Heart of Midnight (film)

Last updated
Heart of Midnight
Heart of Midnight VHS cover.jpg
Heart of Midnight UK VHS cover
Directed by Matthew Chapman
Written by Matthew Chapman
Produced by Andrew Gaty
Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh
Peter Coyote
Brenda Vaccaro
Steve Buscemi
Frank Stallone
Cinematography Ray Rivas
Edited by Penelope Shaw
Music by Yanni
Production
companies
Distributed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release date
  • November 10, 1988 (1988-11-10)
[ citation needed ]
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million [1]
Box office$113,000 (domestic)

Heart of Midnight is an American thriller film written and directed by Matthew Chapman and starring Jennifer Jason Leigh. The story follows a young woman with a troubled past who has a hard time dealing with the reality of her new surroundings. The original soundtrack for the film was composed by Yanni and it marks one of his first major recordings.

Contents

Plot

Carol (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is a young woman recovering from her recent, although not the first, nervous breakdown. She has just inherited "Midnight", a defunct nightclub in a now seedy neighborhood, from her mysterious uncle Fletcher (Sam Schacht). Against the advice of her mother Betty (Brenda Vaccaro) to simply sell the property, Carol not only commits to reopening the club, but moves in as well. As Carol settles in, she discovers oddly designed rooms and whole sections of the building, soon realizing that the club was a brothel, catering to clients with sexually perverted tendencies.

On her first night in the empty club, 3 men outside the building spot Carol through the window. Watching her change into a dress, the men observe the front door open. Taking it as an open invitation, the 3 enter the building and find Carol alone. While 2 of the intruders take turns raping Carol, the third thwarts the attack, and allows Carol to escape. Police arrive, and shoot the one who thwarted the attack.

In the aftermath, the police learn of Carol's psychological history, and begin doubting her version of the events. The police tell Carol that she will be contacted by Lieutenant Sharpe, and dismiss her. Shortly after returning to the club, she finds another uninvited man (Peter Coyote) waiting for her. Begging him to tell her that he is Lieutenant Sharpe, he reassures her that he is. He also proves to know much about Fletcher and the club. Although he is more sympathetic than the other police, his revelations of Uncle Fletcher lead to Carol angrily ejecting him from the building. Mysteriously, a bike falls down the steps, nearly hitting him. Soon after the visitor leaves, another arrives - this proves to be the real Lieutenant Sharpe. Speaking with him over the intercom, and not knowing that the visitor is a completely different person, Carol angrily tells him to leave. Sharpe begins to leave, but is then drawn into the building. Following a sound, he enters a room, and is killed off-screen.

The man who identified himself as Lieutenant Sharpe returns, and he sparks a friendship with Carol, who remains oblivious to his impersonation. Over dinner in the club, "Sharpe" tells Carol about himself. He also drugs her. Later, the Police return to the club. Searching, they find 2 boys hiding in a space in the club, but narrowly miss discovering the corpse of Lieutenant Sharpe. The police are as skeptical as ever to Carol, especially when she describes having dinner with Lieutenant Sharpe, who is married.

Even after the unwelcome intruders leave, mysterious sounds continue to reverberate through the club, while Carol begins experiencing mysterious visions. Coupled with her continuing discovery of hidden spaces in the building, Carol is forced to confront repressed memories of Uncle Fletcher, and the possibility that some of her experiences are more than just memories.

Cast and characters

Release

Heart of Midnight opened in Los Angeles and New York on Los Angeles March 3, 1989. [2]

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics with some praising the filmmaking and acting while others criticized the storytelling. Film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film two and a half stars out of four and proclaimed that "Chapman is a better director than he is a writer" as well as concluding that "I am not sure he knows where he's going with this film, but he gets there in style." [3] Vincent Canby of The New York Times stated that "the dialogue is clumsy and the suspense is nil" and gave his reason for this by explaining that Carol is a "young woman who may or may not be crazy. This gives the director license to be bizarre without having to justify anything." [4] Variety magazine noted in its review that the "performances are strong all around, particularly by Leigh and Vaccaro." [5] Hal Hinson of The Washington Post noted that the storytelling is "haute macabre and hopelessly silly" but, at the same time, admits that "Leigh is a marvel." [6] In spite of the generally agreed upon consensus that the story of the film was flawed, it still won the Best Film award at 1989's Festival de Cine de Sitges.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Midnight Cowboy</i> 1969 film by John Schlesinger

Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 American drama film, based on the 1965 novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. The film was written by Waldo Salt, directed by John Schlesinger, and stars Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, with notable smaller roles being filled by Sylvia Miles, John McGiver, Brenda Vaccaro, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Salt, and Barnard Hughes. Set in New York City, Midnight Cowboy depicts the unlikely friendship between two hustlers: naïve sex worker Joe Buck (Voight), and ailing con man Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo (Hoffman).

<i>Sorry, Wrong Number</i> 1948 film by Anatole Litvak

Sorry, Wrong Number is a 1948 American thriller film noir directed by Anatole Litvak, from a screenplay by Lucille Fletcher, based on her 1943 radio play of the same name. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster. It follows a bedridden woman, who overhears the plot of murder. While on the telephone, she attempts to help her husband solve the mystery and prevent the crime. Stanwyck was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. It is one of the few pre-1950 Paramount Pictures films which remained in the studio's library.

Jennifer Jason Leigh American actress (b. 1962)

Jennifer Jason Leigh is an American actress, writer, and producer. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough as Stacy Hamilton in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). She later received critical praise for her performances in Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989), Miami Blues (1990), Backdraft (1991), Single White Female (1992), and Short Cuts (1993).

<i>Angel Eyes</i> (film) 2001 film by Luis Mandoki

Angel Eyes is a 2001 American romantic drama film directed by Luis Mandoki and starring Jennifer Lopez, Jim Caviezel, Terrence Howard, and Jeremy Sisto. Written by Gerald Di Pego, the film is about a mysterious man who finds himself drawn to a female police officer with whom he forms a relationship that helps each to deal with trauma from their past. The original music score was composed by Marco Beltrami. The film received ALMA Award Nominations for Outstanding Actress and Outstanding Director.

<i>They Call Me Mister Tibbs!</i> 1970 film by Gordon Douglas

They Call Me Mister Tibbs! is a 1970 American DeLuxe Color crime drama film directed by Gordon Douglas. The second installment in a trilogy, the release was preceded by In the Heat of the Night (1967) and followed by The Organization (1971). The film's title was taken from a line in the first film.

<i>Untamed Heart</i> 1993 film

Untamed Heart is a 1993 American romantic drama film directed by Tony Bill, written by Tom Sierchio, and starring Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei. It tells the story of an unlikely romance between a young woman unlucky in love and a shy young man who has a heart defect. The original music score was composed by Cliff Eidelman, and includes a classical arrangement of "Nature Boy". A remixed version of Suzanne Vega's 1987 song "Tom's Diner" is featured in the opening scene of the film.

Lucky Stiff is a musical farce. It was the first collaboration for the team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (music). The show is based on the 1983 novel The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo by Michael Butterworth. It was created and performed at Playwrights Horizons off-Broadway in 1988, and won the Richard Rodgers Award for that year. The musical was seen in London's West End in 1997 but has not had a Broadway production. A film version had a limited release in theatres in 2015 but received mostly negative reviews.

<i>Vampires Kiss</i> 1989 US black comedy horror film by Robert Bierman

Vampire's Kiss is a 1989 American black comedy horror film directed by Robert Bierman and written by Joseph Minion. Starring Nicolas Cage, María Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Beals, and Elizabeth Ashley, the film tells the story of a literary agent who falls in love with a vampiress. It was a box office failure but went on to become a cult film.

<i>The Believers</i> 1987 film by John Schlesinger

The Believers is a 1987 Canadian-American crime thriller horror film directed by John Schlesinger, starring Martin Sheen, Robert Loggia and Helen Shaver. It is based on the 1982 novel The Religion by Nicholas Conde.

<i>Chamber of Horrors</i> (1966 film) 1966 film by Hy Averback

Chamber of Horrors is a 1966 American psychological horror film directed by Hy Averback and starring Patrick O'Neal, Cesare Danova, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Wayne Rogers and Laura Devon. The screenplay is by Stephen Kandel, from a story by Kandel and Ray Russell.

<i>Q & A</i> (film) 1990 film by Sidney Lumet

Q & A is a 1990 American crime film written and directed by Sidney Lumet, based on a novel by New York State Supreme Court judge Edwin Torres. It stars Nick Nolte, Timothy Hutton, Armand Assante and Lumet's daughter, Jenny Lumet.

<i>Thief of Hearts</i> 1984 American film

Thief of Hearts is a 1984 American erotic drama film produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It was written and directed by Douglas Day Stewart.

<i>Intruder</i> (1989 film) 1989 American slasher film by Scott Spiegel

Intruder is a 1989 American slasher film written and directed by Scott Spiegel, and co-written and produced by Lawrence Bender. It received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise given for its unique setting of a grocery store for a slasher film.

<i>The Best Little Girl in the World</i>

The Best Little Girl in the World is a 1981 television film directed by Sam O'Steen and executive produced by Aaron Spelling. The film is based upon the 1978 novel of the same name written by Steven Levenkron.

<i>Curse of the Black Widow</i>

Curse of the Black Widow is a 1977 American made-for-television horror film directed by Dan Curtis and starring Anthony Franciosa, Donna Mills, Patty Duke, Vic Morrow and June Allyson. It originally aired on ABC on September 16, 1977 and was re-released in 1979 as Love Trap.

Diane OConnor Fictional character from Hollyoaks

Diane Hutchinson is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Alex Fletcher. In 2010, Hollyoaks series producer, Paul Marquess, embarked on the show's rejuvenation and axed a number of cast members. To compensate for the departures, the character of Diane and her family were created and introduced. Fletcher's casting was announced in June 2010 and she began filming her scenes in the same month. The actress said working on the show is practical as she does not have to relocate. She made her first on-screen appearance on 1 September 2010. Diane was introduced with her husband, Rob and stepchildren, Sinead and Finn. The O'Connors were one of three families introduced throughout the year.

<i>Cassadaga</i> (film) 2011 American film

Cassadaga is a 2011 American independent horror thriller film directed by Anthony DiBlasi. The screenplay is the feature-length debut for co-writers Bruce Wood and Scott Poiley. The film stars Kelen Coleman, Kevin Alejandro, Louise Fletcher, Rus Blackwell, Hank Stone, J Larose, Amy LoCiero and Christina Bach.

<i>Mysterious Intruder</i> 1946 film

Mysterious Intruder is a 1946 American mystery film noir based on the radio drama The Whistler. Directed by William Castle, the production features Richard Dix, Barton MacLane and Nina Vale. It is the fifth of Columbia Pictures' eight "Whistler" films produced in the 1940s, the first seven starring Dix.

<i>Holidays</i> (2016 film) 2016 American film

Holidays is a 2016 American horror anthology film of subversive short horror films, each inspired by a different celebration. The directors include Kevin Smith, Gary Shore, Adam Egypt Mortimer, Scott Stewart, Nicholas McCarthy, Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch, Sarah Adina Smith, and Anthony Scott Burns.

<i>If the Shoe Fits</i> (film) 1990 film

If the Shoe Fits is a 1990 American television film, starring Rob Lowe and Jennifer Grey. It was directed by Tom Clegg.

References

  1. "AFI|Catalog".
  2. "Heart of Midnight". American Film Institute . Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  3. Ebert, Roger. Heart Of Midnight, Chicago Sun-Times , March 3, 1989. Accessed October 8, 2008.
  4. Canby, Vincent. Heart of Midnight (1989), The New York Times , March 3, 1989. Accessed October 8, 2008.
  5. Heart of Midnight, Variety, January 1, 1988. Accessed October 8, 2008.
  6. Hinson, Hal. Heart of Midnight, The Washington Post , March 6, 1989. Accessed October 8, 2008.