Usually, independent horror movies are quite a tedious affair but Midnight Movie is different. First of all, it’s visually impressive and without much gore. Although towards the end we do get a couple of graphic scenes. Secondly, this is a single location movie giving off a really nasty and claustrophobic vibe. And finally, it’s just so delightfully retro, reminding us of all those seventies and eighties slashers. Granted, it does feature a pretty familiar story and a lot of gimmicks we’ve seen in other, similar movies. On the other hand, the running time is just over seventy minutes, making Midnight Movie a short and sweet distraction. You can always follow it up with something heavier.
I personally found it very relaxing and immersive. You already know what’s going to happen, for the most part, so you just kick back and enjoy the carnage. We’ve got doctors, rituals, creative murders, and the main story revolving around movies, what more to want? Plus, the entire fucking movie is set inside a movie theater. Characters are diverse and well developed, but still pretty formulaic. I think that the acting is the weakest link in this movie, but the Biker guy, the main chick, and the mother of a killer were all great. I also loved that strange drill weapon our killer is using. It looks nasty as fuck.
Director and actor Ted Radford is not having a good time. Forty years after achieving fame with his movie The Dark Beneath, he suffers a mental breakdown. After being admitted to the hospital, strange things start happening. And those strange things will also start happening to a group of people watching his movie in the local theater.
Directing is phenomenal and you can see that Jack Messitt is a very talented director. He combines several styles, ultimately making a weird slasher flick. And one more thing, the killer could have been something else than this Jason or Texas Chainsaw type of character. I think we’ve had enough killers who look like butchers as there are so many other, potent jobs available. A few ideas come into mind, but I guess that movie would be more of a comedy than a horror. As an homage to the eighties slasher genre, Midnight Movie offers a lot of fun. It also kind of reminded me of another classic, Demon Knight from 1995. Finally, if you’re looking for similar movies check out Final Girls or Demons.
Director: Jack Messitt
Writers: Sean Hood, Mark Garbett, Jack Messitt
Cast: Rebekah Brandes, Daniel Bonjour, Greg Cirulnick, Mandell Maughan, Stan Ellsworth, Melissa Steach
Fun Facts: Budget was $1,000,000
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0981224/
