The Midnight Hour (1985)

The Midnight Hour is a little slow, a little cheesy, and a little saccharine, but it evokes the Halloween mood well.The moments that really stand out in this movie are the moments where it does finally push the boundaries a little bit -- when it stops being "wacky Halloween fun for the whole family" and actually tries to be a little bit violent, or scary, or even racy. Who knew Levarr Burton could play such a stereotypical horny teen? The overall movie may not stand out in my mind, but these individual moments do (and it's always interesting when a made-for-TV movie tries to find a way around showing blood while still evoking the imagery of blood). The way the movie progressively gets just a little darker, and a little darker, etc. is pretty interesting to watch, too. In modern times, a lot of things make this movie feel very dated, though. Phil (the protagonist)'s weird Dracula costume, for one, with the bizarre face paint and tinsel wig. That just screams 1985. Two, the movie's obsession with "golden oldie" music; it's been at least a decade or more since all of the oldies stations I know about updated their selection to include songs from the same era this movie was produced in (you have to turn your radio's dial to AM to hear anything made before 1975, these days -- assuming you even still HAVE a radio).And it's not just that these elements make the movie dated, it's that they're spun in such a way as to be things "modern teens" relate to. Even the way Levarr Burton's character speaks, with that sort of hold-over "jive" slang, feels distinctly 1980's in a way that nobody talks anymore. It feels like an older director was trying to bridge two generations (his and the next), which leaves us in the modern era out of the equation.Don't get me wrong, it's still enjoyable. The first time I watched this movie was in 2016. But it's important to watch this movie and think about the context it was shown in, because it's a context that doesn't exist anymore.Come for the fun costumes and special effects, stay the moments where the movie threatens to bend its family-friendly content rules. Just also remember: it was the 80's.

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.

We loved this movie also. We taped it and I basically raised my kids on it. They would watch it all the time and I don't ever remember it being played again, too bad. I think it is a great and fund Halloween movie that should be played every year during that holiday. I babysit kids and even they were raised on it and loved it every time they always say let's watch the Halloween movie. That is also how my children learned the many old songs from the 60's and 70's that were heard in the movie even though American Graffiti wasn't a Halloween movie it did remind me if because of the all the great music. I would recommend that you rent it, buy it, whatever, but you've got to see it.

The Midnight Hour has been my all time favorite movie since I was 3. The first time I watched it was on TV and my mother just so happen to catch it before it started and recorded it. The only other time I saw it on TV was in the early to mid 90's it aired on USA, I was really surprised to see it. None of my friends growing up even heard of it so they thought I was weird. I was really surprised at how much it is going for now. I also wanted to mention that I have been searching for the soundtrack on the internet since 1996 or at least the names of the songs. I know them all but a few and those are the opera song, when Melissa's in the restroom with Mary and almost gets bitten by her great x 5 grandmother, and the Gothic song playing after Mary gets bitten by Melissa.