Past Midnight (1991)

Director:

Jan Eliasberg

Writer (WGA):

Frank Norwood (written by)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Past Passion. Past Terror. Past Murder.

Plot:

A man gets out of prison after 15 years for stabbing his wife to death, and his social worker becomes convinced he was innocent...

Plot Keywords:

Social Worker | Prison | Cabin | Police Officer Killed | Murder

Cast

Rutger Hauer	...	Ben Jordan
Natasha Richardson	...	Laura Mathews
Clancy Brown	...	Steve Lundy
Kibibi Monie	...	Dorothy Coleman
Tom Wright	...	Lee Samuels
Dana Eskelson	...	Kathy Tudor
Ted D'Arms	...	Bill Tudor
Paul Giamatti	...	Larry Canipe
Guy Boyd	...	Todd Canipe
Charles Boswell	...	Carlton Daniels
Brian T. Finney	...	Delivery Man
Krisha Fairchild	...	Dr. Zastoupil
Ernie Lively	...	Detective Allan Tobias
Sarah Magnuson	...	Gerrie Graymark
Paul Mitri	...	Policeman
David Frederick White	...	Policeman (as Dave White)
Nancy Bevis	...	Social Worker
Claude Bowman	...	Social Worker
Sheila Gould	...	Social Worker
Susan Maralis	...	Social Worker (as Susan Morales)
Jane Riese	...	Social Worker
Martha Stevens	...	Super-8 Film Victim
Carol Karch	...	Super-8 Film Victim
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sue Morales	...	Social Worker (uncredited)

Directed by
Jan Eliasberg

Writing credits (WGA)
Frank Norwood		(written by)

Produced by
Lisa M. Hansen	....	producer
Paul Hertzberg	....	executive producer
Catalaine Knell	....	associate producer
Nancy Rae Stone	....	co-producer
Quentin Tarantino	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Steve Bartek

Cinematography by
Robert D. Yeoman

Film Editing by
Christopher Rouse

Casting by
Paul Adler
Jodi Rothfield

Production Design by
Sharon Seymour

Costume Design by
Ronald Leamon

Makeup Department
Keith Hall	....	makeup department head
Michael White	....	key hair stylist

Art Department
Benjamin Hayden	....	lead man
Michael McCombe	....	head greensman

Sound Department
Tom Condon	....	boom operator
Robert Marts	....	production sound mixer
Glenn Newnham	....	sound editor
Terry Rodman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Terry Rodman	....	supervising sound editor

Stunts
David Boushey	....	stunts
Phil Chong	....	stunts
Shane Dixon	....	stunts
Cheryl Wheeler Duncan	....	stunts (as Cheryl Wheeler-Dixon)
Chris Durand	....	stunts
Steven Lambert	....	stunt coordinator (as Steve Lambert)
Billy D. Lucas	....	stunts (as Billy Lucas)
Spiro Razatos	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark L. Anderson	....	additional second assistant camera
Ken Glassing	....	second assistant camera
Don Mosley	....	lighting technician (as Donald Ray Mosley)
Gregory D. Smith	....	grip
Eric Thomas	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Henry Earl Lewis	....	costume supervisor

Music Department
Andrew Lancaster	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Rick Wiley	....	driver: camera car

Other crew
Vicky Berglund-Davenport	....	location manager
Kathi McKenzie	....	assistant production coordinator
Sam Montiforte	....	post-production accountant (uncredited)
Quentin Tarantino	....	developer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cinetel Films

Distributors

• Cineplex-Odeon Films (1991) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar (video)
• Highlight Video (Germany) (VHS)
• New Line Cinema
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Top Tape (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Italy:100 min | USA:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

Cinetel Films

Trivia:

After significantly re-writing the script, Quentin Tarantino was given an associate producer credit on the film (his first official screen credit). The film features a number of Tarantino's trademark pop cultural references. For example, in reference to a Peeping Tom-like recording of a murder, a cop says "It makes Nightmare on Elm Street look like Charlotte's Web."

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Shortly after the two cops take Ben away, and Todd is in the house getting ready to kill Laura, the detective calls her and she pretends he is her father so that he realizes there is something wrong. He tells her that help is on the way. The two cops come back and are killed by Todd. The detective never calls back when the cops don't check in to say they caught Todd.

Quotes:

Todd Canipe:[Having just shot a pair of cops] Woah I got'em Ben, I got'em both don't move you stay there... you be safe... I'm back in and finish her off
Ben Jordan:TOD NO CHRIST... LAURA

Movie Connections:

References Charlotte's Web (1973)

Soundtrack:

AM I LOSING YOU?

A Better Grade of B Movie

Whilst this film is not going to re-invent the Suspense/Thriller genre it views as one that could have been an A movie with a little more money and a bit of promotion. Certainly not with a change of cast. The twists, the developing romantic theme, all make this worth your viewing time. Rutger Hauer has his own unique brand of acting and Natasha Richardson can not only act but is rather cute.