My Best Friend Is a Vampire

Jeremy Capello is a teenager who has dreams about the gawky Darla Blake. A girl who doesn't think that highly of him, but there's also a beautiful Barbie-like cheerleader named Candy who's actually keen on him. So his best friend Ralph suggests that he should seek out someone unknown for a one-night stand to get this get his mind thinking straight. While, doing his job he encounters the mysterious Nora, who invites him over for the night. So Jeremy with little help from Ralph meets her, only to be bitten by her and a crazed loon (possibly the husband) break in. The day after Jeremy goes through some minor changes and finds out that Nora's place has been burnt down. Through the course he learns that these are vampire hunters after them, but they seem to think that Ralph is the vampire.

The mid-to-late 80s was a time for vampire films (and even teenage monster themes too). This pleasant little romp is the standard mould of these monster comedies (maybe one of the lesser ones), but surprisingly it makes for a decently breezy time-waster if you're looking for a little 1980s nostalgia in your viewing. It has some generally amusing moments, especially from Rene Auberjonois' sneaky vampire mentor role as Modoc and you can see David Warner is having a ball in his ripe crack-ball role of Prof. Leopold McCarthy, vampire hunter.

Most of the performances are reasonably charming. Robert Sean Leonard ("Dead Poet's Society" and who would probably be best known for the recent TV series "House") is delightfully good as Jeremy and Evan Mirand turns in a joyful performance as the loutish Ralph. A fetching Cheryl Pollack is fair as the geeky Darla. Fannie Flagg and Kenneth Kimmins trump in with marvellously tuneful performances as Jeremy's overly worried parents. Paul Wilson makes solid of Prof. Leonard's bumbling assistant Grimsdyke. Let me not forget the minor role of the seductively alluring Cecilia Peck (Gregory Pecks' daughter) as Nora. Oh and look out for a slender Kathy Bates. The variable cast had a witty script to play along with and most of it was quite satisfying when it came to the punch.

Director Jimmy Huston does a competent job without doing anything overtly special, but he gets a lot spirit and odd developments running through some humorous situations. It can get corny in parts and extremely sappy when it comes to its closing moral. A trailblazing 80s pop soundtrack (notably Blondie and Oingo Boingo) features strongly in the film's make-up with the utterly hip and catchy title tune, "The future's so bright (I've got to wear shades)" by the TIMBUK 3. The stereotypically lucid premise (which shares similarities with the Jim Carrey vampire flick, "Once Bitten") is routine and derivative, but still it has some nice touches and diverting trivia on the vampire mythology. None of this should sideswipe your entertainment of it, unless you're looking for something with more aggression amongst its bite. I guess you'll know if you're going to like it after the first 15 minutes.

It might be far from revolutionary (just look at the title and you should know what to expect), but there's just something endearing about this campy lightweight piece.

For some strange reason, I've always liked a good vampire flick... especially when there's some humor thrown in.

This movie satisfied that need perfectly, although I shave a few points off because there's a better one of these 80's horror-comedies out there. (Once Bitten) At first this movie was hard for me to start. I kept wondering if this would turn out to be any good... especially considering the opening with the whole castration thing.

I learned to just move through the movie and give it a chance.

Granted that the other posters are correct; there are a few similarities between this movie and Once Bitten, (A teen slowly turning into one of the undead, teen's friend taking aforementioned teen out to get laid, etc.) but so what? Simalarities to Once Bitten aside, this movie is an alright watch.

8/10

My Best Friend is a Vampire (1987) is a movie I recently watched for the first time in a long time on HBOMAX. The storyline follows a Virgin young man who is a delivery driver and unfortunately has a delivery to the house of a hot vampire woman who wants to change his life forever. The young man wakes up the next day as both a man and a vampire. He tries to return to a normal life and will find that task more daunting than he anticipated.

This movie is directed by Jimmy Huston (Final Exam) and stars Robert Sean Leonard (Dead Poet Society), LeeAnne Locken (Miss Congeniality), Cheryl Pollak (Alien Nation), Cecilia Peck (Havoc) and Kenneth Kimmins (Arrested Development).

This movie has the classic 80s feel to it in every way. The soundtrack to this movie is an easy 10/10 and absolute gold. The hairstyles, sets and attire are all fantastic. The characters are very fun, relatable and easy to root for. The circumstances and hijinks are crazy and a bit unrealistic but that's what makes them entertaining. The comedic content is a bit cheesy but there are some funny scenes, the drivers test scenario comes to mind. I did thoroughly enjoy the ending and liked the ultimate conclusion.

Overall this film is more fun than good but is definitely worth a viewing. I would score this a 6/10 and recommend seeing it once.

I couldn't believe the rating this movie got here so I had to write, this was a movie that opitimised every aspect of the eighties (including really bad dress sense)from the troubled/angst teenager, to the mad thinks he's doing-good scientist and put it all togother in a fun relaxing and romantic teenage movie(no shlock horror typical of the era). I honestly think that anyone sits down and watches this movie for what it was and is "a rom/com" they will enjoy, even now when it looks a bit dated.......Honestly go rent buy scrape this movie up or out of the cupboard and put your feet up grab some popcorn or beer or possibly pigs bloods (sorry couldn't help a reference to the movie) and enjoy.................

This 1987 teen comedy definitely embodies everything that the late 1980s had to offer in terms of movies of this type.

When I sat down to watch "My Best Friend is a Vampire" here in 2021, I didn't even know about the movie, and I hadn't seen it before now in 2021. But I must admit that now that I have seen it, this definitely was an enjoyable movie.

"My Best Friend is a Vampire" is a light-hearted teen comedy with a vampire theme as its focal point, but still managing to put in elements such as transition to adulthood and all the problems that being a late teen comes with.

The storyline told in "My Best Friend is a Vampire", as written by Tab Murphy, was actually a rather enjoyable and nicely paced story, not to mention an easily followed storyline and one that you quickly get immersed into.

And with this being a 1987 movie, then you will see some familiar faces, provided you grew up watching movies and TV, of course. With the likes of David Warner, Cheryl Pollak and Rene Auberjonois. I will say that the definitely did have a good ensemble of actors and actresses to portray the various roles in this movie, and that the performers did good jobs.

All in all, then "My Best Friend is a Vampire" is an enjoyable teen comedy, and one that is as watchable today, as I bet it was back in 1987. This movie definitely haven't felt the passing of time. But such is it with vampires, I suppose.

I am rating "My Best Friend is a Vampire" a six out of ten stars.