Midnight Madness (1980)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Directors:

Michael Nankin
David Wechter

Writers:

Michael Nankin (writer)
David Wechter (writer)

Release Date:

8 February 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Comedy

Tagline:

A Wacky College Adventure

Plot:

Leon planned "The Great Allnighter" by picking college students to participate in his night long scavenger hunt...

Plot Keywords:

Scavenger Hunt | College | Sorority | Contest | Volkswagen Beetle

Cast

David Naughton	...	Adam Larson - Yellow Team Leader
Debra Clinger	...	Laura - Yellow Team
David Damas	...	Marvin - Yellow Team
Michael J. Fox	...	Scott Larson (as Michael Fox)
Stephen Furst	...	Harold - Blue Team Leader
Patricia Alice Albrecht	...	Lucille - Blue Team
Andy Tennant	...	Melio - Blue Team
Brian Frishman	...	Barf - Blue Team
Joel Kenney	...	Flynch - Yellow Team (as Joel P. Kenney)
Sal Lopez	...	Blade - Blue Team
Maggie Roswell	...	Donna - Red Team Leader
Robyn Petty	...	Berle - Red Team
Betsy Lynn Thompson	...	Peggy - Red Team
Carol Gwynn Thompson	...	Lulu - Red Team
Eddie Deezen	...	Wesley - White Team Leader
Marvin Katzoff	...	Debater #1 - White Team
Christopher Sands	...	Debater #2 - White Team
Michael Gitomer	...	Debater #3 - White Team
Brad Wilkin	...	Lavitas - Green Team Leader
Dirk Blocker	...	Blaylak - Green Team
Curt Ayers	...	Armpit - Green Team
Trevor Henley	...	Cudzo - Green Team
Keny Long	...	Gerber - Green Team
Irene Tedrow	...	Mrs. Grimhaus
Alan Solomon	...	Leon
Deborah Richter	...	Candy (as Debi Richter)
Kirsten Baker	...	Sunshine
John Fiedler	...	Wally Thorpe
Ceil Gabot	...	Mrs. Thorpe
Charlie Brill	...	Jerry - Tenant #1
Loretta Tupper	...	Mr. Thorpe's Mother
Eddie Bloom	...	Game Control Bookie
Dave Shelley	...	Harold's Father
Marvin Kaplan	...	Bonaventure Desk Clerk
Bert Williams	...	Security Captain
Arthur Adams	...	Police Sergeant
Thomas Wright	...	Cop #1 (as Tom Wright)
Elven Havard	...	Cop #2
Ernie Fuentes	...	Miniature Golf Dad
Pilar Del Rey	...	Miniature Golf Mom (as Pillar Del Rey)
Georgia Schmidt	...	Old Lady in Car
J. Brennan Smith	...	Bratty Kid
Don Maxwell	...	Bratty Kid's Dad
Paul Reubens	...	Pinball City Proprietor
John Voldstad	...	Bellboy
Jack Griffin	...	Tow Truck Driver
Dick Winslow	...	Tourist
Emily Greer	...	Teenage Girl #1
Paula Victor	...	Cashier
Tony Salome	...	Irving
Donna Garrett	...	Busty Waitress
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Natalie Devis

Directed by
Michael Nankin
David Wechter

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Nankin		writer
David Wechter		writer

Produced by
Ron Miller	....	producer

Original Music by
Julius Wechter

Cinematography by
Frank V. Phillips

Film Editing by
Norman R. Palmer
Jack Sekely

Production Design by
John B. Mansbridge

Makeup Department
Gloria Montemayor	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Don Henderson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bob Gossom	....	assistant director
David Kahler	....	second assistant director
Donald Newman	....	second assistant director (as Don Newman)

Sound Department
Art Names	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Danny Lee	....	special effects

Stunts
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Carl Boles	....	gaffer
Mike Sweeten	....	additional photographer

Other crew
Bill Sheehan	....	first aid nurse

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The All-Night Treasure Hunt (USA) (working title)
The Great All-Nighter (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

Feature film debut of Michael J. Fox.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Harold types the first clue into the computer, his hand movements over the keyboard don't even come close to matching the words appearing on the screen.

Quotes:

Melio: Ha! It's easy!
Harold: Well, what is it?
Melio: It's like a lookout off a cliff or something.
Melio: It means Cherry Point.
Harold: How'd you get that?
Melio: Well, there's one of a chair... that's a chair. One of an 'E'... that's an 'E'. One of a pin... that's a point. Chair-E-Point: Cherry Point.
Harold: What about the ball?
[Melio knocks the ball off the table]
Harold: [shouts] You idiot!

Movie Connections:

References Plane Crazy (1928)

Soundtrack:

Midnight Madness

Midnight Madness . . . is gonna get to you!

Somewhere in the dark recesses of my brain cells a song plays in my head. I can't forget it no matter how hard I try. It's MIDNIGHT MADNESS and it's gonna get to you! Wish i could find a copy of this on a 45rpm record. Five disparate teams head out one night in L.A. for a scavenger hunt for clues instead of physical objects. An unkempt game-master with two gorgeous assistants is the mastermind of all this insanity that's about to be unleashed on L.A. All the teams are stereotypes (this movie being from 1980, before political correctness screwed everything up): the "good guys", the "nerds" led by Eddie Deezen, the dumb beer-loving "jocks", the "we-don't-need-a-man-type ladies", especially the redhead. The giggling twins are a scream, too. And finally, the "bad guys" with Stephen Furst as the leader. Furst is hilarious as the overweight slob Harold, whose attempt to use a computer to decipher the various clues leads to a gooey mess. Movies like this aren't made anymore. These days, movies have to have an "edginess" to them with some dark characters and other nonsense. Go back to the days when the "good guys" led by David Naughton were still good and not hopelessly conflicted. Keep an eye out for Michael J. Fox as Naughton's brother, Scott. Future director Andy Tennant is hilarious as the smarmy Melio. So dump all serious pretensions and go back to 1980. It's MIDNIGHT MADNESS . . .