Dead by Midnight (1997)

Add a Plot »

Director:

Jim McBride

Writer:

Michael Vickerman

Stars:

Timothy Hutton, Suzy Amis, John Glover

Cast

Credited cast:
Timothy Hutton	...	John Larkin / Sam Ellis
Suzy Amis	...	Lisa Larkin / Dr. Sarah Flint
John Glover	...	Dr. Armond Drake / Ben Hamill
Max Wright	...	Dr. Jonas Reilly
Grant Heslov	...	Detective Mackowitz
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
J. Scott Bronson	...	Jeff
Liliana Cabal	...	Karen Ellis
Brad Greenquist	...	Hendricks
Benjamin Israeli	...	Rick Larkin
Jean Jenkins	...	Ruth Ann Bartzack
Matt McBride	...	Jared Larkin (as Matthew McBride)
Joey Miyashima	...	Mr. Mizoguchi
Mowava Pryor	...	Joan
Reese Phillip Purser	...	Arnold Strickland (as Reese Purser)
Dennis Saylor	...	Billy

Storyline

---

Plot Keywords:

time in title | tied to a chair | on the run | mind control | memory implant | 

---

Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 November 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

A halál éjfélkor érkezik

Filming Locations:

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daniel H. Blatt Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Lame and uninspired

John Larkin is snatched from his home leaving his wife and children behind. He escapes his captors and tracks down his wife only to discover that she is a doctor playing the role of his wife, all his memories are false and implanted into his programming and that he's part robot being trained to infiltrate a government overthrow it and then lead the country the way his programmers desire. He also discovers that if he goes missing for more than 48 hours a programme will automatically shut him down and wipe his memory clean forever.

The overall plot for this has been done many times - part human part machine, realises what's going on and goes on the run - but it's been done better. Here it's all to predictable, too lazy and too boring. The story roles slowly along without going anywhere you don't expect and lacks any action, excitement or drama. It really is that poor - even though it less than 90 minutes it's difficult to get through it without getting bored. The story lacks any imagination and has nothing to make you think - even as the full extent of the conspiracy is uncovered it's still not exciting or even interesting.

The TV direction doesn't help but neither do the actors. Hutton overplays the coldness he imagines a robot would have and overdoes the jerky head movements at times - he doesn't convince as someone who would fit in, he looks like a robot throughout. Suzy Amis is OK as his wife but always seems like a deer with her big eyes and gentle smile. John Glover is too eccentric as Dr Drake and would be better suited as the villain if this was a spoofy comedy film, but he doesn't fit in here. Grant Heslov plays the helpful cop but really needs to sort out his eyes - does he really need to look that tired?

The film squanders good ideas and lacks any of the drama and tension that a film involving a guy being pursued by a Government conspiracy would usually have (enemy of the state?). It is consistently lazy in it's storytelling with thing like the cop turning up at the right place at the right time and explaining it by "I worked it all out". As if anyone would put together very basic clues to conclude that someone was breeding an android from an innocent man to become a killing machine! Also the ending relating to the memory loss is just so lazy that it's insulting to those of us wondering how the problem was going to be solved.

Overall a lame drama with no obvious redeeming features.