Midnight Blue (1997)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Skott Snider

Writer:

Douglas Brode (writer)

Genre:

Mystery

Plot:

Twins Martine/Georgine dupe a love-stricken executive (Martin) into helping them steal $5 million from Georgine's husband.

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Cast

Damian Chapa	...	Martin
Annabel Schofield	...	Martine / Georgine
Dean Stockwell	...	Katz-Feeney
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Eric
Steve Kanaly	...	Collier (as Steven Kanaly)
Jennifer Jostyn	...	Barbara
Collin Bernsen	...	Cab Driver
Steven Ford	...	Detective Dobkin
Butch McCain	...	First Executive
Ben L. McCain	...	Second Executive
Dean Cameron	...	Cashier
Michael Sabatino	...	Detective Losby (as Mike Sabatino)
Daryce Richman	...	Collier's Secretary (as Darice Richman)
Cyril O'Reilly	...	Dude
Christopher Reed	...	Executive (as Chris Reed)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Germany:16 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Playboy Entertainment Group

Best Playboy Movie Ever Made...

...but is that really an accomplishment?

This is what happens when Playboy makes a movie tribute to Alfred Hitchcock. Sure there's no fight on the faces of Mount Rushmore nor bird attacks, but there is wrong man theme, anxiety, obsession with women, staircases, starbursts, and twist after twist after twist. Plus you know if it's by Playboy there must be some nudity!

It's interesting to note the similarities to Hitchcock's "Vertigo". A man becomes obsessed with a woman, and then finds out that she's either non-existent or dead. He then encounters a woman who looks exactly like her. Of course this is the same woman... or is it. You have to wait until the last two minutes to know the whole truth (as part of an epilogue that has about thirty twists in it). The movie is not independent from its true inspiration.

The writing is outstanding at parts, and choppy at other times. This could be the fault of the actors (I hesitate to call them actors), and the directing (which does some interesting things with the camera but fail to tell a decent story). I wouldn't mind seeing a better made remake down the road.

Also, I imagine it is hard to please the two populations that will watch this movie. The Hitch lovers will be annoyed by the presence of unnecessary overdone sex scenes, and the Playboy fanatics will wonder why there are scenes involving people talking. There seems to be at least two different visions going on here.

"Midnight Blue" takes brains and brawn and tries to put them together in one smart sexy movie. They fail but it's good to know they tried.