Mr_Ectoplasma
Released as a television film on NBC in 1985, "The Midnight Hour" focuses on a group of teenage friends in a small New England town who accidentally unleash all the demons from hell on Halloween night after reciting an incantation they discover sealed in a trunk of clothing and artifacts that they stole from the local museum. Pretty soon, there are goblins, vampires, werewolves, and zombies everywhere you turn, and it's up to the class nerd and the ghost of a cheerleader to put a stop to it.Although I wasn't even alive when this film was released, I get the sense that it was important to the childhoods of many people in the generation before myself; it seems like it was their "Hocus Pocus", and with good reason. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this film was likely an inspiration on "Hocus Pocus" and other films of its type. "The Midnight Hour" is really the quintessential Halloween film, in the classic, family-friendly sense of the word. Ghouls, goblins, zombies and witches; Halloween parties, local legends, and a living dead Suzie Q round out the proceedings here, making up a truly delightful film. I watched this film knowing next to nothing about it. In fact, I assumed it was a zombie splatter flick based on the DVD cover, and was surprised by what the film ended up being, which is anything but. Given that it was made for television broadcast, the film is relatively bloodless, free of language and nudity, and is really not all that scary (though there are some really well-done moments of horror, namely the town square scene). It is, however, atmospheric, well-written, endlessly entertaining, and full of great sequences and even some funny moments. The TV-movie nostalgia factor bleeds through the whole film, and even had this millennial longing for the days of VHS tapes and Disney channel Halloween movies. The good-spirited charm is the real attraction here, and, despite the dated aspects of the film (mainly in the special effects), it does feel timeless.The cast features relatively well-known actors, namely Shari Belafonte, Peter DeLuise, Dick Van Patten, Deedee Pfeiffer, and Kurtwood Smith, and the performances here are far above average. The soundtrack is also a real highlight, with killer tunes by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs, Three Dog Night, and even The Smiths adding to the film's incessant charm. It also features its own original dance number which is goofy and absolutely corny, but I find it hard to question or even attempt to criticize it. The romance subplot between Phil and Sandy will also give you warm-and-fuzzies.Overall, "The Midnight Hour" is a joy. As one of the first (if not the first) Halloween films made for television, it really is a prototype for all of the 1990s' and early 2000s' made-for-TV Halloween films that I grew up watching; I was constantly reminded of them while watching it, actually. Is this film scary? Of course not. It's family-oriented. Is it a horror film? Sort of. More than anything, it's really just a well-written and wildly entertaining example of mid-'80s television offerings, and an absolute Halloween delight. While I no doubt love my gory slashers and dark thrillers every October 31st, "The Midnight Hour" is a new and welcome addition to my annual All Hallow's Eve horror marathons. Highlights: the midget goblin slurping up the punch, Phil and Sandy's adorable love affair, the vampire attack in the basement set to "How Soon Is Now?", and Kurtwood Smith before he was on "That '70s Show". 9/10.
trashgang
Halloween, some kids break into the local witch museum to steal some stuff from centuries ago. For fun they go to the cemetery were they open a manuscript and are reading a spell without knowing it. Guess what, it's midnight hour, the demons arise! Zombietown it will be. And of course the legend of the witch comes alive. So far the story of this unfindable movie. When there is a version that pops up on the Net on VHS or even on (official) DVD it goes for more than 100 Euro's or even Dollars. Typical for the movies from that era they were released in several countries mostly with several titles. When you are into horror and a real freak you know you sometime have to do some research about the other titles and guess what. You can obtain this movie for less than 20 euro's but with his second title Return of the Living Zombies. If you do a bit of research you can still catch it on the X Rated Kult label. People into horror will know the label, they come in collectible hard boxes with beautiful artwork. Anyway, is it worth searching? Yes and no. Yes because it's an OOP, no because it isn't quite a real horror. The most important thing is the relationship between a human and a zombie. Still, people are searching this flick due the presence of Kevin McCarthy (invasion of the body snatchers main lead from 1956). The blood never flows in a disgusting way. There isn't any gore or nudity (escential for that era). In fact it is one to see with the whole family on Halloween night. Around the midnight hour...
Joseph P. Ulibas
Midnight Hour (1985) was one of those lame made-for-t.v. horror films that made it's way on network television during the 80's. Most of them suck rotten eggs and this one is no exception. I don't know why they spent money on tripe like this (From what I remember it didn't look like much). Old teenagers raise the dead on saturday night. What happened, was there nothing else to do on the weekend? I guess they were bored silly. Saturday night, the scene is dead, nothing to do. I know what, lets do something real stupid like cast an unholy spell that causes some not so dead corpses come back to life. Capital idea! Was the local video store closed? Wasn't the bowling alley open? I don't know but I do know not to waste good money on stuff like this!Best to avoid unless you're really desperate!D-If you're that hard up to watch this movie then i suggest you find yourself another hobby or read a good book. Life's just too short.
