31 Days of
Drafts and Darkness: VOL 2!
"Fright Night" (1985)
The "sexy vampire" cliché gets a lot of negative
press these days. Much of the
venom isn't a response to sappy romance or swallow characters, but rather the unique
spin "Twilight" put on the vampire mythos. The stories stripped away
a lot of the uglier sides of being a vampire.
I always wondered why Edward is portrayed so angst-ridden
when all the problems of being a vampire don't apply to him. He can walk around
in the sun. Animal blood is enough to sustain him. And as long as he practices
a modicum of self-control, there's no reason he can't blend in with society.
He's just an eternally young superhero. Who's also very,
very sad.
But here's the kicker: vampire angst isn't a new concept.
The brooding variety has been around at least as long as Anne
Rice has, if not longer. Why do we buy it with other vampires while Edward
comes off looking like a whiny brat? Because other vampires are, and always have been, monsters.
The sexy, suave exterior is a lure. All the charm serves to draw prey closer.
The good looks only last until the fangs come out. Vampires can be sympathetic,
yes, but it's because their dark side is a curse.
That's where tonight's film comes into play. The vampires of "Fright
Night" maintain attractiveness on the outside, but when they go full-fang, an ugly beast comes out.
The Plot:
The life of a teenager in an 80's movie is an
uncomplicated one. You live in the suburbs. Your bedroom is adorned
with various movie/band posters that'll audiences will laugh at years later. While your personality is sorta
vanilla on its own, you thankfully have a pack of quirky friends to make things
interesting. Our hero, Charley Brewster, pretty much fits this mold. He has a steady girlfriend and generally lives a pretty peaceful
existence. Then the moving truck arrives next-door.
The Brewsters have a new neighbor; Jerry Dandridge. All
smiles, Jerry comes off as the easy-going type, just looking to settle into his
new home. He also appears to be quite the ladies man, as Charley often sees
different women come over his place to visit. But he never sees them leave.
As news reports of mysterious killings start popping up,
Charley begins to suspect that his new neighbor is a vampire. Being a teenager
and thus having all the subtly of a brick, he immediately has the police check
out Jerry's house and tags along. Finding nothing, the police dismiss Charley's
pleas while Jerry narrows his eyes at our dense hero. Here's a hint: If you
suspect your neighbor is a vampire, try to keep them on good terms. Openly
accusing them of murder might bode ill.
Charley decides to take matters into his own hands.
He seeks out the help of TV-star Peter Vincent, renowned vampire-hunter from
the show "Fright Night". Mr. Vincent is an older gentleman who's far
more into theatrics than legit slaying, so his first meeting with Charlie goes
about as well as you'd expect. His mind is quickly changed upon notice that
Jerry's roommate lacks a shadow.
So now, it's up to Charley Brewster and an aging TV-star to
fight an actual demonic entity. The stakes are high, as said hellspawn has just
captured your girlfriend, Charley. Act fast, or she'll be having some dental
work done soon.
The Flavor:
"Fright Night" is a straight-up horror film, but
wow is it a fun one. It's like taking all the suspense and gore from a typical
vampire movie and injecting a hearty dose of "The Goonies". It's an adventure following Charley as he gears up with his friends to fight the undead .
While Charley is a blank-slate sort of hero, I
kinda get why. "Fright Night" is about putting you in the
shoes of an amateur vampire hunter. His incompetence is easy to joke at, but understandable. If any of
us lived next to a vampire, we very well might behave the same way. That
discomfort and confusion serves to heighten the tension at the beginning of the
film. These vampires pull no punches and are messy eaters. As the plot progresses and Charley learns how to fight them, your confidence grows along with him. When it's time to stop running and
go a-slayin', you feel just as revved up as the character.
Christopher Sarandon's vampire is a great love-to-hate
villain. Take another of Sarandon's famous villains: Prince Humperdinck. Now on
top of all the arrogance and pomp, imagine he was strong enough to tear your
face off. Powerful and vicious, he actually enjoys toying with
with prey. Jerry knows that no one believes Charley, so why not torment him some
before going in for the kill? You'll feel your temper boiling whenever he gives
Charley a malicious wink when no one's looking.
Lastly, I have to praise the effects in this film.
Animatronics, makeup, and stop motion each are employed to great effect.
"Fright Night" does not skimp with its vampires. When they reveal
their true forms, the result is something more demon than Dracula. The
transformations and various executions of the undead make for some fiendishly
squishy gore. But in that comic, haunted-house sort of way. Scary, but not overly icky. The makeup is
freaky enough to appear even disturbing at times. To this day, I have a hard
time looking at Charley's girlfriend when she's in vampiric mode.
Best Paired with:
"Fright Night" is the sort of horror film that
really captures the Halloween spirit. It's scary, but far more in the BOO! way
than nasty one. For all the dark and violent moments, there's a undercurrent of
fun that runs through the film. It makes for great viewing with friends around
the Halloween season, and thus should go perfectly with something pumpkin...
Accompanying Brew:
...and so pumpkin ale shall we recommend.
Name: Punk'N
Brewery: Uinta Brewing Co.
Where Brewed: Salt Lake City, UT
ABV: 5.0%
Style: Harvest Pumpkin Ale
Color: A rich amber
shade
Aroma: A sharp clove nose combined with cinnamon and nutmeg. A
strong pumpkin presence is in there, too.
Taste: The taste actually starts out more Octoberfest-style than pumpkinhead. Crisp, slightly sweet, and nutty. It's a
second or two into the sip that the pumpkin and spices show up. When they
arrive, it's not overpowering. The spice flavors don't take over the beer and
allow the malt character to shine throughout the entire taste. The pumpkin
flavor is also mellow, but sticks around for a while and blends with the malt.
I enjoy how the pumpkin/spice combo, which can completely dominate a beer's
flavor, is held back some here. The result is a refreshing ale that's got the
seasonal flavor, but just mildly so.
Aftertaste: I may like the aftertaste even more. After swallowing, the malt and pumpkin flavors stick around for quite
a few seconds and are joined by a mild hoppiness. I can't tell whether the
spicy character at the end comes from hops or well, the spices. Or both. But
it's a refreshing set of flavors that blend nicely. Great
balance, overall.
Body: Light-to-medium, similar to most pumpkinheads. The
starting malt character makes the initial sip seem lighter than the
beer really is.
Pair: This would pair well alongside a nice Fall meal:
porkchops, chicken, soups, and equally well with pizza!
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