teuthis-2

I find this film a great pleasure to watch. The cast is superb, and the plot develops in a deliberate and leisurely manner; with emphasis on the characters and suspense. As always, Burt Lancaster is wonderful to watch. But then so is everyone else in this film including Burt's son, and a young Catherine Bach, in cameo roles. Midnight Man is a film to watch when you really want to settle and get involved for an evening of suspense and great acting. Its even better if someone is there to share it. Burt is an ex-homicide investigator, just paroled from prison for shooting his unfaithful wife and her lover. He is tragic in a sense, but also strong-willed. He takes a job as a night guard at a college and becomes obsessed with solving a murder that occurs there. He is pitted against resistance from local law enforcement, and some mysterious forces who throw constant dangers and obstacles in his path. But a skilled determination enables him to piece together a complex puzzle of deceit and collusion that makes for an exciting and revealing climax. I heartily recommend this classic Burt Lancaster drama!

A high minded German scientist [in the 1950's??] is duped by a vengeful, deported gangster into creating atomic-powered zombies from the recently deceased, stolen from the local morgue, in order to wreak revenge upon his enemies.[Whew!] Now that is a dynamite combination! Never mind how they got six or seven bodies out of police custody; or where they got the radioactive isotopes they are waving around. This one is fun!

A classic, know-it-all police MD, with a pre-women's lib, blonde bombshell wife, and just-too-cute little daughter, is on their trail. He patiently tracks them down with the help of another scientist and his doomed police captain boss. The pipe smoking scene is hilarious; as is the inevitable science film: a trained dog being stimulated with electrodes. The villains give the doctor some scary moments. They even tear his little girl's favorite doll limb from limb. But since the German scientist is radioactive, he cannot escape the ubiquitous geiger counter that appears in all of these films. The climactic battle between the police, the army, and the zombies is to be savored time and again. This one is a classic, and worth your while!

Forget the low budget and limited special effects. This is an exciting film. If you can transport yourself back to the time when science was young and naive, you can get caught up in this film. The "monster" is an isotope created by a mad scientist. It will, if not destroyed, eventually engulf the world. Earnest atomic scientists are in a race against time to transport it to Canada where the only instrument powerful enough to destroy it is located. Once there, they even run afoul of a jealous Canadian scientist who attempts to foil their last ditch efforts. The climax, with electricity surging and sparks flying is actually thrilling. This one has some of the laughs one expects from a low budget monster film, but it also achieves drama and excitement. The acting is even better than usual.

Now it wouldn't be a low budget film without at least one or two cheesy special effects. Don't miss the shot of some steel slugs tossed up and supposedly sticking to the magnetized ceiling; some of them actually roll off camera. However, this is just entertainment when combined with the taut, fast-paced story line, excellent performances and exciting climax. I recommend it.