Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream (2005)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Stuart Samuels

Writers:

Victor Kushmaniuk (additional writer)
Stuart Samuels (writer)

Release Date:

5 August 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

From 1970-1977, six low budget films shown at midnight transformed the way we make and watch films.

Plot Keywords:

Midnight | Interview | 1970s | Director | Movie History

Cast

George A. Romero	...	Himself (as George Romero)
Alejandro Jodorowsky	...	Himself (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
John Waters	...	Himself
Perry Henzell	...	Himself
David Lynch	...	Himself
Richard O'Brien	...	Himself
Roger Ebert	...	Himself
J. Hoberman	...	Himself
Jonathan Rosenbaum	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lou Adler	...	Himself
Ben Barenholtz	...	Himself
Tim Curry	...	Himself (archive footage)
Alan Douglas	...	Himself
Larry Jackson	...	Himself
Sal Piro	...	Himself (Rocky Horror Picture Show fan club president)
Bill Quigley	...	Himself
Mick Rock	...	Himself
Jim Sharman	...	Himself (archive footage)
Robert Shaye	...	Himself (as Bob Shaye)
Peter Suschitzky	...	Himself
Seth Willenson	...	Himself
Chuck Zlatkin	...	Himself

Runtime:

Canada:88 min | USA:86 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:TV-14

Filming Locations:

Jamaica

Company:

Stuart Samuels Productions

Quotes:

John Waters: [about Pink Flamingos] I was high when I wrote it. I was not high when I made it.

Movie Connections:

References The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

'Midnight Movie' 101

Very informative show that will educate (mostly young) viewers on what was formerly known as the 'Midnight Movie' phenomenon. The roots of the strange trend can be found in the underground, guerrilla-like film-making of the 1970s. The program traces its origins, evolution and eventual disintegration, caused by the VHS industry, which made this type of experience practically obsolete. The film chooses to concentrate on the top 6 most popular midnight movies of all time: "El Topo", "Night of the Living Dead", "Rocky Horror Picture Show", "Pink Flamingos", "The Harder They Come" and "Eraserhead". Director Samuels assembles an interesting panel of filmmakers and movie critics who discuss this peculiar occurrence in the film industry. I was a little too young to remember most of the impact these films had on the business of making movies, but I'm glad I was able to catch the final years of this intriguing movie phenomenon. In my case, Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead" was the 'midnight movie' of my small town, and I still remember how much fun we had revisiting this film week after week. I still have to see 2 movies ("El Topo" and "The Harder They Come") out of the 6 films showcased here, but unfortunately it is not the same experience seeing these films on VHS/DVD, in the tranquility of your home. These are the kinds of movies that you needed to see when they first came out in order to understand their impact and resonance. I'm a true believer that the current American Indie industry is suffering from creative stagnation, so I was glad to go back and look at how much courage and audacity our young filmmakers used to have. It is a really nice show, especially interesting if you were born after the fact.