Key Takeaways:
• Fright Night’s cast, including Chris Sarandon and Director Tom Holland, reunited for a live script reading.
• Sarandon almost passed on the film due to its title, Fright Night.
• Holland recounts the unique and hassle-free experience of directing Fright Night.
• Sarandon praises the quality of the script and the director’s vision which made him decide to take on the role.
Earlier, actor Chris Sarandon alongside several castmates from the 1985 vampire movie classic, ‘Fright Night,’ participated in a lively reunion. The occasion? A live reading of the movie script, led by the film’s writer and director, Tom Holland. Acting legends Mark Hamill and Rosario Dawson also joined the nostalgic event, which was recorded and released on the podcast called Table Read.
Interestingly, while reminiscing about the making of the film, Chris Sarandon, who played the memorable vampire character Jerry Dandridge, confessed he almost skipped the movie. Can you believe it? The reason was quite surprising – he wasn’t a big fan of the title.
Director Tom Holland shared his memories about the making of Fright Night too, calling it the best experience he had directing a film. He also praised the crew involved in the film, including effects maestro Richard Edlund and many others who were part of the Ghostbusters crew.
Holland described the production of Fright Night as smooth and straightforward, mainly due to less interference from executives. He was given a budget of $9 million and was left to create the film without much hassling or interference.
Even the casting process was relatively stress-free, an experience Holland describes as “extraordinarily wonderful”. The apparent reason was that the mainstream attention was on another movie called ‘Perfect,’ starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Coming to Sarandon, he spoke about the impact Fright Night had on the vampire movie genre. Back when the film was made, vampire movies weren’t exactly in their golden era. With Fright Night, however, the genre experienced a much-needed revival. Fans fell in love with such movies all over again, thanks to this flick.
But it was not love at first sight for Sarandon. When he initially saw the film’s script, named Fright Night, he thought to himself, “No, I can’t do a movie with this title. I’m a serious actor.” But, when he began reading it, his doubts were put to rest. The script was so well-written it got him bowled over, and he felt compelled to meet the director, Tom Holland.
Upon meeting Holland, who explained the entire shooting process to him in detail, he decided he wanted to be part of the project. Sarandon praised Holland, particularly for his cinematic knowledge and his past work as a scriptwriter for numerous movies.
‘Fright Night’ tells the story of Charley Brewster, a teenage horror movie enthusiast who suspects his new next-door neighbor, named Jerry Dandridge (played by Sarandon), to be a vampire. Not surprisingly, no one believes him until strange events start happening.
If you’re a fan of Fright Night, aren’t you glad Chris Sarandon decided not to pass on the film despite his initial hesitation? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Fright Night has proven that sometimes, we need to surpass preliminary judgments or doubts to create an unforgettable experience. Whether it’s the title or the genre, what truly matters is the content and team behind the film. Holland and Sarandon’s reflections further reinforce this belief.
