Where to watch Fright Night Part 2
3 Stars
Three troubled years after the blood-soaked events in Fright Night (1985) and countless therapy sessions, Charley Brewster comes to terms with the freakish incident that scarred his adolescence. And to convince himself that the un…
Fright Night played often on HBO during the summer of 1986–1987, which was a significant time for me in terms of movie-watching. Fright Night and its sequel, Fright Night Part 2, were among the earliest horror movies I ever saw. Their merging of action film and horror movie tropes with a satirical and slapstick comedic angle set the standard for my expectations for future exploration of the genres. Fright Night Part 2 is another good-looking good-time for movie lovers with an appreciation for The Hammer and Castle film classics of the 1950’s-1970’s. This lovingly crafted sequel is excellent in the technical departments and again features the likable William Ragsdale and the irreplaceable Roddy McDowell.
Fright Night provided such a delicious idea, ripe with additional possibilities. Fright Night Part 2 is a direct sequel, picking up a few months after the events of the first film. Tommy Lee Wallace steps in for director Tom Holland, and Wallace is a formidable enough filmmaker to carry over the joyful tone of the first into this follow-up. I still prefer Fright Night, mainly because there are more scenes with Ragsdale and McDowell together, and Chris Sarandon’s villain is sorely missing here, but Fright Night Part 2 is an example of the thought and care given to a ‘throwaway’ sequel. Unfortunately, other producers and filmmakers didn’t take this cue, and the 1980s were overstuffed with junky entries in popular horror films.
Directed by: Tommy Lee Wallace
Written by: Tom Holland, Tim Metcalfe, Miguel Tejada-Flores
Starring: William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Traci Lind