Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Michael J. Fox in Midnight Madness (1980)

This wacky, college comedy has the distinction of being Michael J. Fox's first theatrical release film. Leon (Alan Soloman) is a maniacal gamester who challenges five groups of kids to an overnight game. They must follow a series of clues that lead them on a merry chase around Los Angeles. The first group to reach the final destination wins. The groups are rather broadly drawn with stereotyped jocks, nerds, sorority sisters, good guys and villains. Michael J. Fox plays Scott, the baby brother of the leader of the good guys team.
MoviePosterShop.com
This film was one of Disney's first attempts to compete with films like Animal House for an older demographic. Below is a scene set in a pinball arcade that pits the green team (jocks) against the red (sorority sisters). Yes, that's Paul Rubins as the cowboy. It was uploaded to YouTube by drcaroldc.

This film is available on DVD. It's largely forgotten, however, though if mentioned to people of a certain age it elicits an "Oh yeah!" response.

Obscurity factor: 7 (dimly remembered, on DVD, scenes available on YouTube)

3 comments:

  1. Apparently, NOT released under the "Disney" banner originally (just on the DVD), this was "Disney's" second PG film, after "The Black Hole" (the one where Anthony Hopkins is gutted by an evil robot - I remember that it made my little sister cry).

    ReplyDelete
  2. PERKINS. Good grief.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes, an evil robot that resembled a percolator, if I remember correctly...

    ReplyDelete