Today's monster is so cool, Brewster!
Lot's of people hear that when you are making art its sometimes best to work off the foundation of a master in the field. Alfred Hitchcock's work is a great template to start from if you're leaning towards suspense. Unfortunately, this method churns out a lot of derivative cheap knock offs of some of his finer work. Take for example my Favorite Hitchcock film, "Rear Window". We've seen this one emulated hundreds of times but none ever comes close to recreating the charm of the original. This is a fault that originates from the next generation failing to alter the work, afraid that adjusting even the slightest of plot details would for some reason be sacrilege. When finished, we're left with a rip-off rather than a proper homage. In order to make the new property work you need to throw something strange into the mix; completely remove it from familiar grounds and use the inspiration as a launch point for the new vehicle. Use something as fresh as - Oh, I don't know. Maybe vampires?
"Fright Night" is as much a parody of horror films as it is the real McCoy. Long before the meta fictional scary movie handbooks of "Scream" or "Zombie Survival Guide", people of the 1980s were given this excellent horror/comedy about a boy who spies on his nextdoor neighbor only to discover he's a vampire (Get the "Rear Window" talk now?). Its got a great plot, terrific special effects, and gives loyalists all they could want. The cherry on top of this delicious sundae comes from the outstanding performances which includes a remarkable Peter Cushing analog played by "Planet of the Apes" alumni, Roddy McDowell. Seasoned veterans aside, there is one youngin' who puts on his best purple Galactus costume and starts chewing up the scenery whenever he is ushered into frame, Evil Ed.
When we first meet the character he is introduced as the best friend and foible to the lead actor. Despite not being all that important to the plot of the first half of the film he still outshines everyone around him. With his hilarious catch-phrases, strange cadences, and sometimes alien behavior he entices the audience by offering up a perfectly relatable "other guy" stereotype. He's that strangely annoying friend that everyone knows and tolerates because of their authentic charming personality. The actor here appears to have been poured into this role's shoes and communicates these feelings very effectively.
Not to spoil too much, but halfway through the movie the antagonist vampire turns poor little Evil Ed into one of his dark minions of the night, and this is where the performance skyrockets out of our planets gravitational pull. Watching him transform from the misguided youth with a fancy for the occult, to the rudest guest you could possibly welcome in your home is fascinating to say the least. There's something hypnotic about how he can act so differently while in the monster make-up while still channeling all the things that made him recognizable as his earlier human self. There's not so much of a tonal shift here as an increase in energy. consider it a lateral movement in appetite at the very least.
They say that Teenagers can be frightening, but I don't think any concerned parents have imagined anything as twisted as Evil Ed. This character is the nerdy monster kid who got his break in life. He was offered the chance to become what he loved and to grow into a much more powerful individual. The film never explores what possible route this change could have brought, like the possibility of seeking vengeance against any bullies who troubled him in the past, but in a way we don't need to. We can see the joy in his eyes and the madness that's flooding his brain. Dracula may be reserved, and the younger vampires like the one from "Let the Right One In" come across as too vulnerable and shy to let their true self show, but Evil Ed has no inhibitions. He loves what he's become and he lets it all hang out.
Evil Ed always makes me chuckle.
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