MIDNIGHT MADNESS

     Oh, the hours spent laughing hysterically while watching "Midnight Madness" as a child...  This was supreme entertainment to me back in the day.  "Midnight Madness" was an HBO staple, and I'm pleased to say that this film is just as much fun today as it was back in 1984.  "Midnight Madness" was one of Disney's first PG rated films (the first being "The Black Hole"...), and although it was pretty much a flop in theaters, it went on to develop a strongly devoted and rather large cult following.  Repeated showing on HBO certainly helped the film's status- many of us grew up watching this on cable tv in the early 1980s.  "Midnight Madness" is hardly top-notch entertainment, but the movie is undeniably loads of 80s fun.  Here's the jist.

    Leon, a genius grad student, has planned the ultimate experience in fun and madness.  He's organized 'The Great Allnighter", a night-long treasure hunt, which consists of certain college students recruited to form 5 teams all designated by colors- red,white, blue, green, and red.  As the night ensues, they furiously and hilariously clash and match wits with one another in a desperate attempt to find and decipher all the clues hidden around Los Angeles.  Hence the title Midnight Madness...

                                               

 Although "Midnight Madness" is silliness of the highest order and far from Oscar-winning material, the amount of creativity that went into this production is astounding.  The visual style and camerawork are quite dazzling, actually. Although the characters aren't the least bit fleshed out- in fact, some of them don't even have names.  Doesn't matter though. It's madcap fun.

    David Naughton plays our lead character, and a young Michael J. Fox appears as his troubled younger brother.  Having the hilarious Stephen Furst in the movie doesn't hurt a thing, and even the great Paul Reubens pops up in a cameo.  "Midnight Madness" is chock full of fun locations- the Hollywood Wax Museum, the Griffith Park Observatory, the Pabst Brewery, and other famous L.A. landmarks all are featured prominently in the movie.

      "Midnight Madness" work so well because it's so obvious how much fun the cast is having.  It's honestly one of the most fun movies I've ever seen.  It's almost impossible not to enjoy this movie.  The creativity and energy are what saves this movie. I love this movie.  I've seen it a million times and probably know every word uttered throughout.  Yet it never fails to amuse me.  If' you're in the mood for a silly and goofy scavenger hunt 80s style, I highly recommend contacting Leon immediately.