VHS Vault: Fright Night (1985)

"If you love being scared, this could be the night of your life."

Some tapes never gather dust, and Fright Night is one of them. Tom Holland’s 1985 cult classic brought vampires screaming into the MTV generation with a perfect mix of scares, satire, and style. Teen horror fan Charley Brewster discovers his next-door neighbor is a vampire, but when no one believes him, he turns to late-night horror host Peter Vincent for help. It’s gothic chills meets pop-culture thrills, all wrapped in neon 80s energy.

🎥 You can sink your teeth into Fright Night on Amazon Prime Video.

 

🎬 Vault Fact File

• Release Year: 1985

• Director: Tom Holland (Child’s Play)

• Stars: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall

• Budget vs. Box Office: Made for around $9 million, the film grossed over $24 million, making it one of the decade’s most successful horror releases

• Awards: Won the 1986 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film

• Practical Effects: Legendary FX artist Richard Edlund (Ghostbusters, Poltergeist) brought the creatures to life with jaw-dropping transformations

• Tagline: “There are some very good reasons to be afraid of the dark.”

Watch the official trailer for Fright Night:

⏪ Rewind or ⏩ Fast Forward?

Rewind if you love 80s horror that blends genuine terror with tongue-in-cheek fun, anchored by Roddy McDowall’s unforgettable turn as Peter Vincent.
Fast Forward if slow-burn suspense and practical effects aren’t your thing; you might be craving the faster pace of modern vampire flicks.