Fright Night (1985)

When a new neighbor (Chris Sarandon) moves in next door,  it isn't long before a young teenager (William Ragsdale) discovers the neighbor is a vampire! But no one believes him so he contacts a washed up horror star (Roddy McDowall),  now hosting a horror TV show,  to assist him in destroying the vampire. Directed by Tom Holland (CHILD'S PLAY),  the movie is an excellent mix of genuine horror,  affectionate humor towards the genre as well as a homage. Holland is able to create an evocative atmosphere and sustain it right through to the end. The acting is generally good,  especially Sarandon,  McDowall and Jonathan Stark as Sarandon's "companion". As the ingenue,  Amanda Bearse's character is a bit of a ninny and Stephen Geoffreys overdoes the geeky pal to the point of annoyance. The film was successful enough to spawn both a sequel in 1988 and a remake in 2011. With Dorothy Fielding and Art J. Evans.