Midnight Movie DVD Review
Midnight Movie DVD Review
Masked Murderer
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Reminiscent of Barker's short story "Son of Celluloid", with a touch of Bava's Demons film, and a lot of Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre thrown in, Midnight Movie doesn't break any new ground but it does hit the ground running and mostly stays in that vein until the end credits roll.
Taking bits and pieces of the low-budgeter pioneer's tried and true ingredients — a masked murderer with mommy issues, a movie-within-a-movie, and dumb teens all stuck in one location — it mostly succeeds in its ghoulish goulash. But first, let's talk about the popcorn factor: in addition to the real deal, there are kernels of what makes an actual midnight movie successful since Midnight Movie is replete with kooky characters, elaborate setups and gory payoffs.
The story follows a small group of teenagers, a little boy, a police detective, and biker couple, who are all inside an old, sagging grindhouse style movie theater as they prepare to watch a slasher film starring, written, and directed by Ted Radford (Arthur Roberts), a filmmaker who became an actual slasher and wound up locked away. Little do they know, Radford also has a ticket to the 12 a.m. show…
The reel/real killer's skull-like leather mask is well-conceived, as is his weapon of choice (a deadly, corkscrew-like spiral), and I do appreciate real writer/director Jack Messitt's attempts to turn some of the conventions around (for instance, you'd think the film buff in the group of teens would use his cinematic know-how throughout the proceedings, but instead he is the first to walk into the trap and be killed). The moments of murder are cringe inducing (watch your fingers!), and there are good mind-freaks (like when a lone cop comes to investigate what seems to be a distress call from the theater).
Unfortunately, rather like the sagging seats in those old grindhouses, Midnight Movie might have you fidgeting as its running time extends beyond your personal endurance limit. The midnight movie components are there, but little of the camp or tipping over the top. It's just not as fun as you might expect. Ending just in the nick of time, this competent horror picture is just that.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson