Sink your teeth into 1985’s Fright Night — a perfect blend of suburban satire, 80s flair, and bloodsucking fun. We’re talking practical effects, prosthetic nightmares, and one of the most charming vampires ever to hit the big screen. From Tom Holland’s sharp direction to Chris Sarandon’s suave menace, this is horror with heart, humour, and a lot of fake blood.

Joining us this week are director Geoff Harmer and writer-producer Peter Hearn, the punk-powered duo behind Dead Air and Blink. We dive into their creative chaos: From punk rock to puppets to pure psychological panic and explore how Fright Night’s mix of comedy and terror still inspires their own brand of indie horror magic today.

You can find Geoff and Pete's work at:

https://www.youtube.com/@fraughtUK

Frightseers: Future Proof Trailer can be fund here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfV5HHrUPAA&feature=youtu.be

and don't miss Blink The scariest Short Film John and Planty have seen all year:

https://youtu.be/AVHV7mJTHFw?si=6swN81Hy5N8SNjJN

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patreon.com/100thingsfilm

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Fright Night is a 1985 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Tom Holland, in his directorial debut. The film follows teenager Charley Brewster (played by William Ragsdale), who discovers that his next-door neighbor Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire. When no one believes him, Charley decides to get Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), a TV show host who acted in films as a vampire hunter, to stop Jerry's killing spree.

The film was released on August 2, 1985, and grossed $24.9 million at the box office. Since its release, it has received positive reviews from critics and become a cult classic, and spawned the media franchise of the same name. Fright Night was followed by a sequel, Fright Night Part 2, in 1988, and a remake of the same name in 2011.

This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film we’re travelling back to 1902 with Georges Méliès’ visionary masterpiece A Trip to the Moon. From the influence of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells to Méliès’ own background as a stage magician, we explore how one short film shaped cinema as we know it. We dive into the creation of the iconic “rocket in the moon’s eye” shot, the hand-painted colour prints, the Selenites’ acrobatics, and the huge cost of mounting such an ambitious production. We’ll also discover how the film was pirated around the world, why Méliès died in relative obscurity, and how this remarkable piece of cinema was rescued and restored more than a century later.

We also look at the legacy of A Trip to the Moon, its return to the Cannes Film Festival with a new score by Air, and how Martin Scorsese’s Hugo brought Méliès’ story to a new generation. From surrealist painters to The Simpsons, the film’s influence has never faded. Join us as we count down 100 things we learned from one of the most important films ever made.

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Tags innit

a trip to the moon, a trip to the moon 1902, georges melies, melies, le voyage dans la lune, early cinema, silent film, film history, history of film, first science fiction film, sci fi cinema, hugo scorsese, martin scorsese hugo, air soundtrack, hand painted film, silent movies, french cinema, cinema history, movie trivia, film trivia, movie podcast, film podcast, 100 things we learned from film, movie facts, cinema restoration, unesco memory of the world, trip to the moon facts, trip to the moon explained, moon rocket eye scene, selenites, jules verne film, hg wells film, first sci fi movie

This week we’re heading into the wilderness with John Candy and Dan Aykroyd in the 1988 comedy classic The Great Outdoors.

From the legendary “Old 96er” steak challenge and disastrous water skiing lessons to wisecracking raccoons and one unforgettable bald-headed bear, this lakeside family holiday has become a cult favourite of the 1980s. Written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch, The Great Outdoors is a movie that proves family vacations are never peaceful: especially when Bart the Bear crashes the party.

In this episode, we uncover 50 of the best facts behind the film. Discover how Bass Lake in California doubled for Wisconsin, how Annette Benning made her film debut, and what really went into wrangling raccoons, leeches, and one very patient grizzly. Whether you rented it on VHS, caught it on TV, or are revisiting it for the first time in years, this is the perfect summer throwback.

For more episodes, head to 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk where you can catch up on all our previous shows.

If you’d like to support the podcast, get shoutouts on future episodes, and access exclusive bonus content, check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/100thingsfilm

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The Great Outdoors is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Howard Deutch, written and produced by John Hughes, and starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy with supporting roles by Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening (in her film debut), Chris Young, Lucy Deakins, and Robert Prosky. The film is about two families spending a vacation at a fictional resort town in northern Wisconsin.