Julie Carmen in Fright Night 2 (Photo: Self)
Actress celebrates the legacy of Fright Night Part Two with a newly restored 4K screening at Milagros Cinemas in Norwalk, CA, as retrospectives spotlight a career spanning cult horror, acclaimed cinema and independent film.
Long before the Scream franchise introduced a new generation of horror heroines, Latina actress Julie Carmen was carving out her own place in the genre, proving that women could be more than victims in a story designed to frighten them. With a career that moves fluidly between horror, drama, comedy and independent cinema, Carmen helped establish a legacy that deserves renewed recognition.
Now, as retrospectives of her work bring several of her films back to theaters in the United States and Europe, Carmen is experiencing a well-deserved moment of rediscovery. Her cinematic journey includes such diverse titles as Robert Butler’s Night of the Juggler, John Cassavetes’ Gloria, Robert Redford’s The Milagro Beanfield War and John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness. This week, the spotlight turns to Fright Night Part Two, the 1988 cult horror sequel in which Carmen portrayed the unforgettable vampire Regine Dandridge.
On Wednesday, October 14, Carmen will appear alongside director Tommy Lee Wallace at Milagro Cinema in Norwalk, California, for the Los Angeles premiere of a newly restored 4K version of Fright Night Part Two, sourced from an original 35mm print. The screening begins at 7:30 p.m. and offers audiences an opportunity to revisit a film whose devoted following has grown over the decades.
(Photo: Julie Carmen)
Event: Fright Night Part Two — Los Angeles Premiere in restored 4K
When: Wed., Oct. 14, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Milagro Cinema, Norwalk, CA
In person: Actress Julie Carmen and director Tommy Lee Wallace
Tickets: milagrocinemas.com
For Carmen, the appearance is about more than revisiting a role. It is also an opportunity to celebrate independent art-house cinemas, connect with longtime fans and help bring overlooked films back into public view.
Before the Modern Scream Queens, There Was Regine Dandridge
Carmen’s portrayal of Regine Dandridge occupies a distinctive place in horror history. In Fright Night Part Two, she plays a powerful vampire whose elegance, intelligence and menace make her far more than a conventional antagonist. Regine commands the screen, turning the traditional horror dynamic on its head and giving the film a formidable female presence.
The character offers a compelling point of comparison with the women who have since become synonymous with contemporary horror, including Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, whose work in the Scream franchise helped bring a new generation of audiences to the genre.
To add a little perspective, the Los Angeles Times, noted recently that “Latinos represent a major driving force in the horror film audience, accounting for roughly 29% of theatrical horror ticket buyers“. Julie Carmen’s role in Fright Night Part Two should have been a clue way back then that Latinos love horror flicks. But then again Hollywood has never been known to get it right when it comes Latino leads, even when the boxoffice tells a different story.
Carmen’s place in that lineage merits a closer look. As a Latina actress working in Hollywood in the 1980s up to the present, she brought a commanding presence to a genre that has not always offered Latina performers complex, central roles. Regine Dandridge was not simply someone to fear or rescue. She was a force driving the story.
Calling Carmen a trailblazing Latina scream queen is therefore more than a catchy description. It is an invitation to reconsider who helped shape horror’s evolution and whose contributions deserve to be remembered alongside the genre’s better-known icons.
A Cult Classic Finds Its Way Back to the Big Screen
The renewed attention surrounding Fright Night Part Two is itself a remarkable story.
Released in 1988 as a continuation of the hit 1985 original, the sequel developed a devoted cult following over the years, with fans keeping its reputation alive through online communities and YouTube. Yet, despite its popularity, the film became remarkably difficult to find.
That changed when distributor Michael Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures undertook the complicated task of untangling the film’s rights, reportedly involving 18 different rights holders. The search also led to an original 35mm print that had been misfiled at the Academy Film Archive.
The discovery made possible the restoration that is now touring the country through Synapse Films, bringing the film back to theaters in 4K and allowing audiences to experience it on the big screen again.
Carmen has been participating in screenings and premieres along the way, lending her presence to the revival and supporting the independent cinemas making these events possible.
The Norwalk engagement brings together Carmen and Wallace for a special Los Angeles-area screening that celebrates not only the film’s return, but also the enduring relationship between filmmakers, performers and the audiences who refuse to let cult cinema disappear.
Tickets and screening information are available at Milagro Cinema.
A Career That Defies One Genre
While Regine Dandridge remains a memorable entry in Carmen’s filmography, her career cannot be contained within horror.
Her work spans films with markedly different sensibilities, including Night of the Juggler, Gloria, The Milagro Beanfield War and In the Mouth of Madness. Together, these titles reflect the range of a performer who has moved between mainstream productions, independent cinema and films that have gained renewed appreciation through retrospectives.
Carmen’s upcoming appearance at the Academy Museum underscores that continuing relationship with film history. On October 19, she is scheduled to participate in a Q&A following a screening of John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness, in which she starred opposite Sam Neill.
She also serves on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Marquis Committee, spearheaded by Sean Baker and Samantha Quan, whose film Anora earned major recognition in the awards world.
These activities reflect an artist engaged not only in her own body of work, but also in the broader effort to preserve, present and celebrate cinema.
Taking Regine Dandridge on the Road
The renewed life of Fright Night Part Two extends well beyond Southern California.
Carmen is scheduled to participate in additional events, including a Detroit premiere at the Redford Theatre, where she is being flown in for a screening and Fright Night Part Two costume ball. The film’s revival also includes a New Orleans premiere at the Prytania Theatre, accompanied by a three-day celebration of Regine Dandridge and the film’s legacy, with special effects makeup artist Bart Mixon among the participants.
The itinerary reflects the enthusiasm of a fan community that has kept the film alive and the value of giving audiences opportunities to encounter classic and cult films in a theatrical setting.
For independent cinemas, these events offer more than a screening. They create a shared experience around films that might otherwise remain difficult to access, connecting generations of moviegoers through the stories and characters that have endured.
Giving a Trailblazer Her Due
Hollywood has become more attentive to the contributions of women in horror, and the success of performers such as Ortega and Barrera has helped renew conversations about representation in the genre. But the history did not begin with the latest franchise installment.
Carmen’s Regine Dandridge belongs in that larger conversation. Her performance arrived at a time when opportunities for Latina actresses were more limited, yet she created a character whose power and presence have continued to resonate with audiences.
The retrospectives celebrating her work offer a chance to look beyond a single cult role and appreciate the breadth of a career that crosses genres, generations and national borders. They also raise a larger question about film history: How many pioneering performances have remained outside the spotlight simply because the industry has been slow to recognize the artists behind them?
For Julie Carmen, the answer is unfolding on theater screens once again.
The October 14 screening at Milagro Cinema is an opportunity to celebrate Fright Night Part Two, meet the actress who brought Regine Dandridge to life and recognize a Latina performer whose place in horror history deserves a more prominent chapter.
Carmen’s filmography and upcoming appearances can also be explored through her Substack and Regine Dandridge website.
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