You're (still) so cool, Brewster!

From a distance, FRIGHT NIGHT looks like an innocuous little movie. It was neither a smash nor a bomb, placing it firmly in a position of cultural mediocrity among its peers in 1985. FRIGHT NIGHT performed only marginally better than the much-less-expensive FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING, but not quite as well as the wretched A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE. (And I'm singling out those films because Columbia Pictures probably didn't think their vampire movie was competing against Sylvester Stallone or Harrison Ford that year.)

Looking back at a list of the movies released in 1985, though, it's clear that FRIGHT NIGHT is easily one of the year's best. Sure, it's was the kind of Steven Spielberg-esque 'boomer fantasy that was in vogue during the 1980s, made of equal parts Ray Bradbury/Richard Matheson/Hammer Horror, but it was a breath of fresh air for horror. I loved it at first site in 1985 and continue to think it's a pretty swell film.

Back in March, much of the cast of FRIGHT NIGHT was present at the Mad Monster Party convention in Charlotte, N.C. For about an hour, actors Chris Sarandon, Amanda Bearse, William Ragsdale, Stephen Geoffreys, Jonathan Stark, Art Evans, and SFX supervisor Steve Johnson spoke in depth about the making of the movie. I want to say it was like watching a live DVD commentary track, only it was better. The conversation went places that commentary tracks actively avoid, usually for (bullshit) legal reasons.

Which is why I'm excited about YOU'RE SO COOL, BREWSTER!, a documentary about the making of FRIGHT NIGHT. It's in the process of securing funding through Kickstarter and is promising a thorough roster of guests to talk about the film on camera. Having already heard part of this story from the film's cast, it's seems unlikely the YOU'RE SO COOL, BREWSTER! won't result in a compelling piece of cinema.

You can learn more about YOU'RE SO COOL, BREWSTER! at the official Kickstarter campaign site by clicking HERE.