We're at the Avenue Theatre in Downey to watch a horror film with a troubled past in "Midnight Movie" (Bigfoot Entertainment, 2008). It hasn't been screened in years and the staff is unaware that there may be problems but several policemen who tried to sort out the murders that occurred the last time the film was shown decide to attend. The copy on the film's DVD package:
"At a seedy theatre in a sleepy suburban town, a group of friends get together for a midnight screening of an early 1970s horror film, unaware that the director/star of the film has something more in store for them than an evening of innocent jolts. Good natured heckling as the movie begins is replaced with horrified disbelief when the movie's grotesque villain butchers one of their friends on screen -- will they be able to overcome the killer before they are all pulled into his supernatural celluloid world?"
The film features Rebekah Brandes, Daniel Bonjour, Greg Cirulnick, Stan Ellsworth, Melissa Steach, Justin Barick, Mandell Maughn and Jon Bridell. Jack Messitt directed. The cinematography was by Ruben Russ and Clyde W. Smith. Thanks to an anonymous tipster about the use of the Avenue for the film.
Not much to do at the snackbar. At this point the staff outnumbers the customers.
The manager, played by Rebekah Brandes. She's sent her kid brother home but he sneaks back in.
Trying to get the staff in line. She's going to watch the movie because this guy on the left thinks he can be manager as well as the projectionist.
Ready for the first customers. It'll be a biker guy and his girlfriend.
A look at the auditorium.
Well, it's not going to be a big crowd.
Figuring out how to get a show on the screen. The equipment that had been in the booth is long gone. For the film what we get is one 35mm portable.
A happy projectionist.
There were supposedly murders last time the film ran -- but bodies were never found.
Our projectionist needs to change a soda box in the basement. The killer will get him.
Our first real look at the inner lobby.
We'll lose another person in the men's room.
Trying to get out an exit door backstage.
Justin Baric is the kid, who isn't even supposed to be there. Here he makes a run to backstage.
Heading through the lobby to see if they can get out the front.
A policeman comes by to investigate and it all looks normal to him. Somehow he can't see the people inside, nor hear them banging on the doors.
Up to the booth. On the way the killer will pick off a couple more of them.
They decide that the only answer is to stop the damn film. The projector gets knocked over.
But in this theatre anything is possible. Yes, the machine picks itself up and the screening resumes.
The killings don't stop until the film is done. Here the tail is running through.
The kid is the sole survivor. The cops cart him off to the psych ward, unable to believe the stories he's telling.
See the page about the Avenue Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site. The building, at 11022 Downey Ave., has been gutted and is now a pizza parlor.
On IMDb: "Midnight Movie"
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