Fright Night (M) PRESENTED IN 35MM FILM

Fright Night (M, 1985) Presented in 35mm Film by The Revival House Perth

Teenager Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) is horrified to discover that his charming new next-door neighbour, Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon), is actually a centuries-old vampire preying on victims throughout their quiet suburban neighbourhood. When Charley's warnings to his mother, girlfriend, and friends are dismissed as paranoid delusions, he turns to Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), a washed-up horror movie actor famous for playing a vampire hunter on late-night television, hoping his fictional expertise might somehow translate into genuine vampire-slaying knowledge. As Jerry's growing suspicion of Charley escalates into a direct threat against him and everyone he loves, Charley and the reluctant, disbelieving Peter must find the courage—and the conviction—to confront a genuine supernatural evil that refuses to be dismissed as mere movie fantasy.

Director Tom Holland crafts a clever, affectionate homage to classic vampire cinema that balances genuine horror tension with self-aware wit about the genre's own conventions. Chris Sarandon brings suave, genuinely unsettling menace to Jerry, while Roddy McDowall's performance as the washed-up horror actor forced to confront real evil provides both comic relief and unexpected emotional depth as his character's fictional bravado is tested against genuine danger. The film's practical effects work, transforming its vampire antagonist through genuinely unsettling creature transformations, holds up as some of the era's finest low-budget horror craftsmanship. Blending genuine scares with knowing commentary on horror movie tropes and suburban complacency, Fright Night has endured as a beloved cult favourite that helped define 1980s horror-comedy.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.

When: Friday, October 30th at 7:20PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: M (The content is moderate in impact)

Holland's clever vampire homage blends genuine scares with knowing wit—experience this beloved 1980s cult favourite on 35mm film.