Best movie ever!

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

HAPPY HELL NIGHT might have worked well in 1982 but as a film made in 1992 it's a movie that looks well past its sell-by date. The story is a simple one about a notorious murderer who busts out of an asylum (yet again) and goes on a killing spree among the local college students. It's as cheap and predictable as you'd expect, with the sole thing going for it the supernatural touches that the writer wisely adds to the production.The look of the killer in this film is extremely creep and seemingly inspired by the classic Nosferatu look of old, perhaps with a little Kurt Barlow thrown into the mix. There are hints in the story that he's some kind of vampire too, which I like. And the film, once it gets going in the second half, is quite gory and watchable, even if most of it takes place in the dark. Darren McGavin is the old timer while the rest of the cast are unknown no-hopers (with a pre-stardom Sam Rockwell among them). A pity, then, that the first half is so uninteresting.

This movie was not made in 1992 or 1991. I saw it in 1988, under the title Frat Fright, so I don't know why it's being advertised as a 1992 movie. Sam Rockwell, who starred in Clownhouse in 1987, looks exactly the same, so that tells you the movie is from 1988. Good low budget horror flick that could do without the 'humor' from the evil monk. Otherwise, well done considering most of the actors are unknowns.Happy Hell Night is not a title that should have been chosen, in my opinion. Hell Night(1981) starring Linda Blair had already claimed that title. Why Frat Fright didn't remain the title is beyond me. It has more of a horror feel to it.

Like probably many others, I picked up the DVD of this due to top-billed Darren McGavin, who must've picked up a nice paycheck for a couple days work; he appears in the pic for a total of about 10 minutes in 3 or 4 scenes. The killer, in this case, is a demon-possessed priest or something. Like with much of the story, such plot points are clumsy and confused. There are many instances, such as at the supposed asylum, where the killer is sort of locked up, that the viewer needs to just let it go without asking too many questions. Is everyone who manages the asylum in on the fact that this is a demon? The door to the demon's room is barred by a cross - is this standard procedure for an asylum? None of this stuff is thought out.The pic is obviously very low budget and it shows in the clumsy direction, editing & actors who are either in their first roles or just amateurs. You do see Sam Rockwell ("Confessions of a Dangerous Mind") in a small early role, playing a younger version of the McGavin character. The strong points to the pic is a sometimes wicked sense of humor to the horror and killings, and the visual appearance of the killer, who is truly creepy to behold. His voice is also well done, as if beyond the grave.

Happy Hell Night missed their decade by a few years. I believe that's why the movie is so obscure and not very well received. It had a lot of bad characters, choppy editing, and a wasted Darrin McGavin. There also seemed to be some missing ingredients. We would see a character sitting in a chair and the next time we saw that character he would be dead on the floor with no explanation. It does have the creepiest killer since Barlow from Salem's Lot though. There were also some very creepy moments in the film, just too few of them. If the whole film would have taken on the tone of "Scary Jesus" scene, the film would have been great. Other than that, this is not the best fraternity prank/slasher film. How to do it right: Hell Night. How to do is so terrible wrong that it becomes right: Pledge Night. This film is somewhere in between those two and, thus, not as enjoyable. Keep an eye out for a pre-fame Sam Rockwell and Jorja Fox.