As the horror genre shifted full-bore into gore and kill counts in the ’80s, Tom Holland (Child’s Play) wrote and directed this Valentine to a simpler, more classic way of spooky storytelling. Fright Night is about a high school boy (William Ragsdale) who teams up with a TV horror host on the outs (Roddy McDowell) to rescue his friends and family from a vampire (Chris Sarandon) who has taken up residence next door.Â
A suburban family seeks the help of paranormal investigators after their youngest daughter is kidnapped by malevolent spirits inside their own home. Poltergeist, written and produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), is an emotional and visceral thrill ride that I have cherished since childhood. The story’s family, the Frelings, are quirky but entirely believable. You get invested in them before the supernatural shit hits the fan, and this gives weight to all the scares and spectacle that follows.
Brian DePalma directs this Stephen King tale of a ridiculed girl who discovers she has telekinetic powers she can use against her tormenters. King’s forte is character, and he’s got two rich ones with timid Carrie and her whackadoodle mama. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie knock it out of the park in two Oscar-nominated performances. Their scenes together are magic — especially when Laurie drags Spacek by the scalp and locks her in a broom closet just for getting her first period. For me, someone who fears nothing more than blind religious conviction, few scenes are as terrifying as watching Laurie scream, “Eve was weak! Eve was weak! Say it, child!” while slapping Spacek in the face with the Bible.
