Ritos de medianoche

What impressed me the most about the script writer Jaunita Bartlett (who also wrote episodes for the Greatest American Hero) was her in-depth research into the darker side of witch craft. The Demonic charges that Vivian Sutherland summons to do her bidding actually came from various text of witch craft. Star packed actors like Melisa Sue Anderson (Little House On The Praire) and Mary McDonough (The Waltons) Patrick Cassidy and Marion Ros (Happy Days) the movie was shocking for it's time. Vivian's complete lack of concern for the welfare of others is disturbing! However, in retrospect the magical show downs between Vivian and Robin are anti-climatic and appear weak and awkward by standards expected by the audiences of today. Yet it still remains a favorite of mine. I keep waiting for this movie to be released on DVD. Two other movies around this period come to mind. The original 1978 "Initiation of Sarah" similar to "Carie" and "Stranger In Our House" (also known as Summer Of Fear) staring Linda Blair. Both are recommended if you like "Witchy" movies.

God I loved this movie as a kid, it was like "Carrie" squared! Mary from Little House v.s. Erin from the Waltons, with Mrs Cunningham from happy days as the good mentor and Mr Carleson from WKRP as the clueless father? Throw in Vanna White as a cheerleader with only one line and Shawn Cassidys little brother as the male lead and you have a hit!

I loved the whole "good witch, bad witch" aspect, with Robin (the good witch played by Erin from the Waltons) slowly learning to use her powers. Melissa Anderson (Mary from Little house) has never been better than here, as a evil witch not above useing her powers and sexuality to get what she wants. The movie builds suspense through out, and a sense of dread for our heroes, and actually logicially (for 1981) explains why these women are witches and how there powers work. one of my favorite tv movies of all time!

A very middling TV movie from a genre which is usually fantastic. MIDNIGHT OFFERINGS just feels rather weak and tame in terms of its plotting and ideas, and Wes Craven's SUMMER OF FEAR, a similarly-themed TV movie from the 1970s which predates it, was a lot, lot, better.

The storyline involves a couple of teenage witch rivals fighting over a jock in your typical American high school. Some of the fun comes from the fact that both girls come from long-running American soaps: evil witch Melissa Sue Anderson is off the back of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, while good witch Mary Beth McDonough comes from THE WALTONS. Watching these two actresses squaring up is kind of fun, but there isn't much fun overall.

Too much of the running time is dragged out with discussions involving disbelieving characters and the supernatural action, when it hits, is over and done with too quickly. It's not that MIDNIGHT OFFERINGS is a particularly bad film per se - the climax is effective and there are some genuinely spooky moments handled well on the low budget - it's just that American TV movies from this era are often much, much better (like DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW for instance).

After a high school teacher dies in a tragic, fiery "accident", we're introduced to honor roll student and Homecoming Queen, Vivian Sotherland (Melissa Sue Anderson). It's made clear right from the beginning that Vivian is a practitioner of the dark arts, spouting incantations and performing devilish mumbo jumbo in her bedroom.

Viv's oblivious father (Gordon Jump) is wrapped around her pinky, while her mother (Cathryn Damon) sees through her daughter's overly-sweet veneer.

When new student, Robin Prentiss (Mary Beth McDonough) enters the picture, daring to befriend Vivian's boyfriend (Patrick Cassidy), things get very interesting. Vivian is about to discover that Robin might not be an ordinary girl.

MIDNIGHT OFFERINGS is a wonderfully wicked, made-for-TV horror film, delving into deviltry, and allowing Ms. Anderson to shed her wholesome, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRARIE image. She's perfect in her delectably eeevil role!

Fearful fun right up to the final showdown...

I remember this movie. I was always a fan of TV horror movies. This one takes the cake. Melissa Sue Anderson, who played Mary Ingalls, sister of Laura, daughter of Charles, on "Little House on the Prairie". She was sooo innocent in that TV show. Then, later, TV execs hired her on to play Vivian Sotherland in this movie. She played the part soo well! NOT so innocent anynmore! Downright evil! A very satanic, wicked witch, with a black cat, and reciting spells and incantations in Latin at the beginning of the movie. While she's conjuring evil spirits, and casting spells, we see a car driving down the street. It suddenly crashes and bursts into flames. The driver dies. Vivian got the powers from her mother, originally. Her mother doesn't use them anymore. She wants Vivian to relinquish the powers, and be a normal girl. Vivian won't have any part of that.

A new girl has settled into the town, and is going to the high school attended by Vivian and her boyfriend Dave. Her name is Robin Prentiss, who played Erin Walton on "The Waltons." She was goody two shoes in that TV show, like Mary Ingalls. Well, she doesn't wander far from home in this movie. She's got powers. She's a good witch, but doesn't really realize it until later in the movie. She's trying to protect herself from Vivian. She makes boats move through the water, makes it really windy, and does other harmless things, just to practice her witchcraft. Vivian knows the powers Robin has. She also knows the hold Robin has on her boyfriend, Dave. Jealousy has lead to death threats against Robin. Vivian has given Robin two days to leave town, or she's dead. With the help of the mystical Emily Moore, who played Marion Cunningham on "Happy Days", Robin realizes her special abilities, and masters them, somewhat. They are no way as powerful as Vivian's, but they do protect her from harm half-way through the movie.

In an exciting cliffhanger, we see who wins at the end. This was a pretty good movie back in the day. I remember it like it was yesterday, and have a taped copy from the sci-fi channel.