Fright Night Part 2 (1988) User Reviews

'that was NOT group hypnosis!'

[Nightman85 · 7/10 · 7 August 2006]

Follow up to the 1985 horror hit isn't quite as good as the original, but is an amusing enough sequel.

Charley Brewster is now in college, when Dandridge's sister rolls into town with her entourage.

Fright Night Part 2 benefits from a well written story that has some of the spirit of the original film and plenty nicely gruesome special FX. Sure, it's not as charismatically done as the first movie, but it's a sequel with big shoes to fill! Director Tommy Lee Wallace does pretty well with giving the movie some style and solid action. The sequel also has a share of dark humor. Brad Fiedel's beautiful rock score is used once again and Deborah Holland does a great cover on the song 'Come to Me'.

Roddy McDowall and William Ragsdale both make welcomed returns as their original characters and come off as the best of the cast. Julie Carmen does make a fairly decent vamp villain though, while Jon Gries, Brian Thompson, and Russell Clark make for some good freak geeks.

Again, it's not the original, but as sequels go it certainly isn't bad either!

*** out of ****

A Sequel That Works

[Gislef · 7/10 · 22 December 1998]

There are so few sequels that do work, and have something a bit more to say from the original. Fright Night 2 is one of those. It has more to say on the idea of the supernatural in real-life (Charlie's inability to deal with the events of the original movie, Vincent's trying to avoid the whole thing), and gives us a decent follow-up to the original with Dandridge's sister on a revenge kick. There are more nods to Stoker and the original vampire mythology (the reference to wild roses, for instance), and the new vampire's sidekickers are equally as weird as Jonathan Stark's Billy Cole in the original. See it if you can: it doesn't seem to be a movie that shows up very often.

the true sequel to Fright Night

[disdressed12 · 6/10 · 29 September 2016]

I enjoyed this true sequel to the original Fright Night(1985).once again Charley Brewster(William Ragsdale)and Pter Vincent(Roddy McDowall)return to battle some new vampires.this film,unlike the original film has some humorous bits mostly courtesy of John Gries who played Louie.the musical score was once again done by Brad Fiedel,and was again very appropriate to the movie.the acting is good enough for the most part.i thought Traci Lind was good as Charlie's girlfriend.however,Julie Carmen,who plays Regine,really didn't do anything for me.I also thought the special makeup effects were inferior to the original.nevertheless,the movie is watchable and a worthy sequel.Fright Night Part 2 is a 6/10

Second bite in the right direction! "Welcome to Fright Night for the last time"

[Insomniac_moviefan · 20 November 2002]

"FRIGHT NIGHT II" is a great sequel to one of the best Vampire movies ever. The original "FRIGHT NIGHT" has to be the best Vampire movie of the 80's, and that helped the late 80's release of part II succeed.

Charlie Brewster is back ,this time he's not a geek anymore and he has a new and hot girlfriend, but he denies the existence of vampires. That's his main problem because vampires couldn't me more alive this time around! Everything is going alright in Charlie's life until he meets Regine. Regine is the kind of woman that every man would like to have in their home: she's hot, sensual, and she knows how to be sexy. Now, there's a little problem with her: She's a vampire, and she wants to take revenge for her brother's death. Unknown to Charlie, Regine is Jerry Dandridge's sister and now he has to pay for Jerry's death. The same thread goes for Mr. Peter Vincent "The Vampire Killer" who helped Charlie in the previous film.

Charlie and Mr. Vincent team up again for a second and last time in a deadly battle against vampires... Unlike in the original "FRIGHT NIGHT", this time they are ready and they have no fear for vampires.

FRIGHT NIGHT II is a great vampire/horror movie. In some moments, you can feel the spirit of the original FRIGHT NIGHT, and that makes this movie better. A rolling skater vampire, a vampire that eats insects, and some Evil Ed style weirdo are present to irritate Charlie and Mr. Vincent before they face the sexy (but deadly) Regine Dandridge in the last FRIGHT NIGHT battle.

The ending is great, I won't give away it but you have to check it out carefully. Peter Vincent's last scene is stuff for legend, and he's still the best Vampire Killer in a movie. Check out this movie with high expectations, it won't disappoint you.

Fright Night: Part 2 (7/10)

[skybrick736 · 7/10 · 25 November 2015]

With Roddy McDowall and William Ragsdale returning as the co-stars, Fright Night: Part 2 became pretty much a direct follow-up to the original. There didn't seem to be a whole lot of difference between the styles of filmmaking with both films either, creating a feeling of a continuous fluid story. Traci Lind and Julie Carmen were stunning as their parts taking the stage as gorgeous female leads. The film lost a bit of flavor and comedy but still managed to get a couple chuckles. Search out this movie if you're into 1980's cheese, classic horror vampires or even the original film, perhaps missing out or passing on the chance to watch it for a long time like myself. There's nothing extraordinary or groundbreaking about Part 2, but the Fright Night flick is a fun, under the radar sequel that happened to pan out successfully in the eyes of many fans.

Almost As Good As The First One (Possible Spoilers!)

[domino1003 · 7/10 · 26 May 2004]

"Fright Night, Part II," is almost as good as the first film.

Almost. (I'll explain why later.)

A few years has passed since the first movie and Charlie (William Ragsdale) is attending college. He is also attending therapy. The reason? It seems that, in Charlie's mind, the events in the first movie did not exist the way he thought it did. He believes that Jerry Dandridge (The vampire in the first one)was a serial killer and cult leader. He has also been out of touch with Peter Vincent (Funny as ever Roddy McDowall), who is also convinced that what happened was part of his imagination. Charlie is also having the same kind of girl trouble with his new girl, Alex (Traci Lin)as he did in the first film.

His life takes a change when Regine (Beautiful Julie Carmen)and her entourage come into the picture. She is a "performance artist" and is in town to do some performances. Charlie doesn't know, but Regine has an agenda: to turn Charlie into a vampire. It seems that Dandridge was her BROTHER! And she wants Charlie as a vampire so she could torture him for all time.

At this point, the tables have turned from the first movie: now it is Peter who can't convince anyone about the vampires in town. Alex notices something is wrong and it's up to her and Peter to save Charlie from becoming damned.

The film is funny and a bit creepy. The entourage, consisting of a roller-skating vampire, a surfer-dude vampire, and a servant that catches insects, describes their scientific names, and then devours them!

Now, here is why it is almost perfect:

What happened to Amy and Charlie's mom from the first film? No mention of them at all!

When did Charlie start seeing the shrink? I don't understand what would trigger Charlie to see a shrink! He was the one hellbent on telling EVERYONE (Including the police)about the vampires and dragged Peter and Co. into the mix. What had happened to change all that?

Dandridge had a sister? For a moment, I thought about "Dracula's Daughter" and "Son Of Dracula." Where on Earth did she come from? What took her so long (A few years)to find Charlie?

These are the things that have bugged me ever since I saw this years ago. It would have been cool if a lot of unanswered questions would have been resolved.

And that is why this is almost perfect.

Disappointing and unnecessary

[dave13-1 · 5/10 · 15 April 2012]

Years have passed since the events of Fright Night, but vampires have long memories and one of them shows up in town to take revenge on Charlie. The resulting mayhem and frights fall far short of the white knuckle ride of the first film. Indeed, the slow pace and lack of suspense and atmosphere are major shortcomings for any horror film and doubly disappointing here, since the original had pace and atmosphere by the carload. There is a lush and sensual quality to the new vampire's scenes (if not bite - no pun intended), so the film is not without visual interest, but don't be looking for the sudden shocks and twists of the first movie. They ain't here. Frankly, My Best Friend is a Vampire was a better movie, which isn't saying much.

Charlie Brewster and Peter Vincent Are Back!

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 13 March 2008]

Charlie Brewster and Peter Vincent return to fight a new vampire (Regine, the sister of the original vampire) and her colleagues. Evil Ed is dead and Charlie has a new girlfriend (played by the much sexier Tracy Lin) but it's the same old antics, which is a good thing.

Everything you liked about the first film is back -- Peter Vincent, good vampire fights (this has even been stepped up a notch) and some off-beat humor (the vampire who psychoanalyzes himself as he's dying is interesting). We also have a vampire-wolf creature played by the same guy who played the Wolfman's human form in "Monster Squad" and is now known as Uncle Rico from "Napoleon Dynamite". And did I mention Tracy Lin is hot? Two concerns. One: How Charlie has come to believe the first vampire attack never happened is beyond me. I mean, his friend Ed was murdered among other things. And his original girlfriend surely still believes (wherever she's gone). Two: as much as I love 1980s horror, the film dates itself a bit with the black vampire. Those clothes and that hair could only be a 1980s black androgynous creature. So, that's unfortunate. But everything else stands up rather well twenty years later.

What more to say? It really comes down to liking the first film. If you do, you'll like this. Same characters, same concepts... same general feel. I liked the first one, so I like this. The details really aren't that important. Why they didn't milk out a third "Fright Night" I don't know. It likely would have been just as good.

It's a fright, all right... So bad it makes my hair stand on end just thinking about it!

[Howlin Wolf · 2/10 · 29 December 2008]

Rollerskating vampires?! I'm sorry but even for the 80's that's just way too cheesy to be remotely scary... You can excuse the original the odd kitsch moment because it was parodying old movies and TV shows, but that's been done once, so the sequel needed to be a little less camp, not even more outlandish! Plus, the first movie had the presence of Chris Sarandon - a man who could even make stalking discotheques in casual knitwear seem seductive! - that this one sorely lacks, so there was no 'danger' in anything that happened, it just seemed silly.

Admittedly I only saw this once when I was 7, but by then already being a huge fan of the original I remember being disgusted. To me, there is no sequel to Fright Night, just a tacky spoof that doesn't deserve any appraisal whatsoever.

A deserving sequel to a fun horror/comedy.

[FiendishDramaturgy · 7/10 · 25 January 2004]

I was hesitant to even see this one. No more Amanda Beasley as Alex...but most of all, no Evil Ed...a fact which severely restrained my willingness to see this. I had developed a liking for that character, and actually thought as highly of the first installment as I did, because of him.

However, this is a good and well-executed premise; a solid story; and ultimately, a deserving sequel.

The effects were excellent, even without considering the horribly low budget this movie was allowed. I thought the transformations were wonderfully done, as well as the beautiful makeup effects. Just really very good work, which we enjoyed immensely.

Peter Vincent, Fearless Vampire Hunter, even has some innovative new tricks up his sleeve.

This was a total surprise. A delightful and complete surprise.

It rates an 8.2/10 on the "B" scale.

That's about a 6.7/10 on the "A" scale, from...

the Fiend :.

What I Expected!

[atinder · 5/10 · 8 August 2013]

Fright Night Part 2 (1988)

I don't think sequel was really needed. it didn't really add anything to the series at all.

I liked the first movie series very much, one few vamp movies that I actually like,

I thought the movie started of a little slow, I bored about the whole , I didn't really like how the movie started off.

After the 40 min mark, movie start get going, thing start to REAL happen, a lot action scenes in this movie.

I didn't find this movie that funny at all, I don't think I laughed once or even smiled

Some the effects were not as good or as fun as the first movie but still better then some of effect with get horror movies these days.

The acting was good but the plot could have be a lot better, I yet to Remake and upcoming sequel to this remake. (I don't think it be as good as the first movie)

5 out of 10

Underrated and unappreciated excellent sequel in the horror genre - I love it!

[ivo-cobra8 · 9/10 · 23 October 2016]

This is underrated, unappreciated excellent sequel in the horror genre from the 80's, that almost no one talks about it. It is directed by Tommy Lee Wallace who also directed Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) and It (1990). It is definitely one of my favorite sequels and I love it so damn much. What I mean with no one talks about it: This movie like disappeared I heard about the first movie and watch it on TV, but I never saw the sequel in Slovenia on TV I don't know why this was banned and was never released in my country. Anyway I am a huge fan of the first movie Fright Night (1985), which is my favorite vampire horror movie of all time. While this one is a low budget unappreciated a step down sequel from the first movie. I love horror movies from the 80's and the vampire movies beside Fright Night Part I and II I only love The Lost Boys (1987) that come out 2 years later after the first Fright Night come out. I love Part 2 and this movie is damn good to watch at least better than remake tough I love remake too. I wish I could get this movie on Blu-ray or DVD but it is impossible to get it, so I am keeping the downloaded film on my computer.

Fright Night Part 2 isn't good as the original film was or that great like was the first movie, but it has elements that movie works. William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall did return from the first movie and that was good enough to watch this movie. Roddy McDowall is as always terrific and excellent in his role as Peter Vincent. William Ragsdale as Charley Brewster is good but his character is really messed up. Traci Lind is a hot sexy beautiful babe in this movie, I was happy that she was Charley's love interest. I know the actress from 21 Jump Street (1987) Season 1 Episode 3 and Class of 1999 (1990). I am happy she was in this movie, she was excellent and I love her character Alex she was fantastic! I miss the actress so damn much! William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall were both excellent I love them so much. Tommy Lee Wallace did an excellent job writing and the directing this movie I love it so much. It is also one of my favorite vampire movies you even have a werewolf in here and a vampire who etas bugs and one vampire who roller skates.

Plot: Charley Brewster and Peter Vincent must face more vampires which are out for revenge.

Welcome to FRIGHT NIGHT PART II. Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall, "The Great Vampire Killer," and Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) are back in the long-awaited sequel to the box office smash hit Fright Night. And so are the bloodthirsty creatures of the night.

This is a revenge film about Julie Carmen as Regine Dandridge, Jerry's sister who want's revenge on Charley for killing her brother. Julie was outstanding, terrific and scary as the leader vampire. Brian Thompson as Bozworth as Regine's chauffeur and a vampire who only eat bugs and he know all their names is interesting, terrific and scary in his role. Russell Clark as a Vampire on a roller skates is excellent, but I still don't know was he a guy or a girl?. Jon Gries as Louie a werewolf was awesome, he was the only werewolf in the whole film, who can transformers in to werewolf anytime he wants. John Gries also did play a vampire in Bram Stoker's Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola, you'll remember when Dracula turns into a hairy wolf beast and has sex with the red head. I think he was supposed to be a Vampire modeled after this creature seeing as they mentioned stuff from the original Dracula book in this movie.

I love the horror in this movie: Peter Vincent try's to kill Regina on movie set, but he get's arrested and thrown in to mental institution that is awesome. Alex try's to rescue him and in mental institution a patient Josh Richman as Fritzy helps them, to escape from the hospital I love this scene to death.

Peter and Alex prepare to rescue Charley from Regina and they took all the weapons against the vampires - bad ass scene!

The elevator scene where Regina burns from the sun light is fantastic epic scene while Peter is reflection a mirror on her and Charley holds her. That is my favorite another bad ass scene, pretty much the death scenes are awesome.

I love the rescue mission on this movie. it is awesome how gorgeous Alex and Peter are rescuing Charley.

R.I.P. - Roddy McDowall (1928 - 1998), Russell Clark (1949 - 2002) and Merritt Butrick (1959 - 1989). May all of you rest in peace your not forgotten.

Fright Night Part 2 is a 1988 American horror comedy film directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and starring William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Traci Lind, and Julie Carmen. It is the first and only sequel to Fright Night (1985), with Ragsdale and McDowall reprising their roles. Composer Brad Fiedel also returned with another distinct synthesizer score.

I am giving an 9/10 -- a good score it has problems with the Charley character not believing in vampires, pacing, the humor in this movie and the scrip it could have been better. It is still a scary movie and I would definitely love to have DVD or Blu-ray.

So-so

[preppy-3 · 6/10 · 16 January 2002]

"Fright Night" had Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) and Charlie Brewster (William Ragsdale) team up to hunt down and destroy a vampire named Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon). They succeed.

This sequel picks up a few years later. Charlie has gone throught therapy to convince himself that Dandridge was not a vampire and has cut off ties with Vincent. Then Dandridge's sister Regine (Julie Carmen) comes to town with revenge on her mind...

OK sequel to "Fright Night". I don't know why this was such a huge bomb when it came out (it didn't play theatrically in most of the country). It's no better or worse than most late 1980s horror films.

The special effects are great (if sparse), the movie moves very quickly, McDowell is obviously enjoying himself and Carmen makes one sexy vampire. But the script is weak (to put it mildly) and (McDowell aside) the performances are lame. Also Sarandon (who gave the original most of its punch) is gone and the jokes are really, really bad.

Not unwatchable...just a big step down from the original.

Little-Seen Sequel.

[AaronCapenBanner · 4/10 · 1 October 2013]

William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall return in this sequel set three years after the first. Charley Brewster is now in college, and has a new girlfriend named Alex(Traci Lind) He has undergone therapy to help him deal with the stress of vampires, whom he know believes no longer exist. He will realize the error of this after a mysterious new woman named Regina Dandridge(Jerry's sister, also a vampire) comes to town looking for revenge against Charley and Peter Vincent, who tries to convince Charley of the danger. Can they defeat this new menace? Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, this sequel tries to emulate the first with disappointing results. Violence is a bit too much here, overwhelming the attempted dark comedy, and that therapist subplot was stupid. Still, both returning Ragsdale and McDowall are fine, and Regina a worthy opponent, with an exciting climax.

Not a hit in theaters, this film still has a loyal fan base, and is not yet on (Widescreen) DVD for some reason, though that will one day change I'm sure!

Definitely polished for a vampire movie...

[stuffpuppet · 11 May 2003]

We are all being made aware lately that the sequel just might be better yet.The directors efforts were outstanding,and the dance scenes superb. This was quality for all,when normally,vampire movies only appeal to a percentage of us..I salute fright night 2 ..

Fright Night Part 2

[coltras35 · 6/10 · 24 September 2023]

After three years of therapy Charley Brewster, now a college student, is convinced that Jerry Dandridge was a serial killer posing as a vampire. But when Regine, a mysterious actress and her entourage move into Peter Vincent's apartment block, the nightmare starts again - and this time it's personal!

Fright Night is my favourite 80's horror film, which blended vampires, humour, thrills and special effects with great ease- of course, the main attraction were Roddy McDowell, Williams Ragsdale and Sarandon, and only two return in this sequel, and their chemistry and interaction is on fire - Julie Carmen plays the sister of the vampire in the first instalment and she looks sinister enough.

How did this sequel measure? When I first saw it years ago, I was disappointed, finding it uneven with the first half really good but the rest quite flat. Yes, it had great special effects, a seductive but sinister lead vampire, a memorable sequence of a vampire in skates, and good climax, but it didn't impress me on the whole. I found it dragged in the second half and was slower paced.

Now? With a second viewing my opinion has changed a bit. It's quite watchable, entertaining with a good plot and some good scary atmosphere, however I still think it lacks the energy and humour of the first film. But then that's hard to achieve. Fright Night 2 stands on its own merit and a worthy sequel.

Worthy continuation in which Ragsdale again enlists the TV killer McDowall to chase a nasty vampire, Julie Carmen.

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 6 October 2023]

This follow-up titled "Fright Night 2" (1988) by Tommy Lee Wallace boasts a nice cast with William Ragsdale, Roddy MacDowall, Traci Lin, Julie Carmen. This sequel to the 1985 release deals with the harassed guy from the original movie learns slowly that the vampire's sister and her entourage have come to roost around his college. A few innovations there are, notably Julie Carmen's spectacular usurpation of Roddy McDowall's show go for nothing, but Tommy Lee Wallace's direction lacks flair play and intelligence that Tom Holland brought to "Fright Night". Not quite as good as the first part, but acceptable and passable. A fun and entertaining sequel about a teenager finds out that the newcomer in his neighborhood is a vampire. It's Dracula-versus-the-teens time when Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) is emerging from 3 years of psychotherapy to find that the vampires he's been persuaded are imaginary really exist. As he suspects that his new neighbor Regine Dandridge (Julie Carmen) descends from Count Vlad's line as well. Having convinced TV horror-show host (Roddy McDowall) that the fanged ones are back in business, Ragsdale confronts the deliciously perilous Julie Carmen, sister of suave bloodsucker Chris Sarandon whom they stalked in Part 1. Charlie calls in the host, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) , of "Fright Night show" , the local late night, horror-flick series , to help de-ghoul the neighborhood . But they have a problem when the vampire discovers their schemes and nobody believes them anyway. Welcome back...Do you have a taste for terror?.More than a sequel, it's a scream. The suckers are back. There are some very good reasons to be afraid...of the dark!. If you love being scared, it'll be the night of your life !.

A farrago of cartoonish exaggeration including razor-sharps talons, mouthfuls of fangs and eyes like like burning coals, knowing humour and 80s camp, it should start to work, and yet , strangely, it does, but few innovations there are, especially Carmen's frightening usurpation of McDowall's show. The film displays supernatural events, thrills, chills , cardboard horror , tension, astonishing killings and lots of blood and gore for nauseating execution. The film is acceptable thanks to the assured handling of writer/director Holland and three performances in particular: William Ragsdale as the resourceful student Charly , Roddy MacDowall as the timid vampire killer and while Julie Carmen is properly seductive as the attractively killing bloodsucker. It displays intriguing homoerotic overtones and giving a blatant equation of desire and hunger. The dark cinematography by cameraman Mark Irwin and music by Brad Fiedel help, covering an ambitious range from piano-murdering , suspense-raisers , through disco fodder and the special effects are worth a look, as well .

Thanks to this movie, writer Tommy Lee Wallace gained more notoriety, however, as a director he has an unven career working as cinema as television. "Fright Night" (1985) and its sequel ¨Fright Night 2¨which, at the time, was said to have been responsible for redefining the sub-genre, influencing later films like "The Lost Boys" (1987) and "Near Dark" (1987). The films were box office hits and garnered three Saturn Awards and one Dario Argento Award. Fright Night (1985) and its follow-up (1988) have since gathered a cult following amongst horror fans. The motion picture was acceptabily directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, though it has some gaps, failures, shortcomings and with no originality because copies elements of the previous part. Tommy is an American director and screenwriter of horror and thriller films. Tommy Lee Wallace's film debut was ¨Halloweeen III season of the witch¨ , following movies as Fright Night Part 2 , Vampires: Los Muertos , It , Aloha Summer, Tour of duty, The Twilight Zone, Max Headrom, Once You Meet a Stranger,Aleta,Danger Island, among others. Rating: 5.5/10. Decent sequel in similar style to original, but it is clearly inferior to the first .

An Unfrightful Night

[thesar-2 · 1/10 · 12 December 2011]

Oh, God, this movie, Fright Night Part 2 (or II as some sources say) was a mess.

From the already pointed out mismanaging of the sequel #, to lame and irrelevant bowling jokes, to the once awesome Peter Vincent reversing his belief in vampires only to remember at the appropriate time, to the lame excuse to get (SOME of) the original stars back…this movie was a tragedy to those who loved part one. Like me.

When I was a kid, I loved the original Fright Night and didn't really get into going to see as many movies as I could, on my own and mostly at the dollar theatre, until I was about 15ish. And coincidentally, both my movie-outing and this film were in 1989. Surprisingly, I wasn't as much a critic back then: I loved going to the movies, action and horror were my favorite, didn't matter about plot, depth or characterizations – I just loved entertainment. And still…I hated this movie.

Really quickly, let's explore the wonderful plot: Charley Brewster has moved on from his encounter with his neighbor/vampire of years past through therapy and college. He's got a new girlfriend and the infamous Peter Vincent friend he ignores. Well, SHOCKING, Peter's new neighbors are vampires and maybe a werewolf, though that's not really explored. This time around, Charley is slowly – and weirdly – becoming one of the undead. Too much a spoiler on why, but the reason is just as boring as this slow paced, barely recognizable sequel, is.

Yeah, I'm aware they produced countless horror films in the 1980s and multiple that by five for the number of horror sequels. A lot hit, mostly miss. This is the latter. There's absolutely no reason to see this follow-up. The first classic is simply sufficient.

Sequel with good elements, but forgettable

[Elvis-Del-Valle · 7/10 · 17 March 2023]

This sequel to the classic horror comedy Fright Night continues the story while maintaining the same rhythm and humor as the original film. With Charly and Peter Vincent being the highlights and good special effects, it has what it takes to be a good sequel, but a lame script. Jerry's sister as a new antagonist does not become as endearing as Jerry. It looks seductive, but it doesn't have much. Not bad, but sadly it's a forgettable movie. Personally, I didn't really like it and it's a completely unnecessary sequel that luckily ended up being a cult film. My final rating for this movie is 7/10.

Most overated sequel ever

[sleemice · 3/10 · 1 January 2018]

I would have preferred a cliche movie rather than something so lame. Long and painful to watch from start to finish. The actors are very good but it's the script that is just terrible. I'm hoping my rating will make some small contribution and this movie will be given the rating it really deserves which is much much lower.

Like seriously what kind of person would believe rubbing roses on a werewolf hurts him? Maybe my mistake is watching this movie in 2018 way after I'd watched movies like Fright Night (2011), Werewolf in London, Van Helsing, Twilight where the werewolves and vampires are more believable.

Back in blood

[p-stepien · 6/10 · 13 January 2013]

Three years after defeating Jerry Dandridge, Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) manages to convince himself that the events of that time were mere figments of mass delusion. Now a hapless student head over heels with Alex (Traci Lind) he is slowly returning to normalcy. Naturally he still remains friends with the diminishing horror star Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), but tries not to entertain the notion that vampires could truly exist. However, when Regine (Julie Carmen) and three awkward individuals move into the same building as Vincent, it seems like its history repeating.

Naturally devoid of the originality of the first part, "Fright Night Part 2" redoes several aspects of the plot, sometimes in ways which are replicated in ways too close to comfort. Keeping the humorous quality, Tommy Lee Wallace manages to add a sense of atmosphere, while Julie Carmen instills rapturous sensuality to her vampire. Lacking Evil Ed and Jerry Dandridge a bit too much of character lays on the shoulders of Peter Vincent, aptly British vampire killer with a side order of nut-case. Julie Carmen's allure does add some spice, but unfortunately mostly through sexual enticement, not intriguing character concept. Nonetheless the story is significantly more compact and coherent, thus I actually found myself enjoying it just a tad more than the first instalment, even if it is admittedly less memorable overall. The special effects do improve, but the intangible quality of magnetic charm has fleetingly escaped.

disappointing sequel

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 6 April 2015]

It's 3 years later. Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) has come out of psychotherapy believing he imagined the vampires. He reluctantly meets up with Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) who tries to convince him and his girlfriend Alex (Traci Lind) of their adventures. Mysterious strangers Regine, Louie, Belle and Bosworth move into Vincent's building. Regine has a revenge plan for Charley after he killed her brother Jerry Dandrige in the original.

It's great that Ragsdale and McDowall have returned for the sequel. They are the only pillars holding up this movie. The franchise is nothing more than a B-horror movie at this point. It doesn't have the same 'Rear Window' aspect of the original. It's not compelling. It's not well filmed. It's a disappointment.

Totally worths the bite! Great sequel that doesn't tries to imitate the original.

[insomniac_rod · 8/10 · 23 December 2004]

McDowall, Ragsdale and company join again for more vampire fun. Thanks Mr. Tom Holland for creating these movies.

The sequel to one of the most important vampire movies of the past 20 years delivers expectations by entertaining and making the audience laugh. The charm of the original is present but just in half. We still enjoy the Roddy McDowall - William Ragsdale duo now in better shape. Although the Jerry Dandridge character is not present, it's present through all the movie because he's mentioned and remembered.

Four years have passed since the frightening events that led to the death of 10,000 year old vampire Jerry Dandridge. Charlie Brewster has a hot new girlfriend, Alex and now he attends college and isn't a geek anymore. Things seem to be perfect for him. Through therapy, Charlie tries to forget what happened and tells to himself that everything came out from his mind. Nothing really existed to him. Peter Vincent still hosts "Fright Night" and his life is also good.

Harmony abruptly breaks when Charlie believes in vampires again. He still has vampire related nightmares, his mind plays tricks on him and one of a sudden, the events of the original "Fright Night" happen again. Regine Dandridge (yes, Jerry's sister) finds Charlie and Peter Vincent and swears to take revenge for her brother's death. This time the vampires are more and will do everything possible to torture Charlie for eternity and kill Peter Vincent. Once again the Brewster-Vincent duo teams against the blood sucking gang in a fierce battle that will make you want more of Fright Night!

I truly LOVE the original "Fright Night" and to me, none sequel or vampire flick will match it's coolness. "Fright Night part II" is the vampire movie that I was looking for. The movie is filled with horror, action, cool f/x, great acting, sensuality, gore, black humor, and a good soundtrack. What else could you ask for in a horror movie from the 80's?! Part II does the things correctly and almost tops the original.

ACTING. Roddy McDowall and William Ragsdale are my favorite duo in horror movies. Both actors are at their best in this sequel. Seems that both enjoyed acting together and fighting vampires. McDowall gives a strong performance based on his maturity and fine humor. He's the man! No one like him can challenge vampires. Ragsdale improves his performance from the original and gives a great performance. Julie Carmen (Regine) could fill the great Chris Sarandon's shoes in the role of the lead vampire. Her performance totally hypnotized me and I enjoyed it. Vampires were never this seductive and hot. I praise her for wearing tight and short outfits. She's super hot and gives a great performance. She was mean she it was necessary, she was sensual every time. Carmen is a hot women and my favorite vampire female character. Tracy Lin (Alex) gives another strong and believable performance as Charlie's (lucky bastard) radiant new girlfriend. She was very cute and hot. She knew how to display a strong woman that looked very tender. I love this woman. Is it me or she looks a lot like Anna Chmulsky (from "My Girl" fame)? What a beautiful woman. Yum. The other supporting cast members are very good. Brian Thompson (Bozworth deserves special mention. The other vampire gang members were perfect! Cool designs. The tranvestie roller skater vampire is insane! A creepy character. The werewolf worked perfectly as the Evil Ed of the movie. Still we miss a lot Evil Ed. I enjoyed Ernie Sabella's performance as Dr. Harrison. He was insane! Also, the patient in the mental asylum that helps Peter Vincent to escape is groovy. I truly enjoyed his performance a la Jay and Silent Bob. A great cast that worked perfectly for a horror comedy.

DIRECTION. Tommy Lee Wallace did a wonderful job. He sets a creepy atmosphere getting hand from action and comedy. There are some impressive camera angels that make the movie look classy. For example the scene where Peter Vincent uses the broken mirror against Regine in the final battle looks great! A difficult scene that went perfect. "Fright Night II" looks impressive for being a horror movie. Obviously the budget here is huge.

F/X, CINEMATOGRAPHY, SOUNDTRACK. The f/x improved the original's. Visually stunning effects again. I loved the tranvestie vampire's death and the maggots coming out from Bozworth's stomach. Candy for the eye! Thanks. The cinematography is great. Part II is visually stunning also. Metal Pop tunes, vampiresque melodies, organs, and rock make a great soundtrack. Not as good as the original's but still works.

FRIGHT NIGHT PART II has many things to bite: -Regine telling Charlie and Peter "welcome to Fright Night!". A scene that sent chills to my bones! A new classic moment for me. -Regine threatening Peter Vincent and then tells him that Charlie's punishment will be worse. -Bozworth's explicit death. -The scene where a looney helps Peter escape from the mental asylum. A hell of a funny scene! -The final battle between Charlie, Peter and Regine. I loved the way Peter used the broken mirror. The scene is very memorable because it's the last time that the team win a battle against vampires. Everybody misses Roddy McDowall a lot... -Dr. Harris's death. -The scene where the skate roller tranvestie vamp. comes at high speed against Charlie. A truly creepy moment with the 80's craziness. The clothing, the hair, the music, the scary looks. I love it.

Take my word, "Fright Night Part II" is a great horror comedy movie. Not as great as the original but still delivers and overpasses expectations. This is one of the best sequels ever to a horror movie. The Fright Night movies will always work. Time seems to make no harm to them.

8.0/10 Fun, gory, entertaining, well directed and acted. Part II is a sequel to bite!

Less bite but still alright.

[Minus_The_Beer · 6/10 · 12 January 2011]

William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall return for more vampire slaying craziness in "Fright Night: Part 2." Taking place three years after the events of the first film, the sequel finds Charley Brewster a little older and a little wiser. Thanks to some therapy, Charley no longer believes in vampires and is trying his hardest to move on with his life, which includes his college studies, a new love interest (Traci Lind) clinging to his side and a gnarly mullet to boot. Unfortunately, just as things start getting back on track for our hero, a gang of vampires comes to town seeking food, a good time, and some good old fashioned vengeance. It's up to Charley and the down-on-his-luck Peter Vincent to once again put a stop to the madness.

Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace ("Halloween III: Season of the Witch"), "Fright Night: Part 2" is somewhat lacking in the charming spirit of the original. While Wallace (a John Carpenter protégé) puts on a good show with the aid of a fog machine and an excellent score by the great Brad Fiedel in tow, the film can't help but succumb to sequelitis. While the character of Charley may have moved on, his routine certainly hasn't. Even though the film makes an effort to not repeat the events of the first film, it can't help but slip into redundancy with a "been there, done that" vibe running throughout. It also doesn't help that this new gaggle of baddies lack the charisma of Chris Sarandon and come across as less of a threat than they do a cast of rejects from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video.

It's not all bad for this sequel, though. On the plus side, Wallace keeps the pace quick and easy. Reuniting with characters from the original film is a treat and it's nice to see their characters expanded upon as well. Both Ragsdale and McDowall are on their game and it shows in the final product as the two whole-heartedly carry the film. Traci Lind makes for a slightly less interesting love interest than Amanda Bearse in the original, but has a likable energy about her that makes one wonder why her career never took off. All in all, "Fright Night: Part 2" is an enjoyable if flawed re-entry into familiar territory. It might not have the same "bite" as the original, but it's certainly not one of the worst sequels of its era either.

GOOD SEQUEL!!

[psycho_153 · 5/10 · 25 December 1999]

i didn't find Fright Night 1 or 2 terribly good. But they are okay vampire movies. Fright Night 2 is virtually the same plot as the first but in my opinion I think it was better. Maybe the better effects, better makeup better filming equipment made the atmosphere of the movie better. I liked the roller skating vampire scene and the limo driver. A pretty good vampire flick, but not a great horror flick.