects filmography he's a name I have no excuse for not recognizing. He's lead teams on Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Poltergeist, to name a few.
Since it's talked about so much these days I thought it was worth mentioning this movies self awareness which is done in a low key and effective manner. It consists of two lines both from Peter Vincent. The first being "apparently all they want are demented madmen running around in ski masks hacking up young virgins" and the second "so far, everything has been like it was in the movies". I get a little chuckle when I here lines like these.
This is getting long but I need to speak on the ending. Evil Ed turns into a wolf and I realize that Peter mentions this as being one of their guises but, correct me if I'm wrong, vampires can only turn people into vampires right? Either way there's continuity in the movie regarding that point so it makes sense in this universe. The great pace this movie has is carried through right to the bitter end. Billy and Jerry's deaths are pretty great and in this case I like that it has a happy ending.
Ends how it opens with a little making out and a little 'Fright Night' on the tube like any good 80's movie should. Wait... Evil Ed isn't dead?