As a proud kid of the 1980s, I cut my cinema-loving teeth on the wild array of movies from that decade. Sitting comfortably among the features I watched most during that time was the horror gem “Fright Night”. Everything about it won over my mid-teen self and I would watch it whenever I had the chance. But sadly I never had the opportunity to see it on the big screen. That is until last night, when “Fright Night” screened at the 2025 El Dorado Film Festival in celebration of its 40th anniversary.

“Fright Night” marked Tom Holland’s directorial debut and over time the film evolved into a bona fide cult classic. To no surprise to its fans, the movie still holds up remarkably well, offering a delightful mix of horror and humor. In 1985, part of the charm of “Fright Night” was in how it celebrated elements of classic horror that came before it. That enjoyment is two-fold for fans watching it today. We look back on it with the same appreciation it had for the movies it was paying homage to.

Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) is a normal suburban 17-year-old with a nice life, a caring mother (Dorothy Fielding), and an adoring girlfriend named Amy (Amanda Bearse) who he’s crazy for. About the only thing he loves as much as Amy is Fright Night, a late night horror television show that is hosted by the famed (and fictional) vampire hunter extraordinaire, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall).

The movie kicks into gear after a new resident moves into the creepy old house next door to Charley. His new neighbor is Jerry Dandrige who’s played by a perfectly cast and devilishly alluring Chris Sarandon. Over the next several days, a nosey Charley secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) observes some alarming happenings at the Dandrige house eventually leading him to a shocking conclusion – his new neighbor is a vampire.

Both Amy and his mother are quick to dismiss his theory as ridiculous. He next calls the police who investigate. But they find nothing to back his claims and he manages to irritate Dandrige in the process. Out of options, a determined Charley seeks the help of his hero, Peter Vincent. Bad ratings has the disillusioned television host ready to give up the whole vampire hunter act. But Charley’s persistence (and a little cash from his friends) wins Peter over and he reluctantly agrees to humor his loyal and sincere fan.

Of course this is horror movie so we learn quick that Charley is right about Dandrige. But the real fun is in watching him trying to convince Peter and their eventual tag-team effort to vanquish this “foul creature of the night”. Together, Ragsdale and McDowall have a terrific mix of dramatic and comic chemistry. Holland has said “Charley Brewster was the engine, but Peter Vincent was the heart.” I agree yet neither works without the other. And together they don’t work without the energy brought by Ragsdale and McDowall.

A healthy bulk of the movie’s $9-plus million budget went to the special effects and you can certainly tell. Academy Award winner Richard Edlund led a talented team of VFX wizards and makeup artists who used an impressive array of pre-digital trickery including optical photography, matte paintings, furniture dollies, contact lenses, facial prosthetics, and body suits. It gave us what remains a true highlight of the bygone practical effects age.

In the grand scheme of vampire movies, I wholeheartedly believe “Fright Night” to be an underrated classic. And as mentioned above, it’s a horror movie that still holds up today. It’s driven by a fabulous collection of characters, an unabashedly fun story, some deliciously gory effects, and a steady seasoning of good humor. Along the way Holland has a blast in the vampire movie sandbox, playing with the well-established mythologies that so many of us know by heart.