Anyone who has ever waited in long lines late at night to see such cult favorites as The Rocky Horror Picture Show or Pink Flamingos will love filmmaker Stuart Samuels' documentary salute, which engagingly recalls the halcyon days of the midnight movie phenomenon during the 1970s and 1980s, interspersing historical material and personal reminiscences with perceptive commentary from such noted pop-culture observers, directors, and critics as Lou Adler, Roger Ebert, John Waters, George Romero, and David Lynch. Based on Samuels' book of the same name, Midnight Movies looks at six films—the aforementioned pair, as well as El Topo, Eraserhead, The Harder They Come, and Night of the Living Dead—exploring each film not only from critical and financial standpoints, but also speculating on how these outré motion pictures of yesteryear have had a major impact on today's mainstream filmmakers. Although, many of these once-shocking films seem almost quaint today compared to the movies routinely exhibited in the nation's multiplexes. Offering a fine overview of the golden age of midnight movies, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (E. Hulse)
Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream
(2005) 86 min. DVD: $19.98. Starz Home Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Volume 23, Issue 1
Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream
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