I just saw this film for the first time tonight (it slipped under my radar for years), and I was surprised to see it listed as a comedy here on IMDb. I mean, it has its moments of black humor, but it was a horror flick 100% as far as I was concerned. It doesn't take itself totally seriously, but it's pretty damn gory, and the horror outweighed the shreds of comedy. I'm not alone on this, am I?
shareNot at all. Whoever listed it as a comedy are idiots because Fright Night is far from that. It's a full-blooded horror with moments of sharp humor. I think An American Werewolf in London has more comedy elements in it, and that's not even classified as a comedy, more of a horror satire than anything else.
shareHorror-Comedy simple as. You're not laughing all the way through it, you certainly aren't covering your eyes at any moment either.
shareI agree with you. Bits of humor don't make a film comedy in my book, just as bits of romance don't make something a romantic____, or bits of another genre or sub genre don't make a movie such. I can appreciate the humorous elements in this, but to call it a comedy is a stretch.
In fact, I wrote the staff at Film Aficionado, where I have my movie collection listed and catalogued, and asked them why they changed Fright Night and FN Part 2's genre listing. They used to list them both as Horror/Vampires and now both are listed as Comedy/Horror, which doesn't seem accurate. They are usually good about classifying Genre/Sub-genre on the site. By their calssification, this movie is a Comedy/Horror, when, at a stretch it can barely be a Horror/Comedy IF they are logical about which are the dominant elements and which genre is the main one. They simply told me "We'll keep it as Comedy/Horror" and didn't tell me why they ever switched it.
In conclusion, it may seem like quibbling but I agree with you all the way, violet. This isn't Evil Dead 2 or Tucker & Dale vs Evil. Those are Comedy/Horror.
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There's a sub-genre called horror-comedy, that's what this is. It's the same vein as films such as Evil Dead 2, Gremlins, and Army of Darkness.
I've never seen that. I've never seen anybody drive their garbage down to the street and bang the hell out of it with a stick. I-I've never seen that.
I don't understand the comedy label either. I would describe Fright Night as a fun and entertaining vampire horror movie. That said, I've never thought of it as a comedy. I can see how it has some subtle dark humor to it, but there aren't really any laugh-out-loud moments or anything like that.... I first saw the movie when I was around 5 years old and have loved it since, so maybe that's partly why I've always viewed it as a more serious and scary horror film.
To those who consider Fright Night to be a horror-comedy, which scenes/aspects do you find comedic, and do you like the movie more for its scares or laughs?
Welcome to Fright Night....for real.
It's a Horror/Comedy the same way Ghostbusters is. Scenes that should be funny end up being terrifying and scenes you think will be scary causes laughs (intentionally).
shareYeah. There is definitely a comedic aspect to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ywLWkHaQ6A
But it's WAY better than 'Ghostbusters' IMO! 'Ghostbusters' has always come across as being much too slapstick and somewhat childish for my tastes. 'Fright Night' on the other hand is a wonderfully seamless blend of horror and inspired comedic moments.
"Life IS pain highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something".
Ghostbusters, Fright Night and Poltergeist basically reinvented (or created) worn-out horror stories for the modern era.
Poltergeist and Fright Night basically took the old horror cliches of the Haunted House or the Vampire and said "Wait, instead of being in scary old Castles or Mansions what if this stuff happened in a normal neighborhood?" and it worked so well its become a staple of the genre ever since.
Ghostbusters said "Well, what if instead of being about a bunch of older Gentlemen using the 'Old Ways' to fight Ghosts or magic, it's a bunch of modern men using science to do it and profit from it?" and created a classic.
Yes. One of the very best things about 'Fright Night' IMO is how it pays tribute and respect to classic vampire films and it's many established lores all while setting it in contemporary suburbia. So, unlike the complete and utter tripe that's somehow been passing itself off as 'vampire' films and/or series for the past decade or so now, 'FN' lovingly wears it's classic vampire folklore from past films right on it's bloody sleeve!.
"Life IS pain highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something".
It even remembered certain things that plenty of other vampire stories have forgotten:
1) It isn't the Cross itself that hurts the Vampire, it's the faith from within that does it (If a faithful Jewish guy waved the Star of David at a Vampire it would just as well, etc).
2) Vampires can turn into more than just bats.
And I'm sure there's other stuff.
Also the rule that a vampire can only enter one's dwelling if invited in by it's rightful owner(thanks Charlie's mom!).
"Life IS pain highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something".
It's not like an OTT in your face comedy with punchlines (thank god) but Fright Night does have little bits of humour running through it I think they got the tone just right
shareYour exactly right in regards to the type of humor that's found within 'Fright Night'. And it's exactly this sort of fun and wicked sense of humor that's been sorely missing from other horror films for so very long now. I personally blame 'Scream' and all it's various imitators with their 'oh so cool and clever' MTV-style 'hipness' and attitudes. 'Scream' and it's ilk have just zapped so much out of the great sense of fun that used to be had in watching horror movies. It also, IMO, brought in the nauseating social disaster of Political Correctness into the realm of horror, and thus of course it's many sheepish imitators all naturally followed suit.
The original 'Fright Night' was/is a loving tribute to horror films from a bygone era and one which has essentially, in itself, now become a piece of horror filmdom from another era which has sadly past away from us all.
"Life IS pain highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something".