Watch You'll Die at Midnight For Free

You won't be disappointed!

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The director of Midnight Killer is Lamberto Bava, son of the legendary Mario. Lamberto's era was the 80's and he made several effective and fun horror films in that decade. So it is with some disappointment that I have to conclude that I thought Midnight Killer his weakest effort I have seen. It's very possible that Bava himself wasn't too crazy about this one either seeing as he went under a pseudonym.The story follows a fairly typical giallo plot-line about serial murder. It borrows a bit from other earlier films from the genre like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Torso and Tenebrae. But it never approaches the standard of any of these. While Bava does manage to generate some decent suspense at times, overall the film is a little half-hearted. Even the soundtrack by the usually inspired Claudio Simonetti of Goblin fame is a fairly pedestrian synth score. The mystery itself isn't so obvious to work out but given the insane final explanation that is not really so surprising to be honest. In fact, the final killer reveal is especially daft even by giallo standards. It actually enters into Hanna-Barbera territory! It isn't as gory as many gialli and there isn't really any nudity but there still is a mean spiritedness to the scenes with the killer nevertheless. This is alleviated somewhat though by moments that enter the truly absurd, such as a part when one of the victims tries to defend herself with a kitchen blender! This scene is agreeably moronic and at least good for a chuckle.I have to conclude that overall, while Midnight Killer has some good moments it isn't very good as a whole.

One of the lesser seen of Lamberto Bava's gialli, Midnight Killer is a nifty little affair that won't rock any worlds but does deliver rather nicely. The plot begins with a drunk and jealous policeman fighting with his wife after suspecting her of infidelity. She is soon killed and suspicion falls on him, but things are a little more complicated and the bodies mount up. And what does a deceased serial killer have to do with it? Things are evenly paced and pretty engaging, though they don't really sparkle until the intense finale. The main problem is that there isn't really a clear hero, there are three nominal main characters and screen time is spread fairly evenly between them without letting any grow to a truly sympathetic level. The writing is light on characterization so the film bowls along rather than truly hooking, and worse there isn't much in the way of detective work or intrigue (though there are a few red herrings). Fortunately the mystery at hand is fairly interesting and the killings deliver, though not especially gory they're handled with flair and pack a decent vicious punch, we may not see gruesome detail but there's vigorous stabbing with a bit of blood and a nice nod to Tenebrae, all nicely edited for sharp and shocking punch (by Bava credited as John Old Jr.). Backed up with a cool pulsing score from Claudio Simonetti and making good use of some cool locations Bava makes each one count, though he lacks the genius of his father or the flowing technical prowess of the best in the genre he skillfully builds suspense and gets in some cool shots, like a top down view from the heights of a theatre. The underwritten cast do their best, with Valeria D'Obici coming off best as a committed criminal psychologist, edgy but likable she makes the strongest impression. Paolo Malco is dour inspector, stolidly by the book and watchable if a little dull. Leonardo Treviglio is a decent suspect with a shifty, unwholesome air about him and things are mostly rounded out by various young lovelies including Lara Wendell who brighten the screen with looks if not much in the way of presence. No nudity, a shame because it probably would have pushed things up a notch. Like I mentioned though the finale rocks, suspenseful stalking in a hotel with a couple of decent shocks leading to a decidedly silly reveal that doesn't really make sense in the context but is ludicrous enough to please. Altogether this is pretty cool stuff and worth your time, though only truly recommended to giallo aficionados

Lamberto Bava's films may not have the cutting edge that many of his father's did, but the good thing about it is that you can always count on a decent thrill ride, and while You'll Die at Midnight doesn't set the genre on fire; it's a more than decent Giallo and I'm pretty certain that regular viewers will get a lot out of it. Being released in 1986, this one comes very late in the Giallo cycle although it recaptures that mysterious feel of the classic Giallo's well and the cinematography is good despite the fact that this obviously wasn't an A-class production. The plot is pure Giallo, and focuses on a murderer. We start by focusing on Nicola; a man who spots his wife buying lingerie and notices she has an affair. After arguing and almost killing her, he visits his colleague Anna, but shortly after he leaves the house; someone breaks in and murders his wife! Naturally, Nicola is the main suspect, but Anna, a psychologist, sees signs that the murder may have been committed by the so-called "Midnight Ripper". The only problem is that The Midnight Ripper has been dead for several years...The film features lots of scenes reminiscent of classic Giallo's, and many of the murders are memorable. The kitchen scene is probably my favourite, but the murder scene inside a lingerie store has a more nasty edge. There isn't a great deal of variety with the weapons, but at least Lamberto ensures that the imagery is good and the film is always at least interesting. You'll Die at Midnight is pretty short, running at around 85 minutes and this is a good thing as it means that there is little filler and the film doesn't really have time to become boring. You'll Die at Midnight has more of a range of central victim characters than many other Giallo's too, and this makes the film more interesting as the killer appears to be after each one for different reasons. Naturally, it all builds into a final twist; which although somewhat silly (as the climaxes in these films often are), it's interesting enough and somehow (almost) makes sense in the context of the film. Overall, I can't say that this is a classic example of the genre; but like Lamberto's other Giallo attempts; it's certainly worth watching!

In any industry, I think it's always hard to follow in the footsteps of your father. It must be especially tough though if he's an outright legend that's credited with not only defining a genre, but also launching one. No matter how well you and your dad get along, there's always going to be a little bit of friendly rivalry. Plus you can virtually guarantee that critics will always compare the works of a senior with that of his son. That's why it must've been hard for Lamberto Bava to escape the consistent comparisons and make his own name in Italian cinema. But Morirai a mezzanotte (Midnight Killer) goes someway to showing that talent certainly ran thickly through the genes of the Bava family. It's just a shame that Mario was not alive to witness his son's worthy addition to the category that he created.Now in all honesty, despite being extremely knowledgeable about the slasher cycle, I must admit that I have spent very little time researching the giallo. But I have still thoroughly enjoyed the likes of Mystery in Venice, Eyes without a Face, Too Beautiful to Die and Blood and Black Lace. It wasn't until after I'd been impressed with this rarity that I began tracking down other genre classics. So you could say that Midnight Killer was something of a turning point for me…It opens with a middle-aged woman shopping for some lingerie in a bustling town centre. Her husband Nicola (Leonardo Treviglio) sees her walking the street and begins following her. He buys a flower and waits outside the shop to give her a charming surprise. He certainly didn't expect to see another man enter the changing rooms and he is even more shocked when they sneak out of the rear exit and shoot off in the mysterious stranger's car. Later that night when she finally returns, the couple has a violent argument, which ends with Nicola storming out of the flat. After he has left, a black gloved assailant creeps into the apartment and brutally murders the promiscuous female with an ice pick. Inspector Pierro Terzi (the essential Paolo Malco) immediately suspects Nicola as the killer and so he enlists a psychological profiler named Anna Berardi (Valeria D'Obici) to help him crack the case. Berardi is a good friend to the Detective and she also teaches his daughter's college course. She doesn't think that Nicola is the guilty party, instead she suspects Franco Trebo – a serial murderer that was supposedly killed in a fire eight years earlier. As the bodies begin piling up round the city, it's looking more and more like Trebo is back from the grave. The most worrying thing for inspector Terzi is that this bizarre maniac seems to have a viscous taste for his youngest daughter Carol (Lara Wendel). Will he be able to stop the ruthless psychopath before he tracks down his daughter? Many critics have been disappointed with Lamberto Bava's directorial work since his debut feature (Macabre) pretty much flopped on release in 1980. But I believe that it's only because they always compare his filmography to the seminal works of his father. It's a shame that this murder mystery was not distributed to a much wider audience, as it is a little seen gem that deserves recognition. This is mainly due to a fantastic score from Brazilian composer Claudio Simonetti (of the Goblin fame) and some truly chilling set locations. The killer stalks his way through a neglected theatre, a sinister museum and a vacant hotel with relish, and the atmosphere-engrossing musical accompaniment helps to create some decent suspense. He also looks extremely menacing in a rubber facemask and his victims usually suffer at the hands of a stylishly directed set piece. The acting is fairly good from the leads and credit to Bava for enlisting Lucio Fulci-favorite Paolo Malco to join a comfortable cast. Many previous Italian giallos (Eyes without a Face/Massacre) have suffered from inept and poorly translated English voice-overs. Fortunately that's not the case with Midnight Killer, which was dubbed with considerable thought for non-Italian viewers.Fans of Italian gore cinema may be disappointed at the minuscule amount of the old gooey stuff. Also the lack of any nudity will probably switch off exploitation buffs that have been spoilt over the years by the likes of The New York Ripper. The mystery-aspect is not as complex and intelligent as many of its genre forefathers have proved to be either, which may cause bedroom Agatha Christies to search in the opposite direction. But still this is a refreshing and fairly absorbing entry that deserves to be seen by a wider audience. I do agree that Lamberto is a much better screenwriter than he is a director, but Midnight Killer is good enough to make his father proud if he had been alive to see it. Recommended