IMDb RATING
4.9/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
A young woman fleeing her sexually abusive stepfather hitches a ride with two young men, but the three soon find themselves at the mercy of a backwoods Satanic cult.A young woman fleeing her sexually abusive stepfather hitches a ride with two young men, but the three soon find themselves at the mercy of a backwoods Satanic cult.A young woman fleeing her sexually abusive stepfather hitches a ride with two young men, but the three soon find themselves at the mercy of a backwoods Satanic cult.
Melanie Verlin
- Nancy Johnson
- (as Melanie Verliin)
C. Anthony Jackson
- Hank
- (as Charles Jackson)
Lachele Carl
- Sandra Carrington
- (as LaChele Carl)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaTom Savini turned down an offer to do the special effects for Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) and worked on this movie instead.
- Crazy creditsThe film's closing credits only include the cast, something common in older films, but unusual for a film made in the 1980s.
- Alternate versionsThe region 1 DVD release from Lion's Gate is two and half minutes longer than the original release. Several scenes of extra violence are in this version.
- ConnectionsEdited into Midnight 2 (1993)
- SoundtracksMidnight Themes
Written and Performed by One Man's Family
Featured review
Okay low-budget horror from Pittsburgh
My review was written in January 1983 after a screening at Liberty theater on Manhattan's 42nd St.
"Midnight" is a 1980 Pittsburgh-made horror thriller which, while lacking the scares of its many competitors, at least varies from the rigid format of recent shockers. Horror novelist John Russo, who scripted the Pittsburgh classic "Night of the Living Dead", develops enough twist on traditional Satanism and road movie formulae to keep the fans interested.
Heroine Nancy Johnson (Melanie Verliin) runs away from home when her cop stepdad (Lawrence Tierney) tries to rape her. Diverted from her goal of joining a sister in California by two young men who pick her up hitchhiking, she becomes a captive of a local family of devil worshipers who slate her for human sacrifice on midnight, Easter Sunday.
Familiar elements herfe include the devil cultist retaining their clan matriarch in mummified form (a la "Psycho") and the usual gimmick of a backwoods family preying on unsuspecting travelers. One switch is the emphasis upon the story's racial angles, with several black victims and local prejudice surfacing against the racially mixed trio on the road.
Special makeup effects by a top artist in the field Tom Savini are effective (particularly a realistic decapitation simulation), but the picture's low budget shows in unatmospheric, routine visuals, amateurish performance in small roles and a 1960s-style music track. Though the premise has heroine and her road buddies headed south, autumn locations (belying Easter Sunday premise) all look similar, evidently filmed within shouting distance of the Pittsburgh home base.
Forties star Lawrence Tierney has fun as the heroine's stepdad, veering from initial comical villainy to a stalwart protector in the final reel. Other leads, many of whom are familiar faces from George A. Romero films, perform functionally.
"Midnight" is a 1980 Pittsburgh-made horror thriller which, while lacking the scares of its many competitors, at least varies from the rigid format of recent shockers. Horror novelist John Russo, who scripted the Pittsburgh classic "Night of the Living Dead", develops enough twist on traditional Satanism and road movie formulae to keep the fans interested.
Heroine Nancy Johnson (Melanie Verliin) runs away from home when her cop stepdad (Lawrence Tierney) tries to rape her. Diverted from her goal of joining a sister in California by two young men who pick her up hitchhiking, she becomes a captive of a local family of devil worshipers who slate her for human sacrifice on midnight, Easter Sunday.
Familiar elements herfe include the devil cultist retaining their clan matriarch in mummified form (a la "Psycho") and the usual gimmick of a backwoods family preying on unsuspecting travelers. One switch is the emphasis upon the story's racial angles, with several black victims and local prejudice surfacing against the racially mixed trio on the road.
Special makeup effects by a top artist in the field Tom Savini are effective (particularly a realistic decapitation simulation), but the picture's low budget shows in unatmospheric, routine visuals, amateurish performance in small roles and a 1960s-style music track. Though the premise has heroine and her road buddies headed south, autumn locations (belying Easter Sunday premise) all look similar, evidently filmed within shouting distance of the Pittsburgh home base.
Forties star Lawrence Tierney has fun as the heroine's stepdad, veering from initial comical villainy to a stalwart protector in the final reel. Other leads, many of whom are familiar faces from George A. Romero films, perform functionally.
- How long is Midnight?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $75,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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