Midnight

My review was written in September 1989 after a screening at Manhattan's Westside cinema.

"Midnight" is an amateurish Hollywood satire typified by atrocious overacting, consistently unfunny gag lines and pathetic in-jokes. Pic didn't draw flies during its Gotham midnight bookings, and video prospects are poor.

Lynn Redgrave toplines (pulling faces and screeching her lines as if intent on dominating 1989's worst acting sweepstakes) as a tv horror hostess copied after Elvira but with a crude Tallulah accent. She's warring with her greedy network boss Tony Curtis, while romancing yong gigolo Steve Parrish, an aspiring actor who moves into her mansion.

When killings of her adversaries occur, beginning with he double-crossing agent Frank Gorshin, no suspense is generated since writer-director Norman Vane slavishly imitates the classic "Sunset Blvd." -right down to a doting Stroheim-like butler played by Gustav Vintas.

Thesps are poorly directed right down to the gawking extras. Lighting and editing are poor. Karen Winter provides alluring pulchritude as Parrish's new love interest while Redgrave is fitted out with ugly makeup and unflattering costumes and hairpieces.

Though Curtis and Gorshin have scenes together, Vane foolishly misses the chance for some genuine humor by not pairing Gorshin's classic Burt Lancaster carbon to Curtis a la "Sweet Smell of Success".

Pic's oddest element, undoubtedly unintentional, is the recurring imagery out of pro wrestling: Redgraves pet boa (wrapped around Parrish's neck apre sex) that looks like Jake (The Snake) Roberts' pet Damien. Parrish playing his big scene more like the antics of the Honky Tonk Man than his character's model James Dean and Elvis, and a bit part as a security guard played by no less than current rassling heel Zeus (Tiny Lister, Eddie Murphy's former bodyguard who co-starred in "No Holds Barred").

Lots of on-screen plugola includes Redgrave holding up a Hollywood trade paper to the camera (which duly earns a thank-you in the slow end crawl that pads pic's running time), a new low in product placement.

Well, It seems I'm the first person to give this movie a "6" ! It definitely doesn't deserve more, but it is fascinating in a strange sort of way. Lynn Redgrave is spectacular as an Elvira-clone going crazy for the loss of her show. She is over the top and out of her head for all the movie, a tour de force of bitchy ways. The movie is worth seeing only for her performance and her funny, delirious dresses. There is also the beautiful Karen Witter, anothe reason not to pass over this movie. It is worth a rental, at least.

All I could say when I saw this movie is "What the Hell?" I loved it. It was a perfect satire on "Hollywood". The clichés were so over-the-top, that it was ridiculous, and Lynn Redgrave's performance was impeccable. She was so specific with her character and so convicted, she looked like another person; and she was hilarious. She's such a bad girl; a very bad bad girl. I was surprised to see low rating for this movie. I think most people just don't get it. The movie is supposed to look cheesy, cheap, artificial, and over the top, and therein lies the art. And I feel that there's also a good connection because of Lynn Redgrave. Her character was so specific and eccentric, yet emotional and connected that she looked like a real f*%&%d up person. She was nuts and hilarious! I still laugh whenever I visualize "Midnight's" face. Definitely cult worthy.

Stick with Elvira. "Midnight" feels like a cheap, low-brow and unimaginative send up of something that was already a send up. You just don't know where its head was at? I wasn't expecting any great shakes, but what I got was an annoying, dumb-down and witless horror comedy. Even with the likes of Lynn Redgrave and Tony Curtis, it's almost the pits. A fiendish, off-the-rocker Redgrave (who's really getting into her sour diva character?!) was terrible. A slumming Curtis faired no better, but the script they had to work with was just cringe-worthy. The majority of the characters are not really likable. The story simply goes through the motions. As it goes all over the place. Actresses competing for the affection of a toy-boy, millionaire producer trying to steal the business rights to Midnight's schlock horror TV show, before settling into a whodunit with sledgehammer mentality. And don't forget the fans… these are true fanatics. Might have been fun to make, but I found it less so to watch. "Midnight" is tacky, monotonous with little frights and even less so laughs.

Odd thriller about mysterious TV personality Redgrave who finds people close to her dropping like flies. Barely watchable, almost embarrassing.