I haven't had the opportunity to watch the earlier film, yet based on this adaptation of Fright Night, I don’t grasp why there’s so much excitement around it and why it has gained a following. My rating is 6 out of 10 stars, and that feels generous. Honestly, if someone told me this was a made-for-TV movie with a significant budget, I probably wouldn't have questioned it. Perhaps it seemed more innovative when it initially appeared in 1985. The initial portion of the film is rather dull. However, things do improve somewhat once the vampire makes his presence known and Charlie’s girlfriend and mother begin to accept what he’s saying. Even so, a considerable amount of the movie remains fairly average. There are the predictable irritating scenes—the kind Hollywood seems convinced need to be in every film—where Charlie stands around looking blank, losing his equipment, and generally wasting time. The special effects are passable but never truly impressive. The character Peter Vincent, supposedly a “vampire hunter,” is mostly unpleasant until near the conclusion when he finally starts to redeem himself. It’s an adequate way to spend an evening, but as I mentioned, in my opinion, it's just acceptable, and that’s being kind.

Source on TMDB