Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.0

Midnight Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 28, 2021

If you were asked to list one and only one name associated with the now legendary 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, it would pretty much have to be George A. Romero, wouldn't it? After all, even diehard trivia junkies might be hard pressed to correctly identify actors Judith O'Dea, Russell Steiner, Duane Jones, Marilyn Eastman and/or "the rest", as that oft joked about first season theme to Gilligan's Island used to dispense with The Professor and Maryann. Probably even less recognizable would be some of the behind the camera talent involve with the film, though in that regard John A. Russo may have experienced a doubled edged sword in a manner of speaking. Russo is arguably one of the better known folks who had a hand crafting Night of the Living Dead, something that's perfectly appropriate given the fact that the original idea for the film was evidently his and he is in fact credited along with Romero as being a co-writer. But as is evidenced by an interview with Russo included on this disc as a supplement, there was some kind of falling out along the way, and Russo perhaps understandably felt himself left by the wayside in a manner of speaking as Romero continued to enjoy the fruits of what became the Living Dead franchise.

Russo forged a career not necessarily limited to the film world which also included writing books, and Midnight was culled from one of those efforts. Russo then did his own adapted screenplay and directed this film, which would seem to suggest he was a budding auteur, but the results here are not consistent, though there are some interesting elements. The basic setup here is not exactly innovative, with a hapless female named Nancy Johnson (Melanie Verlin) getting abducted by a Satanic cult. What is at least a little innovative is that Nancy gets into this predicament after having tried to escape from her sexually abusive stepfather Bert (Lawrence Tierney), who just so happens to also be a cop. That aspect definitely gives Midnight a bit of an edge, and in fact there's almost some delicious ambiguity in the film's climax where some audience members may not be quite sure if they should be rooting for Bert as he attempts to rescue his supposedly errant daughter.

There may be just a few too many interwoven subplots in this film, which actually begins with a terrified girl whose foot has gotten caught in a bear trap, but who is then assaulted by a bunch of kids being urged on by a demented older woman who seems to be running a "Satan Camp" for wayward kids. There's also an unabashed ripoff of a central plot point from Psycho, as well as a kind of "rural/feral horror" ambience that some may feel is at least a bit reminiscent of outings like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The fact that a number of young women are put in cages that seem like they would be pretty easy to break out of is perhaps indicative of a certain absence of "fear factor" in this film, and in fact it ends up being the character of Bert who may be the most disturbing in the film, which is kind of ironically hilarious, given how gonzo the sidebar characters in Midnight tend to be.

Midnight Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Midnight is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1. The back cover of this release states that this is "now scanned in 4K from the negative of the long rumored uncut version". This is a surprisingly strong looking transfer for such a lesser remembered cult item, though there are some variances in clarity and detail levels, at least some of which can be attributed to the vagaries of location shooting. I was especially struck by the solid black levels throughout, something that's especially noticeable in some vignettes where characters are shot against completely black backgrounds (see screenshot 2). Detail levels are quite good for the most part, though there are some sudden if brief downturns in some of the outdoor material, where color timing can vary a bit and what almost looks like a dupe element might have been used for just a couple of inserts. There's a bit of age related wear and tear which has made it through whatever restoration gauntlet was undertaken, but it's rather slight and nonintrusive.

Midnight Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Midnight features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks. The surround track rather nicely opens up the effective score from Mike Mazzei, while increasing immersive capabilities in the many outdoor scenes. That said, this is not a "wow" audio track with a glut of over the top effects, and as such, the 2.0 track included here may suffice perfectly well for many listeners. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout, and I noticed no damage of any major import. Optional English subtitles are available.

Midnight Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Isolated Score Selections featuring an audio interview with composer Mike Mazzei is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and can be accessed under the Setup Menu.


• Making Midnight (HD; 22:44) is an interesting interview with John A. Russo, who details the production of the film while alluding to some of the troubles he experienced with George A. Romero.


• Producing Midnight (HD; 10:25) is another affable trip down memory lane with the enjoyable Sam Sherman.


• The Midnight Killer (HD; 10:37) is an interview with actor John Amplas.


• Small Favors (HD; 8:35) is a fun interview with make up effects artist Tom Savini, who ironically may be better known generally to horror film fans than John A. Russo.


• Alternate Title Card for Backwoods Massacre (HD: 00:15)


• Trailer (HD; 3:33)


• Radio Spot (HD; 1:00) plays to some key art from the film.

Midnight Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's perhaps indicative of a certain lack of visceral intensity in this film that during the opening vignette documenting a bunch of Satan worshiping kids killing a helpless captive, I couldn't help but wonder if the young performers' parents were upset about the Devil summoning dialogue the kids had to intone for the scene. It's also probably salient that the character of Bert ends up being at least as disturbing as any of the "real" bad guys. Midnight frankly isn't very scary, and in fact is more than a bit silly at times, but for those interested in "the rest" of the crew of Night of the Living Dead, it may be of some interest. Technical merits are generally solid, and Severin has included some nice supplements, for those who are considering making a purhcase.