Retro Movie: Mr. Holland's "Fright Night"

When people talk about their favorite vampire films of the 1980s, The Lost Boys tends to be the first one that pops up in a lot of discussions. I really enjoy director Joel Schumacher’s MTV-styled horror opus, but for my money, the best vampire tale of the 1980s is Fright Night. The film tells the story of Charlie Brewster, a teenager whose favorite TV show is the horror movie showcase, Fright Night, hosted by actor Peter Vincent. When Charlie discovers that his new next-door neighbor is a bona fide vampire, no one believes him, and he turns to Peter for help. Peter is initially reluctant to help Charlie, and thinks he’s crazy. The actor eventually realizes Charlie is telling the truth, and helps him battle the evil nosferatu, who has kidnapped Charlie’s girlfriend Amy, and plans to turn her into his vampire companion. Can our heroes defeat this powerful creature of the night and save Amy?

Roddy McDowall and William Ragsdale

Writer-director Tom Holland initially came up with the idea for the movie while working on the screenplay for 1984’s Cloak & Dagger. He conceived it as a variation on the “boy who cried wolf” concept, but couldn’t figure out how to make the central idea work, until he came up with the Peter Vincent character, someone a teenaged horror fan would logically go to with his wild tale of the vampire next door. Holland lobbied to direct the project, and thanks to his success as a screenwriter on films like Class of 1984 and Psycho II, the studio gave him the chance to take the reins for the movie. Fright Night is an enjoyable combination of thrills, chills and humor, thanks to Holland’s excellent direction, marvelous special effects work, and a terrific cast.

William Ragsdale (who later starred in the TV series Herman’s Head) is quite good as Charlie, the  young horror film fan thrown into a world where the terrifying things he watches on screen are very real. Amanda Bearse (soon to be featured on Married…With Children as Marcy, the Bundys' neighbor) is equally effective as Amy, and Stephen Geoffreys is a standout as “Evil” Ed, a nerdy kid who gets more than he bargained for when he comes up against the supernatural. There’s also solid work from Jonathan Stark, Art J. Evans and Dorothy Fielding in supporting roles. But Fright Night truly belongs to Roddy McDowall as washed up actor Peter Vincent (a character named in honor of Peter Cushing and Vincent Price) and Chris Sarandon as the coolly evil Jerry Dandrige. McDowall’s wonderful performance, and his natural chemistry with Ragsdale and the other young actors in the cast, is a standout, as is Sarandon’s top-notch work as the handsome, seductive, yet never less than frightening vampire.

Fright Night is a masterful blend of horror and comedy. Holland’s script neatly balances the horror and humor aspects of the story. The story sticks with some of the conventions of previous vampire tales, while giving others a new spin. The movie is never quite a full-on comedy, though there are some funny moments along the way. The vampire elements of Fright Night are treated with deadly seriousness, and the film succeeds at being an outstanding straight ahead horror tale. The first-rate special effects are by Richard Edlund, who also worked on the original Ghostbusters. There’s also some superlative cinematography by Jan Kiesser. The only thing that dates the movie a bit are the clothes and some decidedly 1980s style tunes on the soundtrack. 

Fright Night was followed by a sequel, Fright Night, Part 2, though only William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall returned for the follow-up. Holland and Sarandon were working on the original Child’s Play (1988), at the time and Bearse and Geoffreys were also busy with other projects. The movie was directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, and featured Julie Carmen as Jerry Dandrige’s sister, who seeks revenge on Charlie for her brother’s demise. A remake of Fright Night, starring Anton Yelchin, David Tennant and Colin Farrell as the vampire, was produced in 2011, and featured a cameo by Chris Sarandon. That film spawned a direct to video sequel, 2013’s Fright Night 2: New Blood. A planned third film in the original series has been rumored over the years by Holland, but has never materialized. If you’re looking for a solid vampire flick for your creature feature movie night, the original Fright Night is an excellent choice. Here’s a link to a trailer for a video release of the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfuIcuezkUw.

Calling The World: Powerful Poetic Voices

Few literary genres can touch the heart, energize the soul and challenge the mind like poetry. If you’re looking to hear some truly moving and inspiring words from some talented writers, there’s an extraordinary new way to discover the work of nine celebrated poets. Calling The World is a collaboration between The Poetry Society of America and Saint Flashlight, two wonderful organizations dedicated to sharing the words and experiences of poets in new and exciting ways. This exhilarating project is an audio anthology of poems that includes works by Pablo Neruda, Mónica de la Torre and Kwame Dawes, among others. The poems are read by a wonderful group of performers, including Jane Hirshfield and Billy Collins. 

Calling The World: Illustration by Monica Ramos

Calling The World was initiated in part as a response to the feelings of loneliness and isolation caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The experiences and emotions people have felt as a response to the pandemic are wide-ranging and unprecedented. Now, more than ever, people need to feel a sense of community and togetherness. The array of voices and life experiences heard in this moving anthology feature a wide range of perspectives from all around the world, including locations such as Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. 

The unique visions of these gifted poets help us realize that we all have things in common, and that our cultural differences shouldn’t separate us, but bring us closer together. Poetry Society of America Executive Director Matt Brogan, and Molly Gross and Drew Pisarra of Saint Flashlight are the guiding lights behind Calling The World. They’re dedicated to making poetry more accessible to all, allowing readers and listeners to experience poetry in new and exciting formats. Both organizations have been involved with previous projects that bring art and poetry to everyday spaces, including the Poetry Society of America's Poetry in Motion program, presented with MTA Arts & Design, which placed poems on New York City public transportation vehicles, and Saint Flashlight’s Movie Marquee Poems project, which repurposed unused cinema marquees in Brooklyn's Park Slope area by adding original haiku by contemporary poets to them.

I encourage you to listen to the work of the gifted poets featured in the Calling The World audio anthology by calling (212) 202-5606. You might have heard of the band They Might Be Giants and their "Dial-A-Song" line that was popular in the 1990s, but in this case you can "Dial-A-Poem." Your day, and your spirit, will definitely benefit from hearing the passionate voices of these amazing artists. It's a unique and powerful experience. For more information on the Poetry Society of America, please visit https://poetrysociety.org/, and to check out Saint Flashlight, go to http://saintflashlight.com/.

Batman's Alfred "Pennyworth" Begins

One of the longest running characters in the Batman mythos is Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's loyal and resourceful butler. Debuting in Batman #16 in 1943, the character was actually killed off by DC Comics in Detective Comics #328 in 1964. He was later resurrected and has been re-imagined several times since the “Dark Knight” comics era of the 1970s and 80s. Alfred has been played by Alan Napier (on the classic 1960s TV series) and by Michael Gough, Michael Caine and Jeremy Irons in various big screen films. Now, Bruno Heller tells the story of Alfred’s younger years and early adventures in Pennyworth, an EPIX network series. Executive Producers Heller and Danny Cannon also worked on Gotham, a Fox television series that served as an origin story for James Gordon. That show also featured a young Bruce Wayne, as well as some unique interpretations of several classic Batman villains. On that series, Alfred was played by actor Sean Pertwee.

Jack Bannon & Ben Aldridge

Pennyworth is set in an alternate history version of Britain in the 1960s, where zeppelins take to the skies, and televised executions are the norm. While the Queen still rules, there are two factions vying for control of the government, the fascist-leaning Raven Society, and the mysterious No Name League. Alfred Pennyworth is an SAS veteran haunted by his wartime experiences. He and his friends (and fellow veterans) Deon and Wallace plan to start a private security company. Alfred crosses paths with Thomas Wayne, an American agent, and Martha Kane, a photographer. Thomas and Martha are working for the No Name League, and trying to prevent a coup by the Raven Society. Alfred is caught in the middle as these groups battle with each other, and ends up suffering some personal losses as a result. He'll need to use all of his wits and strength in order to survive.

The series is stylishly filmed, and the show is a fast-moving combination of 1960s spy films and old-fashioned conspiracy thrillers, with a bit of the Batman mythology and real life figures such as Aleister Crowley thrown into the mix. The cast is first-rate. with marvelous performances from Jack Bannon as Alfred, Ben Aldridge as Thomas Wayne, Jason Flemyng as Lord Harwood, the leader of the Raven Society, and Emma Paetz as Martha Kane. Singer Paloma Faith is impressive as the villainous Bet Sykes, and Danny Webb makes a strong impression in a supporting role as a local crime lord. Most of the series' ten episodes are written by the show's creator Heller, who in addition to Gotham, also brought The Mentalist to television.

The great thing about the series is that while it involves a character that's central to Batman's story, it’s not really beholden to the larger Dark Knight mythos, and charts its own course. In a way, it's sort of an "Alfred Begins." Pennyworth is a colorful, entertaining and enjoyable series. How can you not love a show that names its episodes after famous British actresses and singers like Marianne Faithfull and Shirley Bassey? If you're a Batman fan, you'll enjoy this look at Alfred's early years. If you're not a Dark Knight devotee, don't let the Batman tag steer you away from this enjoyable and action-filled series that’s pays homage to Bond flicks, Hammer films, and military thrillers in equal measure. The first season of Pennyworth is now available on demand and a second season is due in 2021. Here's a link to the trailer for the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYc3LXqEyhg.