Rated R | Color | 104 minutes
Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace
Also Known As: Noche de miedo II
Purchase it: Amazon.com (Blu-ray) | Amazon.com (DVD)
Guest review contributed by Ryan Brewer.
WARNING: THIS GUEST REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS!
FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 picks up three years after the events of the first film. Surprisingly, the vampiric Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon) took the blame for all the deaths in FRIGHT NIGHT and was labeled a serial killer. Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) is now in college with a new girlfriend, Alex (Traci Lind), who is a significant upgrade from his high school love interest, Marcy Darcy from Married With Children. (Editor’s Note: Contrary to Ryan’s opinion, I found Amanda Bearse somewhat attractive in the first FRIGHT NIGHT.) Charley also keeps in touch with his vampire-slaying friend Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowell), who is doing well hosting his revived midnight horror movie show.
Things are going great for our two heroes, but that’s about to change once Regine (Julie Carmen) rolls into town. Posing as a “performance artist,” Regine is actually the bloodsucking sister of Jerry Dandridge, and she’s here to exact revenge on Charley and Vincent! She’s brought along a trio of hench-creatures to help: the physically imposing, bug-ingesting ghoul Bozworth (Brian Thompson); the lycanthropic Louie (Jon Gries, who also played the “Lock me up! I’m a werewolf!” guy in THE MONSTER SQUAD); and a silent roller-skating vamp named Belle (played by longtime Hollywood dance choreographer Russell Clark).
Together, they concoct a plan to ruin Peter Vincent’s career and turn Charley into a vampire so Regine can torture him for eternity. Eventually, Peter musters the courage to take on Regine and her crew, teaming up with Alex to rescue Charley from eternal damnation. Will Regine’s evil machinations come to fruition, or will Peter and Alex come out on top? To find out, you’ll just have to watch FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2!
First off, I am officially calling this film the DIE HARD 2 of horror sequels. FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 follows all the same beats established in the first film but ups the ante. The original movie features one lead vampire and a ghoul, while this follow-up begins with three vampires and a ghoul. (Editor’s Note: While Louie is considered by many to be a werewolf, he is actually a vampire.) The ghoul in this movie, Bozworth (named because of the actor’s resemblance to Brian Bosworth), is a standout with the cool-as-ice Brian Thompson playing the character. This guy is a real Renfield, eating bugs whenever he finds them and declaring an insect’s genus and species before munching on their sweet chitin. Roddy McDowell as Peter Vincent is also worth mentioning – he is excellent in this film and brilliantly reprises his role as the cowardly but resilient vampire killer!
My only complaint about this movie is that some of the goofy comedy bits don’t quite work. Other than that, FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 has my blessing! If you have never seen this sequel, check it out! The special effects do not disappoint and should be a real treat for those of you exhausted by today’s bland CGI shenanigans! I really enjoyed Tommy Lee Wallace’s sequel to the Tom Holland original and think it deserves a rating of 4
