By Eric Polk of anotherdescentinto.blogspot.com
I don't want to speak alot about the current state of the mainstream horror genre(well, no, actually it's in a funk royale thanks to needless after needless remake), but once in awhile a genre film rises above the rehashed dreck to deliver an entertaining, if not totally original, show.2008's Midnight Movie is that horror celluloid phoenix rising above the ashes of a once proud culture.
Directed by Jack Messitt, Midnight Movie centers around a group of friends(and a disagreeable biker couple) who attend a screening of a 70s cult classic, Beneath the Dark(think Texas Chainsaw Masscare with a dash of Psycho and a splash of Shocker for good measure).
What the attendees of the screen do not know is the fact the star and director of the movie made an escape from a nut farm five years ago and has never been found.
The movie then goes into a departure from linear reality as the killer begins offing the patrons one by one...IN THE MOVIE ITSELF! Locked inside the theatre with no hope of escape, they have to stop this masked maniac before he slashes again!
Midnight Movie is a dream for a slasher sub-genre fan such as myself. Great, if not unique premise(Demons, Wes Craven's New Nightmare, and Return to Horror High are a few examples of the movie-within-a-movie premise). Blood, blood, blood everywhere! The only thing keeping this movie from being inducted into my Horror Movie Hall of Fame is the rather abrupt ending that makes you go 'um ok?' Nevertheless, an awesome example of a current horror movie that kicks ass!
8.5/10
15 comments:
good call, i loved this film... and i did a series of interviews with the director jack messitt, and the composer of this film... at my other more normal site.
http://twothumbseightfingers.blogspot.com/
iZombie
Great series of interviews, iZombie! He has everything to be proud of his first time at the directorial plate. Can't wait to watch The Killer Cut!
I really liked Midnight Movie. It has its flaws but that's why I love it. Kind of like watching old slasher movies again.
Exactly what I was reminded of, Mr.Gable!
Just look at that cover. Perfect. Can't wait to revisit this.
Totally agree about the state of mainstream horror....
And praise Netflix for offering things that are still interesting.
I don't know- I wasn't as in love with as you were. I liked a lot of what they were going for, but they needed to at least attempt to explain more.
I can even buy the whole thing with a Satanic ritual and the film, but why did other things happen? The whole 'I can control a lot of the world' thing didn't really make sense to me.
It's definitely a film with a good premise that I hope can be improved with later editions. It's something worth saving, even if I wasn't sold so much on the first one.
I first saw this movie when I was first released at the Eerie Horror Film Festival. It's surprisingly good, and reminds me of the film Popcorn and an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark.
I'm actually writing a review of it as I write this comment. You beat me to it.
I like this film myself. Good review. I have one posted on my blog.
This sounds great, I'll have to check it out!
Sorry, Eric, but I really disliked this movie. One, I thought the execution and overall premise copied a bit too much from Demons. Then I thought the characters were completely cardboard. I couldn't of cared two cents about them. The actors didn't make them appealing. The script didn't flesh out the characterizations. I couldn't care less who lived and who died. So as I've said before, if I don't care about who lives and who dies, then why should I care about this film?
Then, I watched the commentary on the disc and when they director said he didn't care about building up the characters that suspense could be generated through editing instead, it turned my stomach even more.
When I see this movie, I'm reminded of the early-80's,post-Friday the 13th horror films. Oh sure, it's not very suspensful or psychologial, but they're really weren't meant to be. If I could place it in that pigeonhole, I'd haveta to say it would be on par with The Prowler and original My Bloody Valentine.
Thanks for the recommendations everybody, just Netflicked it.
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