Film-within-a-film movies are admittedly a tough feat to pull off. The very notion of positioning a cinematic story within the confines of a partnering cinematic story and have it play out cohesively automatically creates a succession of unique narrative challenges, both for a filmmaker to address and an audience to process. An interesting dialectic of forces to be sure, this once nifty gimmick has more or less become a subgenre in and of itself and continues to be experimented with today in almost every category of film imaginable, including the horror genre.
There’s an interestingly hefty amount of slasher films coming out of the independent film scene these days, most of which try desperately to emulate the bygone days of the genre’s golden era whilst still maintaining a contemporary attitude. Jack Messitt’s Midnight Movie more or less ignores this trend, opting instead for a far more straightforward, less self-conscious approach but possessing the initiative to employ a marketable idea amusing enough to set it apart from the cavalcade of micro-budget drivel readily available to the masses. A refreshing change for once!
A ramshackle independent theatre in a small American town is playing a late night session of a supposedly ‘cursed’ 60s horror movie entitled ‘The Dark Beneath’, a film whose director/star went on to commit several savage murders soon after the films’ completion. Apparently his shrink at the loony bin believed that showing him his film again would help aid in his recovery, however this only lead to more mindless slaughter and a further deterioration of his psychosis. As a dare, the youthful staff in attendance for the screening believe that by exhibiting the infamous film to the public they may in fact manage to lure the vanished madman out of hiding…a prediction they soon regret when the blood begins to flow.
From the minute you start watching Midnight Movie there’s a good chance you’ll think you’ve accidently stumbled across a copy of a long ignored direct-to-video body count flick from the mid-90s. There is so much about Messitt’s film that feels so perfectly in line with the slasher films of that era - from the campy delivery of dialogue and humor by the entire cast, the overly cartoonish nature of the deaths, bounding leaps in logic, right on down to a gag during the end credits silly enough to reassure you that you got your money’s worth. Consequently, the film lives and breathes a certain naïveté when it comes to embodying plausibility in a contemporary context, a minor conundrum some younger viewers may struggle with depending on their sensibilities. However, to the more seasoned fan the movie, this will no doubt sit perfectly fine on their radar of tolerability.
And while the amusingly preposterous scenario, impressive FX work and old-school mentality on display may prove a definite romp for some, there’s no doubt some horror fans will bulk at the inherent ridiculousness of Messitt and co-writer Mark Garbett’s screenplay. Aside from the occasional twist on expectation and intriguing plot device, much of the film relies on a suspension of not only logic but common sense in order for the contrived scenarios to even remotely work within the context of the mayhem taking place. Without giving too much away, it’s safe to say that Midnight Movie definitely requires one to leave the majority of their brain at the door and enjoy the sight of those being pulverized on screen instead.
In the end, we’re not talking about remodernist slasher cinema with Midnight Movie, nor are we dealing with a film that reinvents the long-treaded wheel of the subgenre in any way. However, if you’re after a stand-alone stalker flick with a few neat kills, a somewhat original villain and a healthy tongue in its cheek you could certainly do a hell of a lot worse than this nasty nugget.
Dir: Jack Messitt
Writers: Mark Garbett and Jack Messitt
Cast: Rebekah Brandes, Daniel Bonjour, Greg Cirulnick, Jon Briddell
Country: USA
Run Time: 82mins
Rating: MA15+
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