Midnight Madness
Encyclopedia
Midnight Madness is a 1980
comedy film
produced by Walt Disney Productions
and starring David Naughton
, Stephen Furst
and Maggie Roswell
. The film is about a group of college students who participate in an all night puzzle solving race. It is Michael J. Fox
's film debut.
The game works like this:
Leon, as "game master," keeps track of the teams locations with a giant map, and various radio equipment. The teams are supposed to call and check in at each clue (though many of the teams end up skipping at least one location).
Starting at sundown, the five teams meet and are given envelopes with the first clue. They travel around Los Angeles
, deciphering new clues in various locations, including the Griffith Observatory
, a piano
museum, the Pabst Blue Ribbon
brewery
, a restaurant
, a mini golf course, the Los Angeles International Airport
, and a video arcade
. The first team to reach the final destination, a room in the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, wins the game.
The movie focuses mainly on the struggle between the yellow and blue teams. The adventures of the other three teams are subplot
s, as well as the situation at Leon's apartment ("Game Control"). Here, along with his female assistants (Candy and Sunshine), Leon monitors the progress of the game. Already unpopular with his landlady
, Mrs. Grimhaus, for the amount of noise he makes, Leon faces eviction if any of the other tenants complain. Several of them do show up to complain, but as Leon explains the mechanics of the game to them, they become fascinated with it and help run it, much to the annoyance of Grimhaus.
The game culminates in a race-to-the-finish at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, followed by a huge party.
s. They wear matching sweatshirts, and ride in vehicles that also match their team color.
(better known as Pee-Wee Herman
) has a small part as the "Pinball Proprietor."
The Star Fire
game in the video arcade that provides the clue to the final destination was an actual arcade game of the period. The game play was real; however a special open cabinet for a standing player had been created for the movie, since the real game cabinet was an enclosed cockpit in which the player was seated.
The movie was novelized in a 1980 paperback, Midnight Madness, by Tom Wright (Ace, 1980) ISBN 0-441-52985-2
—only the second film from the Disney company to receive anything other than a "G" (the first was The Black Hole
). Though produced by Disney, the company's name did not appear on the credits.
The film only experienced a limited release, and garnered bad reviews. Roger Ebert
, in his review, expressed disappointment at the work, as he was already a fan of the early work of Nankin and Wechter. It ultimately grossed $2.9 million in the North American box office. However, the film achieved a small cult
following after it began airing on the HBO
cable network. After a 2001 DVD release from Anchor Bay Entertainment
, Midnight Madness was re-released in 2004 by Disney DVD with the "Walt Disney Pictures Presents" logo—the first time that Disney has officially associated itself with the film.
and other Alternate Reality Games (ARG)
. Among some of the more popular recreations are:
1980 in film
- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
produced by Walt Disney Productions
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
and starring David Naughton
David Naughton (actor)
David Walsh Naughton is an American actor and singer best known for his starring roles in the 1981 horror film An American Werewolf in London, the 1980 Walt Disney comedy, Midnight Madness, the 1984 comedies Hot Dog.....
, Stephen Furst
Stephen Furst
Stephen Furst is an American actor and film and television director. He was a regular in the science fiction series Babylon 5 playing Centauri diplomatic attaché Vir Cotto and as Dr. Elliot Axelrod on St...
and Maggie Roswell
Maggie Roswell
Maggie Roswell is an American film and television actress and voice artist from Los Angeles, California. She is well known for her voice work on the Fox network's animated television series The Simpsons, in which she has played recurring characters such as Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Miss...
. The film is about a group of college students who participate in an all night puzzle solving race. It is Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
's film debut.
Synopsis
Leon (Alan Solomon), a genius, summons five college students to his apartment and challenges them to participate in his latest game creation: The Great All-Nighter. He tells them about his game and instructs them to form teams. At first, the leaders refuse to play. However, rivalries between them lead all five to change their minds by the game's start time.The game works like this:
- Teams are given an initial clue to solve.
- When the clue is solved, it will lead to a location.
- At that location they must find and solve another clue leading to another location and eventually the end.
Leon, as "game master," keeps track of the teams locations with a giant map, and various radio equipment. The teams are supposed to call and check in at each clue (though many of the teams end up skipping at least one location).
Starting at sundown, the five teams meet and are given envelopes with the first clue. They travel around Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, deciphering new clues in various locations, including the Griffith Observatory
Griffith Observatory
Griffith Observatory is in Los Angeles, California, United States. Sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in L.A.'s Griffith Park, it commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin, including downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest...
, a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
museum, the Pabst Blue Ribbon
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Pabst Blue Ribbon is a brand of beer sold by Pabst Brewing Company, originally established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but now based in Los Angeles. Pabst Blue Ribbon is contract-brewed in six different breweries around the U.S...
brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, a mini golf course, the Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
, and a video arcade
Video arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
. The first team to reach the final destination, a room in the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, wins the game.
The movie focuses mainly on the struggle between the yellow and blue teams. The adventures of the other three teams are subplot
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
s, as well as the situation at Leon's apartment ("Game Control"). Here, along with his female assistants (Candy and Sunshine), Leon monitors the progress of the game. Already unpopular with his landlady
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
, Mrs. Grimhaus, for the amount of noise he makes, Leon faces eviction if any of the other tenants complain. Several of them do show up to complain, but as Leon explains the mechanics of the game to them, they become fascinated with it and help run it, much to the annoyance of Grimhaus.
The game culminates in a race-to-the-finish at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, followed by a huge party.
Teams
Teams are made up of characters who are broad stereotypeStereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s. They wear matching sweatshirts, and ride in vehicles that also match their team color.
- The members of the Yellow Team are all friendly, and kind; they play fair and are the main heroes of the film. The yellow team are led by the protagonist Adam (Naughton). The Yellow team picks up an additional member, Adam's troubled younger brother Scott (Michael J. FoxMichael J. FoxMichael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
), partway through the game, who acts out to get Adam's attention. They also force the shy Flynch (Joel Kenney), whom Adam has been counseling, to play the game rather than allow him to go on a date with an ugly girl. Also on the team are Laura (Debra Clinger), Adam's love interest, and Marvin (David Damas), another friend of Adam's. The team vehicle, owned by Marvin, is often referred to as a Jeep ; it is actually a Toyota Land CruiserToyota Land CruiserThe is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation. It is not related to the Studebaker Land Cruiser car produced in the US from 1934-1954....
. - The members of the Blue Team are all selfish, rude, and unattractive individuals who cheat at every opportunity. They are led by overweight snob Harold (Stephen FurstStephen FurstStephen Furst is an American actor and film and television director. He was a regular in the science fiction series Babylon 5 playing Centauri diplomatic attaché Vir Cotto and as Dr. Elliot Axelrod on St...
), who is intensely jealous of the popular Adam. Melio (played by future Hollywood director Andy TennantAndy TennantAndy Tennant is an American screenwriter, film and television director, and dancer.-Life and career:Born in Chicago, Illinois, Tennant was raised in Flossmoor, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His father was Don Tennant, a legendary creative advertising talent with Leo Burnett Agency in Chicago...
) purposely instigates fights between Harold and his girlfriend, Lucille, who puts Harold on a diet just before the game starts. "Blade," a Mexican-American who is constantly brandishing his switchbladeSwitchbladeA switchblade is a type of knife with a folding or sliding blade contained in the handle which is opened automatically by a spring when a button, lever, or switch on the handle or bolster is activated A switchblade (also known as an automatic knife, pushbutton knife, switch, Sprenger, Springer,...
knife, never speaks. An additional member, Barf (Brian Frishman), is apparently mentally challenged. The team vehicle is a vanVanA van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
equipped with a computer that can solve clues, however this device is destroyed early on when Harold hides a stash of marshmallowMarshmallowThe marshmallow is a confection that, in its modern form, typically consists of sugar, corn syrup, water, gelatin that has been softened in hot water, dextrose, vanilla flavourings, and sometimes colouring, whipped to a spongy consistency. Some marshmallow recipes call for egg whites...
s in the circuitry. - The Green Team, also known as the "Meat Machine," is made up of jocksJock (subculture)The term jock, when used primarily in the United States, refers to the classic stereotype of a male athlete. It is generally a negative stereotype, and is attributed mostly to high school and college athletics participants who form a distinct youth subculture. In sociology, the jock is thought to...
from the school's football team. They are led by Lavitas (Brad Wilkin); Dirk BlockerDirk BlockerDennis Dirk Blocker is an American actor and the son of late actor Dan Blocker, of the popular TV series, Bonanza.Dirk Blocker began appearing in American television in 1974, acting in an episode of Marcus Welby, M.D. at the age of sixteen...
is also on the team. Their antagonism leads both the Red and White teams into playing. The team vehicle is a Volkswagen BeetleVolkswagen BeetleThe Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
named the "Meat Wagon." - The White Team is made up of debate team nerdNerdNerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
s, led by Wesley (played by Eddie DeezenEddie DeezenEddie Deezen is an American character actor, voice actor and comedian, best known for his bit parts as nerd characters in 1970s and 1980s films such as Grease, Grease 2, Midnight Madness, 1941 and WarGames, as well as for larger roles in a number of independent cult films, including Surf II: The...
). The White Team rides matching Puch mopedMopedMopeds are a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals , but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their...
s which they eventually share with the Red team after their vehicle is destroyed. - The Red Team is made up of four members of an unpopular sorority led by Donna, played by Maggie RoswellMaggie RoswellMaggie Roswell is an American film and television actress and voice artist from Los Angeles, California. She is well known for her voice work on the Fox network's animated television series The Simpsons, in which she has played recurring characters such as Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Miss...
. Two of the members are a set of frequently giggling, overweightOverweightOverweight is generally defined as having more body fat than is optimally healthy. Being overweight is a common condition, especially where food supplies are plentiful and lifestyles are sedentary...
twinsTWINSTwo Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Spectrometers are a pair of NASA instruments aboard two United States National Reconnaissance Office satellites in Molniya orbits. TWINS was designed to provide stereo images of the Earth's ring current. The first instrument, TWINS-1, was launched aboard USA-184...
(many of the jokes involving the red team come at their expense) and the other two are feminists. The Red team's vehicle is a pickup truckPickup truckA pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
which is eventually destroyed by the Green team.
Production notes
Paul ReubensPaul Reubens
Paul Reubens is an American actor, writer, film producer, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor...
(better known as Pee-Wee Herman
Pee-wee's Playhouse
Pee-wee's Playhouse is an American children's television program starring Paul Reubens as the child-like Pee-wee Herman. The show was developed from Reubens' popular stage show and the one-off TV special The Pee-wee Herman Show, produced for HBO, which was similar in style but featured much more...
) has a small part as the "Pinball Proprietor."
The Star Fire
Star Fire
"Star fire" redirects here. For the process by which stars shine see nuclear fusion.Star Fire, released 1979, is considered to be a groundbreaking shoot 'em up arcade game by Exidy that brought a number of new innovations to the market; including being of the first to use a sit-down...
game in the video arcade that provides the clue to the final destination was an actual arcade game of the period. The game play was real; however a special open cabinet for a standing player had been created for the movie, since the real game cabinet was an enclosed cockpit in which the player was seated.
The movie was novelized in a 1980 paperback, Midnight Madness, by Tom Wright (Ace, 1980) ISBN 0-441-52985-2
Release and reception
Midnight Madness was rated PGMPAA film rating system
The Motion Picture Association of America's film-rating system is used in the U.S. and its territories to rate a film's thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. The MPAA system applies only to motion pictures that are submitted for rating. Other media may be rated by other entities...
—only the second film from the Disney company to receive anything other than a "G" (the first was The Black Hole
The Black Hole
The Black Hole is a 1979 American science fiction film directed by Gary Nelson for Walt Disney Productions. The film stars Maximilian Schell, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux, Anthony Perkins, and Ernest Borgnine, while the voices of the main robot characters are provided by Roddy...
). Though produced by Disney, the company's name did not appear on the credits.
The film only experienced a limited release, and garnered bad reviews. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, in his review, expressed disappointment at the work, as he was already a fan of the early work of Nankin and Wechter. It ultimately grossed $2.9 million in the North American box office. However, the film achieved a small cult
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
following after it began airing on the HBO
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
cable network. After a 2001 DVD release from Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
, Midnight Madness was re-released in 2004 by Disney DVD with the "Walt Disney Pictures Presents" logo—the first time that Disney has officially associated itself with the film.
Legacy
Midnight Madness has inspired many spin-offsSpin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
and other Alternate Reality Games (ARG)
Alternate reality game
An alternate reality game is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions....
. Among some of the more popular recreations are:
- Midnight Madness (Hot Springs, ArkansasHot Springs, ArkansasHot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
) - Played every December - Midnight Madness (Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
) - The Austin game is played biannually and was created by several Austin transplants including, two veterans from the Hot Springs game. - Midnight Madness Brevard (Brevard County, Florida) - Played on a regular basis, with multiple games being held each year.
- Midnight Madness VT (Greater Burlington, VT) - Runs multiple games per year. midnightmadnessvt on Facebook.
- The GameThe Game (treasure hunt)The Game is a non-stop 24–48 hour treasure hunt, puzzlehunt or road rally that has run in the San Francisco Bay and Seattle areas since 1973. Its teams use vans rigged with power and Internet access and drive hundreds of miles from puzzle site to puzzle site, overcoming often outrageous physical...
- a non-stop 24-48 hour puzzle solving race that is currently active in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Seattle Area - Mike's Hunt, a 24-hour game played by the members of the Rutgers University Glee ClubRutgers University Glee ClubFounded in 1872, the Rutgers University Glee Club is the eighth oldest Glee Club in the United States of America, a nationally recognized men's chorus based at Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It is currently conducted by Dr...
, has a heavy clue-solving component, with the clues leading to the development of a storyline in which the players become involved. - Get-a-Clue (Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
) - Played annually by members of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching BandGeorgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching BandThe Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band is the official marching band of the Georgia Institute of Technology...
and friends. Interactive and "nerdy" clues centering on a theme/storyline lead participants around the city and nearby counties.
In popular culture
- Rap duo Heltah SkeltahHeltah SkeltahHeltah Skeltah is a hip hop duo consisting of members Rock and Ruck . The two are members of New York supergroup Boot Camp Clik, along with Buckshot, Smif-N-Wessun and O.G.C....
sampled the film's theme for their song of the same name. - The stop motionStop motionStop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animation program Robot ChickenRobot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
(shown on Adult SwimAdult SwimAdult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
) has featured brief homages to Midnight Madness, two in "Episode 1-10: Badunkadunk", and one in "Episode 2-6: 1987". In the first episode, two scenes from the film are reenacted, one where Leon reveals himself to the team leaders, another where Blue Team member Barf assembles the letters of a clue into the nonsense wordNonsense wordA nonsense word, unlike a sememe, may have no definition. If it can be pronounced according to a language's phonotactics, it is a logatome. Nonsense words are used in literature for poetic or humorous effect. Proper names of real or fictional entities are sometimes nonsense words.-See...
"Fagabeefe". In the second, the chant of "Meat Machine" is reenacted.
See also
- It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
- The Last of SheilaThe Last of SheilaThe Last of Sheila is a 1973 mystery film directed by Herbert Ross, written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim, It stars Richard Benjamin, Dyan Cannon, James Coburn, James Mason, Ian McShane, Joan Hackett, and Raquel Welch....
- Scavenger HuntScavenger HuntScavenger Hunt is a 1979 comedy film with a large ensemble cast, in the mold of the 1963 comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.-Plot summary:...
- Million Dollar MysteryMillion Dollar MysteryMillion Dollar Mystery is a 1987 American film released with a promotional tie-in for Glad-Lock brand bags. While performing a routine stunt for this film, legendary stuntman Dar Robinson lost his life on November 21, 1986...
- Rat Race