Midnight

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

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.

It seems that Lynn Redgrave wants to do everything. She's done silly kids' films ("The Lion Of Oz), silly should-have-been-for-adults films ("Hansel and Gretel") shouldn't-have-been-done films (What Ever Happened To..."), and the list just goes on and on. That said, what in heck is this film supposed to be? Funny? I did laugh, but not too often. Dirty? It had some sex/nudity in it. Parody? I guess I missed the joke.

It seems that Midnight is a dead ringer (ha ha) for Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. They have the same job, but the similarity ends there. Midnight is not funny. There's the big difference between the two. Anyhow, she meets some guy and they do things. End of story. There are some freaky moments--when she describes her snake as a phallic symbol, you do get somewhat unnerved. He rides a motorbike really fast, which apparently says something about him. She thinks it's cool. I think it's dangerous and stupid. Oh well, that's why I didn't write the movie.

In conclusion, this movie is awful. It doesn't know what it's doing, and so you just won't know how to react. Well, one must give credit where credit is due. Lynn Redgrave is so far over the top you can barely see her, but she does what she can. She's frightening, occasionally funny, but always watchable. Nice try.

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.

The first thing i thought when i watched Midnight was... Elvira Mistress of the Dark RIP OFF. The big difference is that Elvira was released in 88 and Midnight in 89, they took Lynn Redgrave (RIP) as a horror hostess. She comes up the stage from a coffin with a bloody mary, snarls at her (extremely annoying) fans who repeat everything she says. And presents some unknown cheesy B movie of which you'll never see a clip or whatsoever, the plot might also might be a reminder of Elvira since in both films there's a problem with the budget and the hostess has to try to get the right amount of money to save her show. Anyway, Midnight's dick of a producer herrasses her because he wants to own the copyrights. Some goodlooking guy who pretends to be her biggest fan forces himself into her life etcetera etcetera, most of the movie is just a typical comedy with not that much of enjoyable content. Untill the last 30 minutes they turn the movie into a thriller, and that's when things start to get interesting. One more last thing, the only thing that doesn't turn Midnight into a complete Elvira clone is the fact that she's a loudmouthed witch, are you interested. Have a look at the movie, an akward blend between two genres.