Macaulay Culkin, born in 1980, made an early mark in the cult cinema landscape with his role in The Midnight Hour (1985). In this film, he showcases a youthful charm, fitting seamlessly into the quirky atmosphere of this horror-comedy. Culkin, known for his childhood fame in the 1990s, ventured into various genres, but his appearance in this delightful cult film highlights his range even before his breakout roles. As he navigated the transition from child stardom, The Midnight Hour remains a testament to his early, impactful contribution to genre cinema.
The Midnight Hour
A group of teenagers break into a museum in a small Massachusetts town in order to steal some authentic costumes for a graveyard Halloween party. Their blasphemous acts unleash a vampiric witch from the 1700s and a passel of zombies, leading to a number of hokey musical production numbers. The best thing about the film aside from some nice special effects by Tom Burman (Cat People) is the cast. Shari Belafonte and LeVar Burton become vampires, Kevin McCarthy turns into a zombie, and there are numerous recognizable faces like Dick Van Patten, Dedee Pfeiffer, and Mark Blankfield. The redoubtable Lee Harcourt Montgomery also shows up to prove that even years after his immortal dubbing as Worst Child Actor in The Golden Turkey Awards for his roles in Ben and Burnt Offerings, his acting abilities remain remarkably annoying. Cultists and completists may find it worth a look for camp value alone, but most will want to give it a wide berth.
