Rating: Summary: Great movie, awful presentation Review: Fright Night Part II is, IMO, very nearly the equal of the first movie, which itself is my favorite horror film of all time. That said, I have been waiting for a few years (ever since the release of the first FN film by Columbia TriStar in '99) for Part II to become available on DVD.I'm not disappointed that the presentation is full-frame, 1.33:1, as from what I understand, the film was originally shot in this aspect ratio. I'm not even disappointed that there aren't any extras to speak of (extras being rare for any sequel DVD, really). No, the problem lies with the ABOMINABLE transfer. The movie seems to have been mastered directly from whatever print Vista had lying around--it's very grainy and looks about the same, or perhaps slightly worse than, an SP speed VHS copy. For DVD, it's absolutely hideous. Artisan should know better than to release such product without at least attempting a remastering which would have tightened up the picture and made it worth the DVD release (look at the 2 films' DVD releases side-by-side...nothing to compare!). If you're a Fright Night completist or just really really like the movie, buy this DVD. It'll keep your VHS copy (you know you have one!) from withering away. Don't buy the disc looking to be wowed by the digital format, you'll disappoint yourself (I did). The movie: 4 stars (out of 5) The DVD: 1 star Average rating: 2.5 stars
Rating: Summary: This is DVD quality? Review: I have bought a few cheapie $3.99 DVD movies. Though the picture was far from great, thery were no worse than VHS picture quality. I recently bought Fight Night Part II on DVD for $10.99 and the picture quality is atually worse than the VHS that I have! What the hell happened! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that Artisan Entertainment is digging and releasing some old classics from their vaults, but if your going to release them like this then don't bother! This is buy for the worst from Artisan. Bride of Re-Animator, Waxwork, and Lair of the White Worm were disappointents because of the poor picture quality, no widescreen formats, and lack of supplemental material, but Fright Night Part II takes the cake as their worst release! MGM may be getting lazy too and only releasing their titles only in Full Screen format, but at least their movies have good picture quality! Artisan needs to shape up or get out! Artisan should sell the rights of their older movies to Anchor Bay Entertainment so they could be properly released!
Rating: Summary: For cryin' out loud... Review: Stop posting more than once for a movie, it's very annoying and unfairly tips the balance of the review ratings.
Rating: Summary: The suckers are back Review: Fright Night is back, and so is Charlie Brewster, Peter Vincent, and a host of new frightful characters. As sequels go, this one isn't too bad. It did manage to retain some of the the charm of the original, but the surprises are a little worn. The introduction of new creatures is welcome, along with a new vampire, but they seemed a little too Euro-trashy and not as menacing to me. The story is fairly the same, with some minor changes, which was a little disappointing as I was hoping for a little more originality, being the optimist that I am.... As far as the presentation of the movie on this DVD, it is very poor. I am unsure if there was a widescreen version of this movie, but I did notice some cropping, panning and scanning which may suggest that this was originally released in a different format. The picture is at times fuzzy, grainy, and generally pretty poor all around. The sound is a little better. There are no extras, not even a token trailer. If you own this movie on VHS, do not bother buying this release, as it's virtually the same quality. Didn't appear if any effort what so ever was put into this release, which is too bad, as it deserved better. While not every release needs an extra disc of supplemental information, I was hoping for atleast a nice, clean copy of the movie presented in it's original format.
Rating: Summary: Bad, Boring, Stupid Sequel Review: If the idea of an evil killer transvestite vampire on rollerskates really does it for you, this is your movie. Otherwise, watching this film will use up 101 minutes of your life that you'll never get back.
Rating: Summary: Not nearly as good as the first but that'd be hard to beat! Review: FRIGHT NIGHT II picks up a few years after the first film and finds Brewster (William Ragsdale) in college and in therapy where his therapist has convinced him that vampires don't exist. Brewster ends up believing again soon enough though when Jerry Dandridge's sister (Julie Carmen) comes after him seeking blood. So, Brewster enlists the help of fearless vampire killer Peter Vincent (the late-great Roddy McDowal) land they're off to do battle once gain. While not nearly as good as the original, FRIGHT NIGHT II is a lot of fun. As a matter of fact this maybe the only horror sequel not totally trashed by director Tommy Lee Wallace who trashed HALLOWEEN III years earlier and VAMPIRES: LOS MUERTOS years later. This sequel is full of effective humor and horror none of which however live up to anything in the first movie. That's understandable though. The first FRIGHT NIGHT is a classic as far as vampire genre pictures go and it's always hard to follow in the footsteps of that. So if you're a fan of the first movie or just a fan of the good old fashioned horror comedy then give FRIGHT NIGHT II a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed. C
Rating: Summary: Total DVD Disappointment Review: This is by far the worst DVD I have ever bought. The quality is worse than a VHS and this is a pan and scan version of a movie that was clearly shot in widescreen! After the original movie, and its comical wit my expectations were high for this one. I was sorely let down. 80's gore replaced the fun that was a huge part of the first 'boy who cried wolf' concept. Too bad - the only good that came out of this purchase was a cool DVD cover case. No more Artisan (the name is an oxymoron) titles - period.
Rating: Summary: Kind of a disappointment Review: After seeing the first "Fright Night" countless times, when I saw part 2 was coming to DVD, I had to get it. I had never seen the movie and I figured since I was such a fan of the first I would get it... Well it wasn't NEARLY as good... Some things I don't understand. Like in the first one, Amy had until dawn before she was fully changed, but good ole' Charlie went through it for days... And I didn't really like the werewolf-like vampire. Regine's whole little gang was pretty annoying. If you'd like to see a GOOD vampire movie, see either the first "Fright Night" which is my favorite, or "Vamp", which has the whole comedy/horror thing going on also.
Rating: Summary: William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall are back . Review: William Ragsdale as "Charlie" and Roddy McDowall as "Mr. Vincent" are back in this sequel to Fright Night (1985). Charlie has been through three years of therapy. He no longer believes there is such a thing as vampires. He is now in college and has thrown out all that garlic and wooden spikes. Charlie has a new girlfriend. This time the male vampire's sister is in town with her brood and they are out for the kill, and after Charlie too. Oviously you'll notice this film was made by a different company, the film is lower budget, the film is grainy, not many classical artsy close-ups and the story is bland. But William Ragsdale and Roddy McDowall manage to keep it afloat. If you are a die-hard fan of Fright Night (1985), then I would recommend Fright Night Part II. But you'll feel something is missing, and that my friend is the sensational Amanda Bearse and the energetic Stephen Geoffreys. This DVD contains no extras or bonuses.
Rating: Summary: Decent Sequel, Poor Quality Dvd Review: Far from being as good as the original, Fright Night 2 sitll remains worthy of watching. But be warned about the horrible picture quality of this Dvd. It has a grainy picture and many scenes in the movie are horridly dark. Besides that, true horror buffs will want this in their collection. Hopefully a better copy DVD will arise on the market in the future.
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