Fright Night: Electronic Press Kit is a videotape sent to the media by Columbia Pictures to promote the 1985 film. Produced by the aptly-named Backstage Productions, Inc., the tape included an assortment of music videos, featurettes, interviews and film clips. Shorter variations of this tape (music videos, film clips, newswraps, open-end interviews) were also issued. On blu-ray, the tape is sourced from writer/director Tom Holland's personal copy, which includes a running on-screen time-code.
Contents[]
The tape opens with a Columbia Pictures logo underscored with the Fright Night song by the J. Geils band, which segues into the title and on-screen table of contents.
The "Open-End Interviews" are a little jarring if you don't know what's going on. On-set, the reporter asked questions, but their voice was muted on the tape, which was sent out to TV stations with a cue sheet so reporters at local affiliates could dub in their voice and appear to be interviewing the stars.
The "TV Scene Clips" are pan-and-scan copies of various scenes, which stations could edit into their news reviews.
- U.S. Review Acclaim (1:25) - A series of glowing blurbs from critics' reviews rolls in front the poster logo as the title song plays.
- Music Video (English Titles) (3:55) - The J. Geils Band's video for the title song.
- Music Video (Spanish Titles) (3:55) - Identical to the clip which preceded it, excluding a Spanish title card declaring that it's from the film "La Hora Del Espanto."
- The Making Of... Fright Night Music Video (3:52) - This deceptively-titled clip is just a short interview with J. Geils Band frontman Seth Justman.
- A Vampire For The 80's (Roddy McDowall Intro.) (11:03) - A full-length featurette featuring interviews with McDowall, Tom Holland, Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse and Stephen Geoffreys. Includes a brief bit of opening narration by McDowall.
- A Vampire For The 80's (Without Intro.) (10:14) - The same thing without Roddy's intro.
- Tom Holland: From Soap Operas to Screenplays to Screams (1:55) - The first of four short "newswrap" stories, which each feature interviews interspersed with on-set/film footage.
- Chris Sarandon: A Different Kind of Vampire (1:55) - Newswrap #2.
- Roddy McDowall: A Child Star Who Made It (2:10) - Newswrap #3.
- Youthful Stars Of "Fright Night" (1:47) - Newswrap #4.
- From "Ghostbusters" to "Fright Night": A Conversation with Special Effects Coordinator Richard Edlund (Short Version) (3:16) - The excessively long title says it all.
- From "Ghostbusters" to "Fright Night": A Conversation with Special Effects Coordinator Richard Edlund (Long Version) (6:03)
- Open-End Interview with Tom Holland, Writer/Director (4:50) - The first of five interviews with no interviewer.
- Open-End Interview with Chris Sarandon (4:18)
- Open-End Interview with Willam Ragsdale (5:39)
- Open-End Interview with Amanda Bearse (3:05)
- Open-End Interview with Roddy McDowall (4:21)
- TV Scene Clip #1: Tomorrow Night (1:18)
- TV Scene Clip #2: I Believe in Vampires (1:29)
- TV Scene Clip #3: I Love You, Charlie (1:32)
- TV Scene Clip #4: Give You a Hickey (1:13)
- TV Scene Clip #5: Take My Hand (1:15)
- TV Scene Clip #6: Welcome to Fright Night (1:45)
- TV Scene Clip #7: Out of Time (1:25)