Vampire fun and fright

Press, 24 February 1989, Page 23

Vampire fun and fright

“Fright Night — Part 2,” starting at the Avon today, is the continuation of the story begun in the popular "Fright Night,” and again stars Roddy McDowall in his portrayal of the timidly-courageous Peter Vincent, fearless Vampire Killer. Also returning to the cast is William Ragsdale, as Charley Brewster, the young student who still has trouble getting people to believe there really are vampires, especially since he has spent three years in psychotherapy convincing himself that it was all “a dream.”

Very much a classic horror film, "Fright Night — Part 2” contains a great sense of comic relief as well as thrilling suspense, and is described by the writer-director, Tommy Lee Wallace (“Halloween III”), as both “scary and sexy.” Julie Carmen (“The Penitent,” “Milagro Beanfield Wars”) stars as the vampiress, Regine, the

gorgeous and lethally seductive sister of 1985’s Jerry Dandridge, who is out to seek revenge on Charley and Peter for the untimely demise of her brother.

Taking advantage of Los Angels’ myriad visually rich locations, production values are enhanced by the use of sites such as the rerely-seen-on-film, gothic-looking Pacific Men’s Club, which serves as Regine’s lair. With Charley Brewster now a college student, contemporary academia is represented by filming on the Cal State campus. In addition to its many locations, the movie also makes use of state-of-the-art technical advances in

the areas of visual effects, utilizing the wizardry of Gene Warren, Jnr, of Fantasy 11, who has created movie magic for such films as “The Terminator,” “Gremlins” and “Nightflyers.”

RITA, SUE and 808

Set in working-class Yorkshire, “Rita, Sue and Bob Too,” which starts at the Metro today, is a raunchy, rough and ready social comedy about the sexual activities of two teen-age girls. With the end of their schooldays in sight, Rita (Siobhan Finneran) and Sue (Michelle Holmes) are on the lookout for new experiences. Once or

twice a week, they babysit for Bob (George Costigan) and Michelle (Lesley Sharp), a couple whose sexual problems are jeopardising their marriage.

Accustomed to rougher approaches from boys on the Buttershaw Estate, the girls are impressed by Bob’s good looks, his flashy car and the suburban neatness in which he lives.

When he makes a detour one summer’s night while driving them home, they are more than ready to fall in with his suggestions for having sex. At first, their three-way relationship is a bit of a laugh, but parents and neighbours are quick to point the finger and an evening in a local club brings the affair out into the open. Alan Clarke, the director, says he particularly likes the realism and intrinsic humour of Andrea Dunbar’s semi-autobio-graphical story.