Midnight Movie Massacre (1988) User Reviews

Disappointing. No, wait... Disgusting.

[Silent_Larry · 2/10 · 10 June 2007]

I'm a huge fan of bad movies, b-movies, and spoofs of the above. Keep that in mind when I say; I found watching this movie to be *painful*. The level of humor is on a child's level, but I wouldn't show this movie to a child who's therapy I had to pay for. Worse; this is literally two bad movies in one...

There is the main story which attempts to be a "spoof" of a horror movie, and the film-within-film which is allegedly a spoof and/or reprise of the 50's classic TV serial "Space Patrol". Both fail miserably. The Space Patrol "homage" IN NO WAY evokes the old TV show, aside from lifting some of the character's names. Ann Robinson and Robert Clarke deserved better than this. I'll say this for it; it actually attempts to spoof of SF genre here and there. The killer robot's weakness was the only gag I laughed at in the entire movie. Still; it completely misses relating to Space Patrol or 50s TV SF.

The wrap-around horror movie "spoof" is so juvenile, the humor so pitiful; it's embarrassing just to watch... and I mean I *actually* felt embarrassed while watching it all by myself. Yeah, THAT embarrassing. Little or no thought to actually spoofing the genre, just a bad horror movie with a bunch of random gags tossed in. (I suspect the reason it was made was they probably couldn't complete the "space-patrol" film, and the rest was essentially padding.)

I was bored throughout. I have a collection of bad b-movies which I love like crazy, but you couldn't pay me to watch this again. Well... OK you *could*, but we're talking three figures at least.

Correction to other Comment

[bsowder · 4/10 · 9 June 2005]

This film has just been released as a three-pack DVD called MISSION MARS COLLECTION, which includes "Flight To Mars" "Attack From Mars" and "Invaders From Mars" and this film is somewhat amusing. It should in no way be considered anything other than a comedy which would appeal to any fan of 1950's science-fiction and horror films. The other review claims a movie audience member with a couple of "horrifying" attributes, when it is actually two different audience members, not one. Not a good comedy, but a fun little film if you are a fan of cheap schlock...like I am. This is yet another "classic" from the Wade Williams collection!

Beyond Campy

[Chad-38 · 5/10 · 16 July 1999]

As one of the screenwriters, this film surprised even me. It's beyond campy. What started out as a reprise of an old television show called "Space Patrol," turned into "Midnight Movie Massacre." It was an interesting transition to say the least. I wrote Space Patrol and by gosh it's in the movie... up on the screen in a theater where a bunch of folks go to watch it. Then a monster (from Mars as it turns out) lands on top of the theater and begins to eat the theater goers one at a time. I must say the film does look good. Some of the scenes go a bit far with the gags (and I do mean gags). All in all, though, it isn't too bad. I hope it will come back to haunt me one day as a screenwriter.

One of the worst SF movies ever

[movies-259 · 1/10 · 30 July 2006]

This is an extremely pitiful example of a modern attempt to spoof the B-movies of the Fifties, but it only succeeds in demonstrating very poor taste of everyone involved. Both the plot and its resolution are unsatisfying. The main setting is a small town movie theater showing B-movie and serial sci-fi (how ironic -- not) with an audience consisting of unsympathetic characters that you don't care about. The plot, if you can call it that, concerns some Really Ugly Martian invaders who apparently like to butter their popcorn with human blood and body parts. Then there are the 3 Space Patrol types. Are they time travelers from Earth's future? Are they heroes? I'm not really sure -- I was too bored to pay close attention.

Three-quarters of the way through, I switched to watching a TV show. The next day, I forced myself to watch the remainder -- what a waste of time! This movie is gross and has virtually no redeeming qualities whatsoever except perhaps for the lovely, futuristic Margi Robbins (only movie). Poor Ann Robinson (War of the Worlds) reached a low point of her career when she appeared in this 1988 yawner. If you like B-movies spoofs, a far better example is "The Lost Skeleton Of Cadavra".

Why oh why?

[cyclone259 · 1/10 · 29 July 2007]

Why oh why is the rating of "0" stars not still available? This movie was a train wreck from start to finish. The premise was like "a movie in a movie" (at least I think it was).

I sat dumbfounded as stereotypes rolled out, one after the other: geeky nerds with glasses, greasy hoods with black, Fonziesque jackets, the large-breasted 'pretty girl', the overweight woman with a huge, voracious appetite and some other woman who keeps pulling long, rubbery mucus(?) out of her nose.

Anyway, none of the characters was interesting, developed or done well. While we sat watching them watch some crappy movie called "Space Patrol" and go through the motions, a 'real' alien invades the theater and slowly starts killing off people. Did you really care? Was there any suspenseful build-up? No. The creature was horrible and although there were a few disgusting elements thrown in a feeble attempt to punch it up a notch, it was way too little and way too late.

Sorry folks... this movie was not fun or had the elements that would 'take you back to the glory days of yesteryear' of Midnight Movies or campy, yet fun horror / sci-fi films. All in all, I'd say if I saved you from dropping a few bucks on this steaming dung heap, your wallet will thank you.

Oh what winsome memories...

[imajica_5 · 25 August 2000]

I first saw this film on TV when i was about 10. I was watching it with some friends in a tent, and we had a huge extension cable running out the TV in the tent. oh we had such a cool night, eating biscuits, drinking coke, being scared of this film. Come to think of it, i dont think any of us were scared, but we were entertained. Doubtlessly if i watched this film now, 10 years later i would probably switch it off. But when i was 10, after that night, this film became only spoken of in whispers. This is how i want to remember it.

There Really Ought To Be A '0'

[alansmithee04 · 1/10 · 21 January 2006]

In this film you get two films for the price of one - neither of them particularly good. The film-within-a-film, "Space Patrol", is a mildly amusing (if not particularly well thought out) parody of vintage sci-fi serials. That in itself would be reason enough to avoid this trainwreck, but that's not the worst of it.

The wrap around film, "Midnight Movie Massacre", is a collection of ancient gags that would bore a fan of Mad Magazine. Imagine the lowest common denominator for film comedy, then take that down a notch or two, and you've got the level of humor in this putrid little pic. Everyone associated with this part of the movie, up to and including the clapper loader and craft service people, should be beaten unconscious with crowbars and never ever allowed to be within the vicinity of a movie set ever again. Ever.

Aaaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhh!!!!

[jcaraway3 · 1/10 · 21 August 2009]

To quote a certain John Cleese character from the "Dirty Fork" Monty Python sketch, "OOOH! It makes me mad! Maaad!" I know a movie is a stupid thing to be mad at, but wow... This movie stunk. I kind of liked the 50's nostalgia at the beginning of the movie, but it just went downhill after that. Most of the movie was a bunch of freakish morons watching a bad sci fi movie that Ann Robinson of War of the Worlds had the misfortune of starring in. Periodically, a slimy martian will devour someone in the theater . I wonder why the lame characters in bad movies always seem to live? Don't get me wrong. I love bad movies. Just not when they're this boring. It got so boring I had to fast forward to the end of the movie to see what happened. Turns out a 300 lb. woman eats the martian and the nerd gets the girl. Wonderful. Not. I sold this movie to Hastings as soon as I got the chance. It may be a parody of scifi of the past, but this movie is 1,000 times worse than the movies it's making fun of.

What "NOT" to do when making a movie

[Kdude9000 · 1/10 · 12 October 2005]

Notice how I gave it one star, I wouldn't even give it that, that's just the lowest score they let me give it.

Okay, I'm sure most of you have seen "'Manos' the Hands of Fate," and I'm sure most all of you can agree it's quite possibly the worst movie ever made, well this one is worse.

I bought this movie in a three pack w/ "Flight to Mars" and "Invaders From Mars." Well first of all, whoever decided to make some 300 lb suburban house wife eat the alien at the end of the movie is f----- up. Then there was a kid who ate some green stuff the alien left behind after he killed someone. Basically here are a list of what I think are the worst movies of all time:

-The Galaxy Invader -Attack From Mars/Midnight Movie Massacre (Same movie with different names) -'Manos' The Hands of Fate

These are perfect examples of how NOT to make a movie.

So bad Its Good

[anubisswift · 9/10 · 16 August 2012]

Midnight Movie Massacre is mesmerizing...it delivers exactly what you expect in an oozing campy cult classic. Its not intended to be anything more than than what it is...a b movie about b movies...and frankly its fantastic.

editing, characters, dubbing, antiquated effects are all on point. There is also a pacing to the film which is perfect for a midnight movie to get lost in a trance or chat over the film.

the rest of the critics need to take the stick out of their a$$ because they simply don't get it.

9/10 turkeys

Battlefield Dearth...

[azathothpwiggins · 25 October 2021]

MIDNIGHT MOVIE MASSACRE (aka: ATTACK FROM MARS) is a cult movie wannabe that tries way too hard.

At some point in the 1950's an alien craft has landed behind a movie theater. The theater patrons include: 3 hoods, two geeks, an impossibly-endowed blonde and her boyfriend, A rotund woman and her pencil-necked date, a drunk, a hillbilly couple, and a girl who keeps pulling extremely long boogers out of her nose.

Sound exciting?

The "crowd" is there to see a fictional movie known as SPACE PATROL (with cameos from Bob Clarke and Ann Robinson). We are taken back and forth between the movie and those watching it, which is dull to the point of agony!

The alien monster is of little help, since the death rate is intolerably low. Not even "principal" players! Nope, booger woman isn't harmed!

This is a severe exercise in tedium, where time actually warps. You'll age 10 years in 90 minutes! Watch at your own peril...

Ok, so you didn't like my "Convent" comments

[BlackBalloon · 8 August 2002]

I bought a VHS tape of this, still in the box, at a dirty little junk store downtown a couple of years ago. I thought it might be interesting from the cover art. I was wrong. Imagine Mars Attacks! with less intelligence, money, and acting talent. The one thing that sticks out in my mind is the horrifying image of the fat woman in the theater constantly pulling something long and white out of her nose. Max Crumb, eat your heart out.

A poor '50s pastiche

[lor_ · 29 April 2023]

My review was written in May 1988 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.

The potential of a knowing homage to '50 sci-fi is wasted in "Midnight Movie Massacre", a poorly scripted pastiche film. Even midnight bookings will be hard to come by for this one, which bears a 1986 copyright.

Pic actually is two films (often at odds) in one: the gory horror story of folks at the Granada Theater in 1956 being killed by a yucky, tentacled monster, and the movie serial "Space Patrol" (inspired by the actua tv series) that' playing there. An immediate problem in tone and style is that the horror footage combines idiotic slapstick with latter-day gross-out effects, while "Patrol" is a benign recreation of old sci-fi films. The two don't mix well.

Genre faves Robert Clarke and Ann ("War of the Worlds") Robinson topline with smallish roles in "Patrol", the episode "Back from the Future" dealing with a mad scientist and time travel. The cliched dialog is merely boring, meant to be corny, but not sharp or clever enough to be funny. Best touches are the careful simulation of '50s matte shot, cheapo models and junky robots (which dance) plus too-fleeting cameos by Robby the Robot and his predecessor Gort.

Surrounding film is mainly running gags (each one extended past the breaking point) involving stereotyped audience members. Promising jokes like the fat wife (played by a thesp named Charity Case) who eats a ton start well but peter out, and others (particularly a girl who can't stop sneezing) prove to be mere time-killers.

Acting ensemble fits the lampooning roles, while tech credits capture the spirit of the cheesy originals. Unfortunately, the naivete of the 1950s that made the sci-fi B's campy eludes this studied concoction.