Fright Night Part II

A lesser sequel to Fright Night, duplicating the basic formula of the first film but missing much of the humor that endeared the first one to audiences. This time, it's set in a college where Charlie Brewster, the hero from Part 1, is visited by a seductive vampiress named Regine (played by Julie Carmen). 

There's a really crummy attempt at humor in which the vampires go bowling, and there are some glaring inconsistencies, namely Charlie's transformation (after being bitten) from human to half-vampire, which comes and goes in an illogical fashion.

It's all handled routinely, but there are some amusing performances: Carmen is a lot of fun playing the sexy vampire, and it's always nice to see Roddy McDowall at work, reprising his role as the TV show host Peter Vincent, the sort of Van Helsing of this franchise. (Charlie and Peter Vincent killed Regine's brother, the vampire played so wonderfully by Chris Sarandon, in the original, so she's out for revenge.) 

And Jonathan Gries gives an enjoyable turn as a vampire who's trying to hit on Charlie's girlfriend Alex (Traci Lind), a psych major who undoubtedly wants to help Charlie overcome his demons, which he now believes were not real, only imagined. Alex, incidentally, speed reads Dracula in the library after Charlie recommends it, and it's the beginning of a memorable chase sequence. (And Traci Lind was always my favorite girlfriend in the Fright Night movies--no disrespect to Amanda Bearse.) So, if you're a fan, Fright Night Part II is enjoyable enough. Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. 1988.