My review was written in September 1989 after a screening at Manhattan's Westside cinema.
"Midnight" is an amateurish Hollywood satire typified by atrocious overacting, consistently unfunny gag lines and pathetic in-jokes. Pic didn't draw flies during its Gotham midnight bookings, and video prospects are poor.
Lynn Redgrave toplines (pulling faces and screeching her lines as if intent on dominating 1989's worst acting sweepstakes) as a tv horror hostess copied after Elvira but with a crude Tallulah accent. She's warring with her greedy network boss Tony Curtis, while romancing yong gigolo Steve Parrish, an aspiring actor who moves into her mansion.
When killings of her adversaries occur, beginning with he double-crossing agent Frank Gorshin, no suspense is generated since writer-director Norman Vane slavishly imitates the classic "Sunset Blvd." -right down to a doting Stroheim-like butler played by Gustav Vintas.
Thesps are poorly directed right down to the gawking extras. Lighting and editing are poor. Karen Winter provides alluring pulchritude as Parrish's new love interest while Redgrave is fitted out with ugly makeup and unflattering costumes and hairpieces.
Though Curtis and Gorshin have scenes together, Vane foolishly misses the chance for some genuine humor by not pairing Gorshin's classic Burt Lancaster carbon to Curtis a la "Sweet Smell of Success".
Pic's oddest element, undoubtedly unintentional, is the recurring imagery out of pro wrestling: Redgraves pet boa (wrapped around Parrish's neck apre sex) that looks like Jake (The Snake) Roberts' pet Damien. Parrish playing his big scene more like the antics of the Honky Tonk Man than his character's model James Dean and Elvis, and a bit part as a security guard played by no less than current rassling heel Zeus (Tiny Lister, Eddie Murphy's former bodyguard who co-starred in "No Holds Barred").
Lots of on-screen plugola includes Redgrave holding up a Hollywood trade paper to the camera (which duly earns a thank-you in the slow end crawl that pads pic's running time), a new low in product placement.
"Midnight" is an amateurish Hollywood satire typified by atrocious overacting, consistently unfunny gag lines and pathetic in-jokes. Pic didn't draw flies during its Gotham midnight bookings, and video prospects are poor.
Lynn Redgrave toplines (pulling faces and screeching her lines as if intent on dominating 1989's worst acting sweepstakes) as a tv horror hostess copied after Elvira but with a crude Tallulah accent. She's warring with her greedy network boss Tony Curtis, while romancing yong gigolo Steve Parrish, an aspiring actor who moves into her mansion.
When killings of her adversaries occur, beginning with he double-crossing agent Frank Gorshin, no suspense is generated since writer-director Norman Vane slavishly imitates the classic "Sunset Blvd." -right down to a doting Stroheim-like butler played by Gustav Vintas.
Thesps are poorly directed right down to the gawking extras. Lighting and editing are poor. Karen Winter provides alluring pulchritude as Parrish's new love interest while Redgrave is fitted out with ugly makeup and unflattering costumes and hairpieces.
Though Curtis and Gorshin have scenes together, Vane foolishly misses the chance for some genuine humor by not pairing Gorshin's classic Burt Lancaster carbon to Curtis a la "Sweet Smell of Success".
Pic's oddest element, undoubtedly unintentional, is the recurring imagery out of pro wrestling: Redgraves pet boa (wrapped around Parrish's neck apre sex) that looks like Jake (The Snake) Roberts' pet Damien. Parrish playing his big scene more like the antics of the Honky Tonk Man than his character's model James Dean and Elvis, and a bit part as a security guard played by no less than current rassling heel Zeus (Tiny Lister, Eddie Murphy's former bodyguard who co-starred in "No Holds Barred").
Lots of on-screen plugola includes Redgrave holding up a Hollywood trade paper to the camera (which duly earns a thank-you in the slow end crawl that pads pic's running time), a new low in product placement.