Midnight Movie Massacre

In this film you get two films for the price of one - neither of them particularly good. The film-within-a-film, "Space Patrol", is a mildly amusing (if not particularly well thought out) parody of vintage sci-fi serials. That in itself would be reason enough to avoid this trainwreck, but that's not the worst of it.

The wrap around film, "Midnight Movie Massacre", is a collection of ancient gags that would bore a fan of Mad Magazine. Imagine the lowest common denominator for film comedy, then take that down a notch or two, and you've got the level of humor in this putrid little pic. Everyone associated with this part of the movie, up to and including the clapper loader and craft service people, should be beaten unconscious with crowbars and never ever allowed to be within the vicinity of a movie set ever again. Ever.

I bought a VHS tape of this, still in the box, at a dirty little junk store downtown a couple of years ago. I thought it might be interesting from the cover art. I was wrong. Imagine Mars Attacks! with less intelligence, money, and acting talent. The one thing that sticks out in my mind is the horrifying image of the fat woman in the theater constantly pulling something long and white out of her nose. Max Crumb, eat your heart out.

As one of the screenwriters, this film surprised even me. It's beyond campy. What started out as a reprise of an old television show called "Space Patrol," turned into "Midnight Movie Massacre." It was an interesting transition to say the least. I wrote Space Patrol and by gosh it's in the movie... up on the screen in a theater where a bunch of folks go to watch it. Then a monster (from Mars as it turns out) lands on top of the theater and begins to eat the theater goers one at a time. I must say the film does look good. Some of the scenes go a bit far with the gags (and I do mean gags). All in all, though, it isn't too bad. I hope it will come back to haunt me one day as a screenwriter.

MIDNIGHT MOVIE MASSACRE (aka: ATTACK FROM MARS) is a cult movie wannabe that tries way too hard.

At some point in the 1950's an alien craft has landed behind a movie theater. The theater patrons include: 3 hoods, two geeks, an impossibly-endowed blonde and her boyfriend, A rotund woman and her pencil-necked date, a drunk, a hillbilly couple, and a girl who keeps pulling extremely long boogers out of her nose.

Sound exciting?

The "crowd" is there to see a fictional movie known as SPACE PATROL (with cameos from Bob Clarke and Ann Robinson). We are taken back and forth between the movie and those watching it, which is dull to the point of agony!

The alien monster is of little help, since the death rate is intolerably low. Not even "principal" players! Nope, booger woman isn't harmed!

This is a severe exercise in tedium, where time actually warps. You'll age 10 years in 90 minutes! Watch at your own peril...

Midnight Movie Massacre is mesmerizing...it delivers exactly what you expect in an oozing campy cult classic. Its not intended to be anything more than than what it is...a b movie about b movies...and frankly its fantastic.

editing, characters, dubbing, antiquated effects are all on point. There is also a pacing to the film which is perfect for a midnight movie to get lost in a trance or chat over the film.

the rest of the critics need to take the stick out of their a$$ because they simply don't get it.

9/10 turkeys