The 4K UHD Release of ‘Fright Night’ is a Collector’s Dream [Review]
Tyler Doupe'
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What can I say about Fright Night that hasn’t already been said? It’s one of the most iconic horror films from a decade packed to the gills with noteworthy genre fare. And it is a perfect horror comedy. Since I recently wrote about what makes this flick stand out from the pack, I will reference this op-ed, rather than repeat myself. So, please have a look at that if you’re searching for a critique of the film. With that said, I’m dedicating the rest of my efforts here to the jam-packed assortment of special features in its 4K UHD release.
Fright Night follows Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale), a young man with an active imagination and a love for all things macabre. When Charley comes to suspect next-door neighbor Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon) of being a vampire, those closest to the boy assume his imagination is running wild again. But after a thorough investigation, Charley’s girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse) and friend “Evil” Ed (Stephen Geoffreys) come to believe their pal may be on to something. The three teenagers team up with television host and actor Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) to expose Jerry’s nocturnal activities and keep their city safe from bloodsuckers.
Okay, let’s get into it, shall we? The SteelBook packaging for this 4K release (pictured below) features a slightly more minimalistic rendering of the iconic VHS art that people my age grew up ogling on trips to the video store. I do wish the title text was included because it’s such an integral part of the design. But that is largely a matter of personal preference. My only other critique on the packaging is that I wish there was a slipcover to adorn the 3-disc set.
With that said, this is bound to be the definitive release of an iconic film. This limited-edition set will almost certainly be the standard to which all future Fright Night releases are compared. This is a lovingly crafted offering, full of bonus features. And I’m not just talking about the typical legacy features ported over from a previous DVD or Blu-ray bow. This release is comprised of some next level content. Included is one disc with a 4K remaster of the feature, a disc with a 1080p transfer of the film (and a bevy of bonus content), and a third disc stuffed with even more extras!
Fright Night looks great in 4K. The details are more visible than ever and the transfer looks quite clean. The colors are vivid and the audio is crisp. I’m not a diehard videophile that picks up on all the subtleties and nuances. But I was, nonetheless, quite pleased with what I saw.
Given that I’m not as swayed by the technical aspects, I wouldn’t personally upgrade on the basis of the upscaled resolution alone. However, the bonus content is primed to make this release a no-brainer for anyone that loves the film and enjoys the chance to go behind the scenes. And this offering certainly allows us to do just that.
Included in the extras is a two-and-a-half-hour-long script read (which was filmed as part of a fundraiser) with the original cast (and guest stars, including Mark Hamill as Peter Vincent). What I appreciated about this segment is the fact that Tom Holland introduces the reading and he seems like a kid in a candy store. His face lights up when he talks about Fright Night, with a bust of Amy’s head in hand and props staged around him. The director takes great care to communicate with the severed heads, skeletons, and the like to be sure we know what each of them is thinking. That melted my heart and gave me, yet another reason to love Holland.
Another standout is the 45-minute conversation between queer director Bryan Fuller and Amanda Bearse, who plays Amy. The pair tackle the film’s queer themes, both coded and more blatant. Fuller is a massive fan of the film and it’s exciting to see him geek out on the material with the same zest with which you or I might when looking back on this beloved effort.
Additionally, there is a mini-doc that dives into the novelization of the film. The inclusion of this extra really surprised me. While fans go ape shit over novelizations, it’s rare for even a boutique distributor’s release to touch on something this obscure. So, for the Sony 4K release to touch on that kind of blew my mind. Authors John Skipp and Craig Spector are both interviewed for the featurette, as is Holland. It’s a fascinating story, seeing as the novelization was written by two men that hadn’t even seen the film and were pioneers in the Splatterpunk genre. Holland takes a moment to speak about the way the comedy kind of occurred organically during the production process. The scribes speak to their creative process, as well as writing the novelization without having seen the film.
Also included is a tour through the picture’s only deleted scene by way of storyboard artwork. Director Tom Holland explains why the sequence was scrapped. He also gives us a look at his original concept for the finale. The director describes the scene with such love and admiration, making it a far more intimate affair than watching excised footage without the benefit of commentary from the creative team, not to mention storyboards that Holland has held onto for nearly 40 years.
Another storyboard-based featurette draws comparisons between original storyboards and clips from the feature, showing the evolution of some of the effects sequences from the page to the screen. This one isn’t quite as riveting as the deleted scene. But it’s still nice to be able to see the evolution of some of the picture’s impressive effects sequences.
Beyond all that, Holland also introduces a spec trailer that editor Kent Beyda created when he and the director became concerned the trailer that the studio cut misrepresented the tone of the film. The spec trailer is featured along with the official preview, allowing fans to stage a side-by-side comparison. The speculative cut does a great job of showcasing the scares. But it’s also a bit playful, which is a truer representation of the finished product.
Okay, that’s about it for new bonus material. But this release also comes with a bevy of legacy features. This includes two different audio commentary tracks, the 2016 documentary You’re So Cool, Brewster! The Story of Fright Night, a mini-doc called What is Fright Night, and more!
The 4K version of the flick is now available. If you’re a fan of Fright Night, I cannot recommend this release highly enough. If I hadn’t received a review copy, I would have gladly paid market value for this UHD transfer. Full stop.
