Fright Night Part 2

I haven't written a full-length review in ages.  I've been too busy writing Blood Capsules, and I must admit, I don't know if I can retrain my brain to write four paragraphs about a movie.  I might pull something, is what I'm saying.  Hold my hand?  We should probably start with the original Fright Night.  It's overrated.  Yeah, I said it.  I've always felt this way, and while I don't hold any trenchant hatred for the film, it's merely "a'ight" for me.  Fright Night Part 2 on the other hand...I saw it on television as a wee lad and enjoyed the muck out of it.  Having rewatched it for this review, I can confirm that woah, it rules.  A lot.  In fact, it might be one of my favorite sequels of all time.  Shocked?  Me, too!

This movie does everything right.  God bless director Tommy Lee Wallace.  Let's make it official; if you have Fright Night Part 2 and Halloween III: Season on the Witch on your resume, you're a certified badass.  I realize that he was given a meaty budget to work with (relatively speaking, of course), but you have to know how to execute and take advantage of your resources.  I like that the plot finds Charley as a rehabilitated student.  It switches the dynamics up a bit to present Peter Vincent as the feasibly crazy vampire killer.  If you've been living under a coffin, we meet Regine, the sultry sister of Jerry Dandridge.  Can we just take a minute to glorify the villains here?  By the way, I'm referring to Regine's gang of miscreants, not the Menendez brothers.  If you know, you know.

These bloodsuckers are so cool, it hurts.  At one point, they go bowling for the sake of going bowling!  Granted, they decapitate someone at the alley, but still.  And does Belle remind anyone else of Damian Priest?  It would be stunt casting, but if they ever commission a remake...yeah, I know that the 2011 redux has a sequel.  No, I don't plan on renting it.  Back to Fright Night Part 2.  The pacing is flawless.  The special effects are honestly incredible, and I have no idea how they achieved certain shots without the cushion of CGI.  We even get a werewolf thrown in for good measure.  Does the re-sequel have a werewolf in it???

I'm tempted to whip out five Z'Dars, but that should only be reserved for the stuff that stands the test of time.  If I toss Fright Night Part 2 into the ol' VCR a few years from now, and I have the same amount of fun with it as I did last night, then I'll consider a perfect rating.  Where is the affordable Blu-ray?  Don't get me wrong; I'm content with my tape, but if any flick deserves double-dipping, it's this one.  As for the first Fright Night, I could be talked into giving it a second chance.  No promises.  I can't believe that Stephen Geoffreys chose 976-Evil over reprising his role as Evil Ed.  Then again, he made several questionable career choices, didn't he?