Around Midnight (2004)

   

Directed by: Laura Giglio, Christopher Kahler, Andrew N. Shearer & Gary Whitson

Written by: Chip Herman & Andrew N. Shearer

Starring:

.... Hostess
Barbara Joyce .... Vampiress Warrior
Dean Paul .... Vampire
Debbie D .... Victim
.... Mary
Monica Puller .... Jenny
Christopher Kahler .... Dirty Old Man
Vanilla Winters .... Vampire


Release Date: Direct-to-DVD: June 30, 2004

 

 

 

Rating:

 

A hostess (Suzi Lorraine) introduces four tales in this anthology:

In Vampires Kiss a Vampire (Dean Paul) kidnaps an innocent Victim (Debbie D) and turns her into his mistress but a Vampiress Warrior (Barbara Joyce) seeks revenge against him when he least expects it.

Running from Death targets a depressed woman named Mary (Laura Giglio) who tries to commit suicide by driving her vehicle into a tree and is on a chase from the grim reaper.

Wake Up is about an obsessed lady named Jenny (Monica Puller) who can't make it through the day without her meds and is not getting a responce from her doctor for a refill and is haunted about her future or is she already dead???

Believe has a Dirty Old Man (Christopher Kahler) who gets aroused watching expolited shows on TV but gets his wish in real life but it becomes a nightmare.

 

We have a trashy beginning with a hostess looking like she's in heat lying on the bed when she does the wraparound story and barely wearing anything at all as this was supposed to make the guys get their jollies watching an up all night type of flick but I've seen those types and was done in better style than this along with such a bad camera shooting this. The camera you could tell was anlot older as it looked like a cheapo from the late 80's or early 90s camcorder.

Unfortunately we get into the first chapter Vampires Kiss as we spot a Vampire attacking a Victim in which this was amateurish at it's worst with the attacking as well you could tell the vampires teeth was a cheap kids type Halloween costume and you could almost see them about to fall off too.
There's an oddly amusing moment when he ties this victim up and is hanging there in what is supposed to look like his dungeon but however we spot this victim whimpering and it takes too long to get into anything else in oder to kill some time and comes across as incredibly annoying to watch.
Then we see her dying and becoming a born again vampiress which looked beyond amateurish to watch all of it and then we have the Vampiress Hunter getting her revenge which picked up the pace a we bit but not much and off course her slaying is off screen due to a no budget for grizzly graphic effects and the results looked so phony too. This was a very short chapter and looked like a group of friends were making a home video with no experience whatsoever.

Next up is Running from Death which is a bit better but not by much as we have a life like person Mary full of life and answers the call from her boyfriend as he seriously had to tell her something as this draws you in a bit having a sinking feeling that he wants to break up with her and that just happens too. Then we see a quick change in her but of course this looked a little silly to watch.
Then we see her speeding away in a car bawling as this looked tragic as well as showing a black and white flashback on her ex breaking it off which was supposed to look effective but this looked trashy. And then we spot a tree she plans to crash into but due to a lack of budget once again doesn't reveal anything intense.
WShen she wakes up she goes out in the woods but at times it is a bit too long but then we see a brief dark figure as this grabs your attention and then later on she's chased by the grim reaper as you could tell it's a mildly cheaply done costume but it looked fun to watch this and then we spot her waking up after he catches her and about to do her in and a nice catch that it's not a dream at the end of this chapter which was also a very short one to watch.

Wake Up was the best one in the anthology which saved the film from bombing big time as it was totally psycholical surrounding a troubled woman Jenny as it was interesting seeing her frusterations on needing a new prescription on her meds as it can relate to anyone who's low on stuff and to keep in a good state of mind.
Also it was interesting seeing her trying to get a grip on herself without obsessing and trying to stay active as I could relate to it which is spooky to watch this as this is almost falling into a bad state of mind.
We have anicely focused moment on her taking a bath which almost looked soothing but this scene took a long time to watch and should've cut it shorter. However it draws you in when it looked like it was her own blood when she rubs herself as this looked a bit spooky to watch.
Also there's a moment when she tries to eat something as she chokes a bit as this draws you in wondering if something horrible will happen to her but then she recovers from it.
Things end up spooky when she hears another voice of herself choking and she spots herself on a TV screen which makes you wonder as to how this came to be as well as seeing her other self lying dead in the bathroom. Almost a Twilight Zone type of feel but on a no budget with a bad camera like the rest. This was was the longest chapter compared to the rest.

Believe was a pointless one and very short like most of them with a dirty old man trying to watch something exploited on TV which shows an overly long woman taking a shower which I was like Ho hum!
However, near the ending looked interesting after he takes a shower and spots a lustful woman approaching him and then turning into a vampiress with creepy eyes and fangs attacking him on his bed. Of course the special effects were amateurish but better than what we've seen beforehand.

Bottom line is that this flick was released independently for a limited time on a site which isn't surprising as I can't see a company picking it up except for maybe Brain Damage Films and companies such as that. Seemed too hard to be an Up All Night TV show but fails in order to do so. Apparently different filmmakers made shorts and submittied it to someone wanting to make an anthology which is a cheap shot at pursuing a feature big time as you could see here. It was an amateurish grindhouse wannabe type too and offers lots of boring moments and could tell it was just a bunch of friends getting together to make something fun which should've remained to themselves and not for a public audience.

The acting is terrible if I do say so myself as it looked like non actors and friends agreeing to do this .... (Hostess) sounded way too aroused when introducing the chapters in the flick although she was supposed to play a character in a show you'd watch at midnight but I've seen people act like this and can pull it off and she just doesn't do the trick.

In the first chapter Vampires Kiss Dean Paul (Vampire) is one of the worst actors that I've ever seen as he was not convincing as a vampire as when he attacks someone's neck it looked way off and reacts like he's aroused. He doesn't pull it off at all. Also his aggressions were low on energy too or when he does a battle at the end was laughable but not in a good way.
Barbara Joyce (Vampiress Warrior) was a bit better although she only appears quarter way through this small chapter as she shows a decent vengeful attitude as well as showing an okay courageness to her onscreen enemy. Her energy seemed to show okay timing and had the sharp looks for this role which was another good plus.
Debbie D (Victim) really was too much with her crying and whimpering as well as her fearful attitude which she really lacks bif time. I found her to be incredibly annoying. Plus when she reacts to dying the word amateurish isn't the word at all. It's way worst.
When she turns into a vampiress she improves a bit but it's nothing to brag about she's still a little over the top.

Running from Death has basically one cast member and 2 minor one's so I will review the main one which is (Mary) as she seemed a bit too much as well by acting full of life at first talking on the phone. Then when she snaps it's kinda funny but not believeable. She bawls out crying while driving her vehicle which she seems a bit ridiculous. Also when she runs away from her maker she's too hyped but was a bit better than how she was portraying her other actions.

Wake Up also just has one cast member Monica Puller (Jenny) as I found her to be the best one since she seems to do not too badly with her obsessiveness when low on meds as she seemed convincingly stressed as well as acting as if she's having a nervous breakdown. Plus shows convincing aggressions and frustrations while talking on the phone. Plus reacts okay choking or coughing after eating something. Does well freaking out aftter spotting her afterlife hauntings.

Believe seemed to have not too shabbily acting but it's mainly one actor who has the main role as Christopher Kahler (Dirty Old Man) seemed to get into his role in an average fashion and having good sarcasm while watching TV and getting his jollies. Plus he had the right slobbish unattractive looks to portray someone oversexed and not getting any action. Yet when he reacts to what happened at the end of his performance he's a wee bit off.

Debbie D takes off her top while undressing and her breasts are revealed. She also reveals them when she is attacked or tied up as this was the main drawing card to the chapter she was in.
Monica Puller briefly exposes her breasts while taking a bubble bath.
Someone is taking a shower on a TV screen and her breasts are also briefly exposed.

Not really gory stuff once you see on what goes on here since no one could afford proper effects and don't see the graphic violence until after on what happens but I will do my best to describe stuff.
A wooden stake is later on revealed in someone's back but you can tell it's fake.

Machette is darkly revealed when someone gets stabbed.
A bloody neck is revealed.

Christopher Kahler composed most of the score for this cheapo flick and man was he ever annoying with the synthesizer music as it repeats itself constantly and annoying me so badly as well as hearing the odd techno beats too. Yuck. I couldn't stand it. He was okay doing the opening and closing credits by having a sort of organ playing but I am only saying that he was okay by doing that. The other composer Matt Comegys for the chapter Wake Up seemed annoying as well with some guitar twanging in a quarter way of the story. There's some chiming sounds but it doesn't do the trick at all.