Chris Sarandon for Chambrain

Fright Night (1985)
directed by Tom Holland
rating: 2 out of 5 cravats
on DVD from Netflix

If any of you ever tell me that your new neighbor is a vampire, I will believe you. Screenwriters will have to be responsible for an extra 45 minutes worth of content in a movie like this, but I think it will be worth the financial investment to spare audiences who might be otherwise inclined to like the sincere and energetic second half of Fright Night the boredom of surviving the first. Future adult film star Stephen Geoffreys has to be one of the most obnoxious best friends in movie history, and by the end of his ordeal, you're ready to travel back in time just to cast him as the first unlikable Billy the Kid. If nothing else, Fright Night's worth renting for the special effects of a vampire obliterated by sunlight. And I guess there's a lesson for you ladies out there, as well, insofar as experiencing what it's like to be a bloodsucker with a vicious Glasgow grin helps Amy overcome her early timidity about finally having sex with her boyfriend. Only in 1985.