Blazehgehg The Midnight Hour is a little slow, a little cheesy, and a little saccharine, but it evokes the Halloween mood well.The moments that really stand out in this movie are the moments where it does finally push the boundaries a little bit -- when it stops being "wacky Halloween fun for the whole family" and actually tries to be a little bit violent, or scary, or even racy. Who knew Levarr Burton could play such a stereotypical horny teen? The overall movie may not stand out in my mind, but these individual moments do (and it's always interesting when a made-for-TV movie tries to find a way around showing blood while still evoking the imagery of blood). The way the movie progressively gets just a little darker, and a little darker, etc. is pretty interesting to watch, too. In modern times, a lot of things make this movie feel very dated, though. Phil (the protagonist)'s weird Dracula costume, for one, with the bizarre face paint and tinsel wig. That just screams 1985. Two, the movie's obsession with "golden oldie" music; it's been at least a decade or more since all of the oldies stations I know about updated their selection to include songs from the same era this movie was produced in (you have to turn your radio's dial to AM to hear anything made before 1975, these days -- assuming you even still HAVE a radio).And it's not just that these elements make the movie dated, it's that they're spun in such a way as to be things "modern teens" relate to. Even the way Levarr Burton's character speaks, with that sort of hold-over "jive" slang, feels distinctly 1980's in a way that nobody talks anymore. It feels like an older director was trying to bridge two generations (his and the next), which leaves us in the modern era out of the equation.Don't get me wrong, it's still enjoyable. The first time I watched this movie was in 2016. But it's important to watch this movie and think about the context it was shown in, because it's a context that doesn't exist anymore.Come for the fun costumes and special effects, stay the moments where the movie threatens to bend its family-friendly content rules. Just also remember: it was the 80's.

Dagon The Midnight Hour, as my subtitle indicates, was a made-for-TV horror movie (I should probably use that term very loosely here) directed by Jack Bender; unbelievably, the same guy responsible for many episodes of the hit TV show Lost, The HBO original series The Sopranos, and Ally Mcbeal. One could say that's quite a resume for a television director and they'd be right...but when it comes to The Midnight Hour, all I seem to hear are screeching car tires and someone getting thrown out of the passenger seat face first into the asphalt - I was no longer on board.The premise here is a simple one - a group of kids steal historical relics from the town registry and decide to dabble in black magic; conjuring up the dead accidentally, causing a chain of events that unfold throughout the film's duration. It sounds like fun, right? The Midnight Hour is a title that deserves my favorite format - the checklist! So without further adieu....1.) Lavar Burton. Yes, the man most people from my generation are familiar with who starred as the host of Reading Rainbow, initially broadcast in June of 1983. If any of you are Star Trek: The Next Generation fans, he also played Geordi La Forge - the blind, visor- wearing Chief Engineering Officer of the Enterprise. His role as Vinnie Davis in The Midnight Hour actually occurred a year before auditioning for the part in Star Trek. I'm not a huge Lavar Burton fan but I thought it was comical that he chose a part in this movie...recognizing a familiar face is always an added bonus. Which leads me to my next point....2.) Random song and dance routine. Indeed, if this film didn't exude enough 80's energy already, this 3-minute-long sequence definitely pushed things over the edge. It was obvious they were paying tribute to Michael Jackon's video, Thriller, which was released a year prior. Obviously it didn't take long for people to imitate his famous dance scene. What made things even more hilarious is Lavar Burton's dance moves...I had to put things into perspective quickly; otherwise, the shame I felt while watching would've caused me to leap from the balcony to my demise. Since my balcony is only one story high I'm sure all I would suffer is a sprained ankle...left alone to wallow in further humiliation.3.) 20-something-year-olds who play highschoolers. One could argue that there isn't a huge difference in age...but seriously? I definitely recall that while in highschool, people weren't sporting full facial hair and appearing old enough to be someone's father. This small detail was always so funny to me and I'll never not comment on it.4.) A good ol' smattering of zombies, vampires, and a werewolf. Why is there always just one Wolfman? Surely some other creature created him in order for him to exist as well, right? Can there be only one? Do they just meet up in an abandon warehouse somewhere and fight it out with swords, with the victor decapitating their opponent in order to remain the "one"? Hey that sounds like a great premise for a set of movies...possibly even a television series....So after all of these points, how was I left feeling? Disappointed, actually. This film was released on November 1st of 1985 - it's obvious they timed the season of Halloween with it's release. I can imagine families sitting at home watching this...it's appropriate, tame, and lighthearted. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood for something of this nature but normally if it's too family friendly I tend to steer clear. Fans should learn to appreciate horror in many formats but the "safe for TV and grandma" target audience features don't interest me. I compare so many 80's horror films like this one to Fright Night; a film that actually got the balance right.

bigdaddylg I watched this movie when I was 10 and have been in love with it for years. I love vampires and and they made them look less gore which made it more kid friendly. It has just the right amount of other monsters and special effects, for that time, in it to get its point across. It's an annually watched movie in my household. I have the VHS tape and just last year, I found it on DVD. It has been restored to an excellent quality. This is an excellent family movie for Halloween that can be watched over and over again. I would recommend a remake be done maybe using some of the previous characters if they are available!!! I will give it 4 stars (****).

cool_cool_1 The Midnight Hour (1985) is a very hard movie to find but i found it to be enjoyable and good fun so i'd recommend it to horror/ 80's movie fans!!! On Halloween night at Pitchfork Cove, a nice little town, a group of teenagers go down to the graveyard and unwittingly unleash an ancient curse, this curse is about to cause panic and devastation as zombies, werewolf's and other monsters get unleashed!!! Amidst all of the chaos, leader of the gang "Phil" meets a mysterious blonde girl called Sandy, she and Phil become close friends and form a bond and work together to raise the curse before midnight and rid the town of the evil. Can the couple save their town?? Who is Sandy?? Phil is in for a shock as he finds out her past and who she really is!!!! Like i said before this T.V movie is hard to find but well worth it, with good make up effects, a nice story, good pacing, good fun characters and an excellent soundtrack too, 7/10 for The Midnight Hour.