Fright Night (franchise) explained

Fright Night
Based On:Characters created by
Tom Holland
Released:1985–present
Country:United States
Language:English
Budget:$68,908,628
(Total of 3 films)
Gross:≤ $47,100,000
(Total of 3 films)

The Fright Night franchise consists of American vampire horror-comedy films, including three theatrical releases with an original movie, its sequel and a remake, followed by one straight-to-home video sequel to the remake. Based on an original story by writer-director Tom Holland, the overall plot of each installment follows an adolescent hero who determines that his next door neighbor is a real-life vampire and his pursuits in defeating the monster.

The original film was met with positive financial and critical reception. Conversely its sequel lost money for the studio, and was met with negative response from critics. Despite this, it has found some welcoming retrospective praise in later years. The 2011 remake movie was deemed a critical and box office success. In modern-day analysis, film critics have deemed the film to be one of the best horror remakes of all-time,[1] [2] [3] with some arguing that its a better movie than the original.[4] [5] [6] The film's respective sequel was met with overwhelming negative reception from film critics, and earned little income from video rentals.

The franchise will continue with a legacy-sequel to the 1985 movie, currently in development.

Film

FilmU.S.
release date
DirectorScreenwriter(s)Producer(s)
Fright NightTom HollandHerb Jaffe
Fright Night Part 2Tommy Lee WallaceTommy Lee Wallace and
Tim Metcalfe & Miguel Tejada-Flores
Herb Jaffe and Mort Engelberg
Fright NightCraig GillespieMarti NoxonMichael De Luca and Alison Rosenzweig
Eduardo RodríguezMatt VenneMichael J. Gaeta and Alison R. Rosenzweig

Fright Night (1985)

See main article: article and Fright Night.

Charley Brewster, a teenage fan of a weekly television series titled Fright Night who is an avid horror enthusiast, begins to question the intentions of the neighbor who recently moved into the neighborhood named Jerry Dandrige, and his roommate Billy Cole. After a number of occurrences, Charley begins to suspect that Jerry may actually be a vampire. When a series of suspicious homicides involving women are brought to light, Charley is convinced that Jerry is responsible. After attempts to inform the police prove unsuccessful, Charley, his girlfriend Amy, and his friend Edward "Evil Ed" Thompson seek the help of has-been host of his favorite television program, Peter Vincent. Though Peter is initially skeptical, he begins to realize there is more to Charley's suspicions than everyone realizes. Together the team looks for a way to kill the vampire living next door.[7] [8] [9]

Fright Night Part 2 (1989)

See main article: article and Fright Night Part 2.

After three years of overcoming his trauma from the events that transpired with his vampiric neighbor, Charley Brewster realizes that the incident is improbable. The now twenty-year-old survivor attends numerous counseling sessions, where his counselor is convinced that the undead monsters he came in contact with years before were merely figments of his overactive imagination. As a part of his therapy, he avoids contact with Peter Vincent who had helped him slay the vampires. When several new residents move into the neighborhood, including the seductive actress named Regine Dandrige, Charley begins to question their intentions. Charley realizes that she is Jerry's sister, as she begins to take unusual interest in Charley, his new girlfriend Alex, and Peter. The team come to the conclusion that she is a vampire seeking revenge for the destruction of her undead brother. Haunted by the past, and hunted by a monster, Charley must overcome his fears to once again defeat the monsters that feast on the civilians of his town.[10] [11] [12]

Fright Night (2011)

See main article: Fright Night (2011 film).

Charley Brewster, a teenage senior in high school who's dating the most popular girl at school named Amy, is enjoying his school year. This changes however, when Jerry Dandrige moves in next door. Jerry is charismatic and becomes a person of interest, when Charley witnesses some unusual activity going on next door. After a series of events, Charley becomes convinced that his new neighbor is a vampire. Though he shares his theory with others, no one believes him. Together with his girlfriend, he seeks the help of an illusionist and expert of the supernatural named Peter Vincent. As a team, they set out to kill the monster that is plaguing their neighborhood, before he overtakes them all.[13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Fright Night 2: New Blood (2013)

See main article: Fright Night 2: New Blood.

Some time after their near-death experiences while encountering Jerry Dandrige, Charley Brewster attends a college in Romania as a foreign exchange student, alongside his friend "Evil" Ed and his ex-girlfriend Amy. Following a series of events, he begins to suspect that his seductive art professor Gerri Dandrige may also be undead. As he begins to investigate his suspicions further he discovers that she is actually the ancient Elizabeth Báthory, a vampire who seeks to complete a pagan ritual with the blood of a "new moon virgin" and that she plans to do so with Amy. Though their relationship didn't last, Charley still loves Amy, and is determined to stop the sacrifice from happening. As things seem to be hopeless he turns once again to the person that helped him defeat Jerry, the vampire hunter Peter Vincent. Together they race against time, to stop the monsters from completing their scheme which will turn them all into creatures of the night.[18] [19]

Future

In October 2020, Tom Holland announced that a legacy sequel to the original film which largely ignores the events of Part 2, was in development. Holland stated that he is working on a script that is tentatively titled, Fright Night: Resurrection. The project will largely, retcon the events of the 1988 sequel. Though the filmmaker would not reveal many of the story details, he stated that the plot involves original characters: Charlie Brewster, Edward "Evil Ed" Thompson, Jerry Dandrige, and Billy Cole.[20] [21]

Main cast and characters

CharacterTitle
Fright Night
Fright Night Part 2Fright Night
Fright Night 2:
Charley BrewsterWilliam RagsdaleAnton YelchinWill Payne
Jerry DandrigeChris SarandonColin Farrell
Edward “Evil Ed” LeeStephen Geoffreys Christopher Mintz-PlasseChris Waller
Peter VincentRoddy McDowallDavid TennantSean Power
Regine Dandrige Julie Carmen 
Elizabeth Báthory
 Jaime Murray
Amy PetersonAmanda Bearse Imogen PootsSacha Parkinson
Alex Young Traci Lind 

Additional crew and production details

FilmCrew/Detail
ComposerCinematographerEditorProduction
companies
Distributing
company
Running time
Fright Night Brad FiedelJan KiesserKent BeydaColumbia Pictures,
Vistar Films,
Columbia-Delphi IV Productions
Columbia Pictures1hr 46mins
Fright Night Part 2Mark IrwinJay Lash CassidyThe Vista Organization,
New Century Vista Film Company
TriStar Pictures1hr 44mins
Fright Night Ramin DjawadiJavier AguirresarobeTatiana S. RiegelDreamWorks Pictures,
Michael De Luca Productions,
Gaeta/Rosenzweig Films
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures1hr 46mins
Fright Night 2:
Luis AscanioYaron LevyDon Adams20th Century Fox,
Gaeta / Rosenzweig Films
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment1hr 39mins

Reception

Box office and financial performance

FilmBox office grossBox office
ranking
Video
sales gross
Worldwide
sales total
BudgetWorldwide total
net income
North AmericaOther territoriesWorldwideAll-time
domestic
All-time
worldwide
North America
Fright Night $24,922,237$24,922,237
  1. 3,196
  1. 4,460
> $24,922,237$7,000,000> $17,922,237[22] [23] [24]
Fright Night Part 2$2,983,784$2,983,784
  1. 7,324
  1. 11,283
> $2,983,784$8,000,000> -$5,016,216[25] [26] [27]
Fright Night $18,302,607$22,700,000$41,002,607
  1. 3,834
  1. 2,949
$10,738,948$51,741,555$30,000,000$21,741,555[28] [29]
$1,009,614$1,009,614< $2,100,000~ -$1,090,386[30] [31] [32]
Totals$46,208,628$22,700,000$68,908,628x̅ #3,589x̅ #4,673$11,748,562> $80,657,190≤ $47,100,000> ~$33,557,190

Critical and public response

FilmRotten TomatoesMetacriticCinemaScore
Fright Night 92%
[33]
62/100
[34]
Fright Night Part 230%
[35]
Fright Night 72%
[36]
64/100
[37]
B−[38]
Fright Night 2: New Blood[39]

Stage

The official stage adaptation made its debut at the Carnegie Stage in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 5, 2018. Directed by Erynn Dalton, with a stage-play written by James Michael Shoberg, the production was a joint-venture production between Rage of the Stage Players, and Infinite Abyss studios. Dan Finkel, Elena Cristina Lázaro, Greg Crawford, Corey Shaffer, Brian Ceponis, and Ryan Ott featured in the primary cast: Charley Brewster, Amy Petersen, Peter Vincent, Edward "Evil Ed" Thompson, Jerry Dandrige, and Billy Cole, respectively. The plot closely followed that of the original film, while adding additional content and plot devices.

The play was well received by critics with praise directed at its cast, the script, its use of nostalgic undertones, the cast's performance, the production quality including costumes and set design, the integration of horror-campiness, the suspenseful story, and the interactive nature of the play. Criticism was directed at its pacing.[40] [41]

In other media

Literary releases
Video game

Notes and References

  1. Web site: All 4 Fright Night Movies Ranked From Worst To Best. ScreenRant. Phillips, Marian. November 20, 2022. October 1, 2022.
  2. Web site: One of the most underrated horror remakes ever still delivers a sharp bite. We Got This Covered. Paul, Beau. September 28, 2022. October 1, 2022.
  3. Web site: Why the Criminally Underrated ‘Fright Night’ is a Near-Perfect Horror Remake. Bloody Disgusting. Fugere, Mike. December 14, 2017. October 1, 2022.
  4. Web site: ‘Fright Night’: A Remake So Good It May Outshine the Original Classic [Revenge of the Remakes]]. Bloody Disgusting. Donato, Matt. July 4, 2022. October 1, 2022.
  5. Web site: 6 Reasons Why The ‘Fright Night’ Remake Is Better Than The Original, I Swear. Collective World. Bartle, Trisha. March 10, 2022. October 1, 2022.
  6. Web site: This Horror Remake Is Surprisingly Better Than The Original. GameRant. McCoy, Joshua Kristian. September 28, 2021. October 1, 2022.
  7. Web site: Fright Night. Variety. Variety staff. December 31, 1984. August 24, 2022.
  8. Web site: Fright Night Review. Empire. Ian, Nathan. April 27, 2006. August 24, 2022.
  9. Web site: Welcome to Fright Night (1985) – Retro Review. Screen Mayhem. Kacvinsky, Chris. October 31, 2020. August 24, 2022.
  10. Web site: Retro Review: FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 (1988) A Guilty Pleasure. The Horror Syndicate. Miller, Seth T.. September 30, 2019. August 25, 2022.
  11. Web site: [Horror Queers] The Delicious Camp of ‘Fright Night Part 2’ and its Genderqueer Henchvamp]. Bloody Disgusting. Thurman, Trace. February 12, 2019. August 25, 2022.
  12. Web site: THS Fright A-Thon: Fright Night Part 2, A Fitting Sequel to the Original Classic. The Hashtag Show. Bolding, Hunter. September 14, 2020. August 25, 2022.
  13. Web site: Fright Night. Variety. Koehler, Robert. August 17, 2011. August 25, 2022.
  14. Web site: Fright Night – review. The Guardian. Clarke, Cath. September 1, 2011. August 25, 2022.
  15. Web site: Those Good, Old Vampires, and Now They’re in 3-D. The New York Times. Scott, A.O.. August 18, 2011. August 25, 2022.
  16. Web site: Fright Night Review. IGN. Tilly, Chris. August 18, 2011. August 25, 2022.
  17. Web site: Fright Night Review - Colin Farrell. Entertainment Weekly. Staskiewicz, Keith. August 21, 2011. August 25, 2022.
  18. Web site: 'Fright Night 2: New Blood' Is A Direct-To-Video Sequel To A Remake, So You Can Guess The Quality. Slash Film. Hunter, Rob. May 25, 2020. August 25, 2022.
  19. Web site: Fright Night 2: New Blood (Movie Review). JoBlo. Walkuski, Eric. October 1, 2013. August 25, 2022.
  20. Web site: Tom Holland is 31,000 Words into Fright Night 2: Resurrection, and Yes, Evil Ed is Back. SyFy Wire. Pockross, Adam. October 26, 2020. August 25, 2022.
  21. Web site: Fright Night 2 In Development With Original Director, May Retcon 1988’s Sequel. ScreenRant. Vanacker, Rebecca. November 5, 2020. August 25, 2022.
  22. Web site: Fright Night (1985) - Financial Information.
  23. Web site: Fright Night.
  24. News: Critic At Large : Fangs For Those Memories. Champlin. Charles. Los Angeles Times. March 16, 1985. January 23, 2016.
  25. Web site: Fright Night Part 2 (1989) - Financial Information.
  26. Web site: Fright Night Part 2.
  27. Web site: AFI|Catalog.
  28. Web site: Fright Night (2011) - Financial Information.
  29. Web site: Fright Night.
  30. Web site: Fright Night 2: New Blood (2013) - Financial Information.
  31. Web site: Fright Night 2: New Blood Blu-ray Review | High Def Digest.
  32. Web site: What's the average budget of a low or micro-budget film?. Stephen Follows Film Data and Education. Stephen Follows. September 22, 2014. March 16, 2021.
  33. Web site: Fright Night. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. August 25, 2022.
  34. Web site: Fright Night (1985). Metacritic.
  35. Web site: Fright Night Part 2. Rotten Tomatoes. Red Ventures. August 25, 2022.
  36. Web site: Fright Night. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. August 25, 2022.
  37. Web site: Fright Night (2011). Metacritic. Red Ventures. August 25, 2022.
  38. Web site: CinemaScore. CinemaScore. CinemaScore: Hollywood's Benchmark. August 25, 2022.
  39. Web site: Fright Night 2: New Blood. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. August 25, 2022.
  40. Web site: Theatre Review: "Fright Night" Scares Up Laughs, Horror, Nostalgia. Boca. Thomason, John. July 15, 2022. August 25, 2022.
  41. Web site: Fright Night Gets Turned Into a Stage Play by Pittsburgh Theater Company. MovieWeb. Orange, B. Alan. September 11, 2018. August 25, 2022.
  42. Book: amazon.com: Fright Night by John Skipp and Craig Spector. 0812525647. Skipp. John. Spector. Craig. 1985.
  43. Web site: A Conversation with John Skipp. shocktotem.com. 2011-02-12. 2022-08-25. 2011-02-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20110224035516/http://www.shocktotem.com/02/12/2011/a-conversation-with-john-skipp/. dead.
  44. Web site: ‘Fright Night: Origins’ – Tom Holland Returns With Brand New ‘Fright Night’ Novel!. Bloody Disgusting. Squires, John. September 29, 2022. September 30, 2022.
  45. "It's So Long For Now: Caputo Files for Bankruptcy Liquidation", The Comics Journal #140 (February 1991), pp. 11-12.
  46. Web site: Fright Night (Amiga). Moby Games. Moby Games. August 25, 2022.
  47. Web site: Info Magazine Issue 28. September 28, 1989. Internet Archive. August 25, 2022.
  48. Web site: ST Amiga Format Magazine Issue 011. Internet Archive. August 25, 2022.
  49. Web site: Amiga Computing Magazine Issue 014. July 28, 1989. Internet Archive. August 25, 2022.