VIDEO REVIEW: Fright Night

VIDEO REVIEW: The Sentinel

REVIEW: Fright Night

Fright Night
Director: Tom Holland
Year 1985
 
Fright Night is a ridiculously fun 80’s horror flick that balances its camp moments with its atmospheric horror settings in order to form something of a perfect cinematic union that entertains to no end. Supported by an ensemble cast of diverse and equally engaging characters, the film boasts an energetic feel that can be mostly attributed to the group of fine actors that really bring this gem to life. With its delicate balance of horror and hilarity, Fright Night establishes itself as a fright flick that is soaked with charm and oozing with vampiric antics that should not be missed.
 
The film follows Charley Brewster, an ordinary high school student, who comes to the frightening realization that a vampire has just moved in next door to his house. Determined to bring the blood-sucker down by any means necessary, Charley enlists the help of his girlfriend Amy Peterson and his estranged pal Evil Ed, but unfortunately the pair think that he is going out of his mind. It isn’t until the group receives some assistance by a television horror host named Peter Vincent, who is as skeptical as the rest, that the motley crew comes to see that Charley was indeed right. As they fight to survive, it becomes crystal clear that this will be a night filled with fright. Get out your crosses, garlic, and holy water, because it’s FRIGHT NIGHT!

William Ragsdale plays the role of Charley Brewster, the horror obsessed teenager who finds himself in a nasty predicament. Ragsdale is absolutely fantastic in this flick, giving a performance that is fun as hell to see unroll. Not only that but the chemistry between himself and the fictional vampire hunter Peter Vincent, played by the legendary Roddy McDowall, is what holds this film together and makes it so damn enjoyable. When the two get together it is literally movie magic, as each actor plays marvelously off each other. Seeing as this was Ragsdale’s second feature film appearance, I’d say he did a tremendous job for being such a young newcomer and this single role made a huge impression on me growing up. Needless to say, William Ragsdale really owns this character and his contributions to making Charley Brewster believable and engaging are extremely commendable and whole heartedly appreciated.
 
As previously mentioned Roddy McDowall takes on the character of Peter Vincent, the late-night television host of the horror showcase, Fright Night. Being a veteran of the cinema, appearing in such magnificent productions as It!, the Planet of the Apes series, The Legend of Hell House, and The Martian Chronicles, and also doing outstanding voice work in The Return of the King and The Black Hole, McDowall had the acting chops to bring this larger than life character to the screen. He gives Peter Vincent a sympathetic representation by allowing us to get inside the character in both his cowardly and timid moments to his ultimate transformation into the vampire hunter character in which he fictionally portrayed during the apex of his acting career. I’ve always had a golden rule about the actor and it’s a rather simple one. If Roddy McDowall is in a film, then his character is going to be outstanding. With Fright Night, his Peter Vincent character is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable of his long illustrious career.

Amanda Bearse and Stephen Geoffreys, who play the parts of Amy Peterson and Evil Ed, take up the supporting roles of the film. These two actors also bring their A game and to their credit, though they are virtually low key players in the cinema world, they make a massive impression on the film itself. Amanda Bearse, best known for her role as Marcy D’Arcy on the hit TV show Married with Children, does an amazing job with her role. During the course of the film she must transform from an innocent and shy teenager into a sexy and sultry vampire bride, and she does it in the most believable of ways. As for Stephen Geoffreys’ Evil Ed, the man was born to play this role. With his crazy looks and off the wall personality, Geoffreys gives a performance of a lifetime and gifts onto the audience an iconic role that, without a doubt, is a favorite among 80’s genre fans.
 
Of course you can’t have a film without a main villain and this particular horror gem has a doozy. Chris Sarandon plays the role of Jerry Dandrige, the super cool and charismatic vampire who has all the right moves and the bite to match. Sarandon is at his best in this film, showcasing all the wit and charm that he can muster, while bringing about a master villain that we just can’t help but to like. With the tongue and cheek attitude that this film gives off, Sarandon fits right in as he playfully manipulates each scene that he appears in. I’ve always dug Sarandon as an actor and feel that his diverse filmography is a testament to his flexibility in the profession. From such films as The Sentinel, Cuba, The Princess Bride, and Child’s Play, Sarandon has run quite the genre gamut and his role in Fright Night is the best and most rewarding of them all.
 
As for the film, Fright Night is a cornucopia of horror goodness that knows how to have fun with the subject matter, while at the same time respecting the dark qualities and foreboding nature of the genre. The locations and sets are wonderfully depicted, sparing no expense on atmosphere and macabre wonder. The inclusion of Peter Vincent’s horror show Fright Night is no accident, for as the movie delves into the more ghastly portions of the story it begins to come off as one of Vincent’s fictional productions sprung to life. Added on to this delicious layer of atmosphere and fright is some top notch special effects work that really brings some grotesque creations to the forefront of the film. One particular effects moment that stands out is during the death of the wolf creature by the hands of Peter Vincent. The transformation from the vile and ferocious wolf beast to the frail and dying human form is unsettling to say the least and the graphic nature of that sequence is off the charts disturbing. The same can be said for the other creature effects that encompass this production. When it’s all said and done, Fright Night is a horror flick that is worth praising.

Fright Night is a timeless horror film that hits all the right notes. From its spectacular cast to its intimate story, the movie is a cut above the rest. Its balance of both horror and comedy is not one that is contrasted by a clear divided line, but one that is melded into every fabric of the production, making for an atmospheric romp that is both frighteningly uneasy and highly entertaining. Both William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall put on iconic performances, with Chris Sarandon pulling off a masterful turn as the scene stealing villain.
 
The overall look of the film is outstanding from its fog shrouded moonlit streets to its gothic-centric mansion filled with horrific delights and undead creatures. When it comes to effects work, the film is of the highest caliber, featuring some of the most inventive and unusual creations of the time period. If you like your horror films to have an abundance of character and charm, with a side of atmospheric spectacle, then Fright Night is your ticket to a frighteningly good time. If you watch this one, there’s no doubt that you are in for a…..

Evil Ed.... you're an Evil Pain in my ASS!

What's with the life-preserver? You jump ship Brewster?

What are you looking at Charley? You little pervert!

Can't a guy get a little action in peace?

Charley is blown away by how awesome this film is.

Hello everyone. Enjoying the movie?

Peter Vincent is a little uncomfortable with Charley's obsession with him.

Damn Brewster! You're CRAZY!

Who could this suave son of a bitch be?

Rock that turtleneck you handsome bastard you!

Quite crying you big baby.

Someone put the coins on Peter's eyes cause he sure can't believe what he is seeing.

Jerry Dandrige.... the epitome of 80's cool.

Call me Cornelius again and see what happens.

Damn Peter..... that's cold.

I've got six little friends and they can all run faster than you can.

They're coming to get you Brewster.

You found me beautiful once. Honey, you got reeeal ugly!

 

REVIEW: The Sentinel

The Sentinel
Director: Michael Winner
Year 1977
 
The Sentinel is an outstandingly haunting film that relies on subtlety and tension to tell its atmospheric tale of one woman’s descent into madness. Centered on an old apartment complex, the movie bombards the viewer with a wild array of motley characters, all in which inhabit this historic building filled with various sorted tales. With a palpable tone and well paced direction, The Sentinel is a horror film that approaches the subject matter in a classy and respectable way, opening up the film for a much broader representation of the genre.
 
The film follows a young and beautiful fashion model named Alison Parker, who against the wishes of her boyfriend Michael, is looking for an apartment to rent for herself in New York City. After going through a number of overpriced places, Alison stumbles upon a unique find in Brooklyn Heights in the form of an old apartment building filled with some interesting tenants. Unknown to Alison though is that the building complex has a long and sorted past filled with both mystery and horror. Haunted by frightening visions and battling through a series of strange events, Alison finds herself being drawn into a morbid plot that has her becoming a permanent resident of this house of horrors. Run Alison, run!

Cristina Raines plays the role of Alison Parker, the attractive model who is tormented by a house and destiny that she cannot pull away from. Cristina does an excellent job with the doomed character of Alison, giving a sympathetic performance that really steals the show and progresses the film along with ease. She has the stunning look that is required for the role of a fashion model, but she also has an excellent underplayed approach to her tormented character. Throughout the film, Alison gives off shades of vulnerability, sheer terror, and ultimately strength as she takes on the forces of the house against her own better judgment. Another impressive aspect of her role is the physical progression, or regression, her character undergoes as the film moves along. She goes from a youthful and optimistic woman to a drained and haggard wreck as the film nears its epic conclusion. The overall performance looked draining as all hell, but the end result is rather impressive and makes for a believable and shocking ending when the curtain finally closes.
 
Paired up with Cristina is the cool as shit Chris Sarandon, taking on the role of Michael Lerman, Alison’s boyfriend. Sarandon plays the character with a suave disposition and a cocky attitude that only he can pull off. What’s most interesting about his character is that for the majority of the film, we are given some pretty heavy clues that point to him being involved in some way with what has been going on at Alison’s apartment. Of course, Sarandon can play off of those teasing aspects of whether he’s a bad guy or good guy like a pro, so the addition of ambiguity is quite clever on the side of the filmmakers and Chris is expertly up to the challenge. What I enjoyed most about his role in the film, is that he becomes somewhat of a defender of his endangered girlfriend, doing research on the side in order to try to find out what is wrong with her. It’s actually a nice change of pace from what we see earlier in the film, and he’s able to make his character reveal some rather endearing qualities. Plus, look at that damn mustache!

The rest of the cast is absolutely great and essential to the structure of the story. Throughout the film, Alison is introduced to her various neighbors in the building, with each one being stranger than the next. They’re all a bit eccentric and each one has their own set of quirks, but for the most part Alison enjoys the company of these strange folks. What is even stranger though, that when complaining about the noise that some of them make at night to her real estate agent, she comes to find that there is only one person living in the building and they live on the top floor. This notion that she has a building full of neighboring tenants that aren’t really supposed to be there is an intriguing one and it is a notion that drives the mystery of this film along with great skill. Another great aspect of these mystery tenants is that they are all insanely wacky in their own respect. We have a lesbian couple, a jaded old woman, a peculiar married couple, and an interesting old man played by Burgess Meredith, who has a pet canary. Hell they even throw other interesting characters at us from outside the apartment complex like Arthur Kennedy and John Carradine as priests, Ava Gardner as Alison’s real estate agent, and a short running cameo by Jeff Goldblum, so this film has no shortage of interesting characters and big name actors. This motley group provides a great deal of spectacularly strange moments within the story and they aid a great deal to the overall atmospherically charged events of the movie.
 
Speaking of atmosphere, this film has it down-packed with its architecturally interesting look and storied past. Add onto that the wonderfully realized scenes where Alison is wandering around the building at night and you’ve got one hell of a gothic infused horror flick. There are some moments in the movie that are so expertly shot and perfectly handled, that you find yourself jumping out of your seat, not from a loud noise or pitch in music but by the creepiness of the moment. For instance, there is a part in this film that has Alison fumbling in the dark with a broken flashlight, only to have a shadow on the wall behind her spring to life and walk right across her field of vision, only to make it to the other side of the room and stand there, still as stone. The moment is frighteningly simple, yet it packs a punch, one that doesn’t go away as you wait to see what happens next. There’s another moment that has an army of freaks and oddities roaming the darkened halls of the apartment complex with some disturbing imagery that will literally haunt you in your sleep. These are just two examples of many, because this is one classic horror flick that gives you genuine scares without being over bombastic and flashy with their frights. Bring it on and check it out.

The Sentinel is a miraculous display on how horror movies should be done. With a subtle build up that lets the tension grow over time, the film shows just how hypnotic a classically done fright flick can be. With a stupendous performance by both Cristina Raines and Chris Sarandon, and an ensemble cast of high caliber actors, the movie has got all the right ingredients to tell a highly captivating story.
 
Much like the set up of characters and their fantastic contributions to the narrative, the look and atmosphere for the film is just top notch. Relying heavily on visual cues and steady pacing to put the scare in the audience, the film comes off as a more refined piece of cinematic horror rather than a flashy modern mess. With its attention to tone and its doomed scenario, The Sentinel makes a lasting impression that is sure to stick with the audience long after viewing. They don’t make subtle horror movies like this anymore folks, so check this one out as soon as you can. It will be a refreshing pace from the wham, bam, thank you ma’am shit that you’ve come across in recent years. You can thank me later. The Sentinel is an…..

Damn I'm a good looking man.

Now that's one sneaky priest.

Damn lazy kids. Get a job!

I can see you up there pervert!

Paulie want to shut the fuck up?!?!

You know you look ridiculous in that hat.

Hot damn that's a beautiful view.

SEXY!

Your shadow looks a little weird Alison.

Stab him in the head!

Would you mind dressing up in a naughty nun outfit?

God..... Thanks for the sweet stache.

Look at my mustache when I'm talking to you!

At least the mustache is still intact.

This mustache is delicious!

Shit! It's Burgess Meredith and his posse of freaks! RUN!

Keep the light on for me Alison. P.S. You look like shit.