Fright Night Part 2 (1980) - Less of the same

Despite my love of all things 80s horror-related, I never really 'got' the original 'Fright Night.' I know it's regarded as a classic of the genre and has a massive fan-base, so who am I to say whether it's good or not.  However, despite multiple viewings, at best I'd describe it as 'okay.' So my hopes weren't really high when it came to the sequel.

And, if I had to sum it up I'd say 'stuff happens.'

It's kind of more of the same, but seemingly less so.  The original protagonist (Charlie) has grown up (slightly) and - unsurprisingly - no one believes him that he and a famous TV presenter once killed a load of suburban vampires.  Naturally, things take a turn for the worst and shake up his 'post vampire' life when the sister of the original bloodsucker decides to come after him for some revenge.

The trouble is I never found either entry scary enough to be considered 'horror' and definitely not 'funny' enough to be comedies.  Yes, they're certainly campy, but this one seems to take even longer to get going.  I was basically very bored, although the last fifteen minutes (i.e. final confrontation) was pretty fun and definitely had some creative gore/practical effects to entertain.  It just all seemed too little too late.  I guess if you really enjoyed the original (and I know plenty of people did!) you'll probably appreciate this one, as the most important cast members reprise their roles.  Still didn't work for me though.

4/10