31 Days of Horror: Fright Night (1985)

Spooky season is finally upon us! It’s time to bask in the company of slashers, ghosts, witches, vampires, etc. From Bella Lugosi’s blood sucking all the way to Michael B. Jordan’s spit sucking in Sinners, vampires have had a long, comfortable ride in the cinematic world. As such, it can be difficult to find an outlier, especially during Halloween. But if you’re looking for a classic that still stands out, check out Tom Holland’s original Fright Night. 

Released in 1985, Fright Night centers on a teenager named Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) who discovers that his new next-door neighbor Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire. After failing to convince family, friends and even the police about Jerry’s secret, he turns to former B-movie vampire hunter Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), who now hosts a late-night horror theater that Charley watches (and primarily shows films Vincent starred in). 

While I admit the believability of the film—even one about vampires—is questionable, and the pacing isn’t the strongest aspect, Fright Night is my personal favorite vampire film. It is a staple of the 1980s, featuring a soundtrack with some of the best, yet obscure, songs (many of which were produced for the film), 80s-centric styles, and teeth-sinking nostalgia. When watching clips or trailers of the film on YouTube, you are bound to come across a few comments claiming that every kid in 1985 had this film on VHS. 

Jerry Dandridge is my favorite cinematic vampire. His appeal is centered on his portrayal by Chris Sarandon, a well-known horror icon who voiced Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas and played Detective Mike Norris in Child’s Play, another Tom Holland film. He is also set to star in the upcoming third season of Netflix’s Wednesday. He encompasses the charm and appeal with the mythical creatures that began long ago with Christopher Lee’s portrayal of Dracula in the Hammer films. 

He is also a vampire ripped straight out of the 80s, wearing the most retro-Euro shirts and sweaters. His signature outfit is a long, grey leather trench coat with a red scarf, which  reflects a modern update to the caped look of older vampires. A personal touch to the character that Sarandon personally added is Jerry’s constant snacking of fruits, primarily apples. This implies that Jerry is biologically part fruit bat, referencing his ability to transform into a bat. 

Fright Night's queer legacy

Despite none of the characters being explicitly identified as queer, three members of the film’s cast are; Roddy McDowall, Amanda Bearse, and Stephen Geoffreys. The film is popularly associated with LGBTQ horror and has been the subject of queer analysis in the years following its release. 

One scene depicts Jerry standing in a room after an encounter with Charley, who stabbed his hand with a pencil. His supernatural familiar Billy Cole (Jonathan Stark) is kneeling in front of him and nursing the wound, though his head is facing his crotch despite the wounded arm being at Jerry’s side. The image resembles fellatio, and, according to sources, was intentional on Tom Holland’s part. 

There is also a scene in which Jerry recruits Charley’s best friend “Evil” Ed Thompson (Stephen Geoffreys) into vampirism to kill Peter Vincent while Jerry goes after Charley and his girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse). Ed, established as a bullied outcast, is assured by Jerry that he does not have to be afraid of him, affirming that he knows what it’s like “to be different” and extends his hand to Ed, who accepts it and allows himself to be turned. The scene carries a heavy submissive/dominant undertone. 

Jerry and Billy Cole are also quite familiar (no pun intended). Jerry even rests his head on Billy’s shoulders near the climax, and Charley’s comically out-of-place mother even jokes earlier, after learning how her new neighbor has a male roommate, “Knowing my luck, he's probably gay!”

There are plenty of monsters we can hang out with this October, especially vampires. But if you want to take a break from Stranger Things-style 80s nostalgia to see something actually from the era, you should flip to Tubi, sit back in your bedroom’s desk chair, and maybe microwave some hot chocolate (just don’t expect the marshmallows to melt right). But whatever you do, maybe don’t look out the window to see what your mysterious new neighbor is up to. 

Fright Night is available to stream for free on Tubi TV.