LITERAL REMAINS

Have you ever been awake at two in the morning, unable to sleep, or just dragging home, and you flip on the television and surf the channels and land on a movie that has a certain I-don’t-know-what?  Some movies are made for late night viewing, they have a certain spirit to them, a certain aura about them.  They have a certain undefinable feel and sensibility to them that’s perfect for two a.m.

Midnight Movie has that spirit and feel.  Here’s the synopsis:

At a seedy theater in a sleepy suburban town, a group of friends get together for a midnight screening of an early 1970s horror film, unaware that the director/star of the film has something more in store for them than an evening of innocent jolts. Good natured heckling as the movie begins is replaced with horrified disbelief when the movie’s grotesque villain butchers one of their friends on screen – will they be able to overcome the killer before they are all pulled into his supernatural celluloid world?

I didn’t expect much from this movie, even though on the box cover it says it won Best Cinematography and Best Feature Film at the 2008 Chicago Horror Film Festival.  Midnight Movie is another pleasant surprise; it may not look like much but it’s better than a lot of other stuff sitting on the shelf waiting to take your money.

You can tell it was filmed on a very low budget, but that adds to the charm.  Director Jack Messitt and the rest of the crew and cast deliver a competent film that goes beyond its limited means.  This is a good movie that gives a nice twist to a tired formula.  Give it a chance.

4 out of 5
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