I seem to be reviewing a lot of sequels lately, but aside from the Rob Zombie remake of Halloween 2, I don't really have a problem with it, for it allows me to review not only the sequel, but mention the original movie besides.
Tonight I had a choice between Hammer film Studio's Plague of the Zombies and Fright Night 2, and despite the fact that I hadn't seen Plague of the Zombies before, it really didn't grab me at the beginning, so I abandoned it in favor of Fright Night 2. There was also a series of Aliens movies on another channel, but it had commercials on that channel, and given a choice between uninterrupted horror movie pleasure and a series of stupid ads designed to annoy the shit out of me rather than buy a product (at least it seems that way to me), I'll take the uninterrupted horrorific pleasure every time.
A look at Fright Night 2 wouldn't be complete without at least a mention of Fright Night, the first movie of this series, of which there are, unfortunately, only 2 movies that I am aware of. Fright Night, in this series of movies, is the name of a television show hosted by Peter Vincent (played by Roddy McDowell), the "fearless Vampire Killer." Peter Vincent is an older actor who starred in a bunch of movies about slaying vampires, and now hosts a show every friday night where he replays one of his older movies. A huge fan of Peter's show is a high school student named Charlie Brewster (william Ragsdale), is having some girlfriend trouble, and during a little lover's spat, he notices that the new neighbor who moved in next door isn't quite what he appears to be. A short investigation by Charlie reveals that the new neighbor is, in fact, a vampire, but unfortunately for Charlie, the vampire becomes aware of Charlie as well, and Charlie goes to the only person he can think of for help... Peter Vincent. I won't go into that movie too much since it's exceptional in and of itself, so I'll just move on to the next one.
Fright Night 2 reunites William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowell again, but introduces a host of new characters as well. Charlie's at college now and has a new girlfriend, played by Traci Lind. On a side note, Traci Lind was getting a lot of work in hollywood around the time she did this movie, and is incredibly hot as well, but apparently gave up acting some time in the late 90's, which is quite a shame. Anyway, Charlie begins having a series of strange dreams about a seductive woman (Julie Carmen) in his dorm room at night, and this again causes some girl trouble for poor Charlie. While Charlie is trying to juggle college classes and smoothing things over with his girl, all while attending therapy sessions to get him over the shock of the last movie, he begins to feel a bit ill. Daylight begins to feel glaringly bright to him, and he has a nasty cut on his neck... :-o
I won't give away any more of the movie, because it is not only good but funny in spots, much like the first one. What I find funny is how, no matter what the characters have gone through in the first movie, the people in the sequel never believe them. In Jaws 2, for instance, despite Sherriff Brody having had extensive experience with sharks, no one believes him when he thinks there is another. It is the same with this movie, even Peter Vincent says it, "Charlie, such a thing can't possibly happen again." Well dammit Peter, guess what? You're WRONG! lol
The vampires in these movies are certainly evil, and the hero and heroines are attractive enough, but what I think glues these movies together is the screen presence of Roddy McDowell. He plays the aging actor Peter Vincent with grace and skill, and at one point, after having fled from the sight of the vampire in Fright Night 2 (he is only a cowardly actor in these films, after all), he stops to soothe his nerves in a pub, and while having a beer, a large man says to him "I know I've seen you before... what do you do for a living?" Despondent and sad that he has left his friends to face the evil alone, he quietly sighs "Vampire Killer." The man says "What?" Peter says again, with a look of confusion on his face, as if realizing what he's saying, "Vampire Killer." The large man laughs, and Peter gets right up in the taller man's face, and says "Is there something wrong with your hearing, friend? I said... I... kill... Vampires!" and strides from the bar to do battle with the vampiric evil, his courage replenished.
Yes. Beer can do that.
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