Television is a fickle beast and one never knows exactly what they will get due to the censors and the rules governing what can be shown and what cannot, especially when it comes to the horror genre. Thankfully, when it came to The Midnight Hour released in 1985 on ABC, it does everything right making for the perfect Halloween movie fit for the whole family.

Directed by Jack Bender from a script by Bill Bleich, the movie blends horror, comedy and romance into an effective romp that is sure to please anyone who decides to give it a watch. The laughs are few and far between and some of them dated but the movie has such a lighthearted tone to it that one cannot help but immerse themselves in it with a smile more often than not. Due to that, the horror is also not overly effective despite there being zombies and vampires throughout but it is fun to see how it all comes together and whether one finds it frightening or not or thinks that it hurts more than helps, it is highly entertaining.

Above all else, there are two things that make this movie stand out to the audience, the first being the cast and the second being the soundtrack. Starring Lee Montgomery in the lead as Phil, the quintessential good guy and Jonna Lee as the ghost girl who gets brought back for at least one night thanks to a spell cast by those who did not know any better, they make for a great couple when they finally come together and the chemistry between them makes it even better. Also rounding out the cast is Shari Belafonte as a student come witch come vampire, LeVar Burton of Star Trek fame as Shari’s boyfriend, Peter DeLuise, Dedee Pfeiffer, the wonderful Dick Van Patten and Kurtwood Smith who would go on to try and kill Robocop in only a couple of years. Together, they do a great job at making this picture come to life and coupled with the music in the film by the likes of Del Shannon, Bobby Vee, Wilson Pickett, CCR, Barbara Lewis and more, one cannot help but enjoy both watching and listening to it all.

The only slight negative to be found within is the musical number by Belafonte which took place and while she is talented, it felt a little out of place in a movie about zombies and vampires, witches and curses and so forth. It did amplify the campy feel-good vibe of it all which was not a bad thing but less singing and more horror might have made this movie just a touch better than it was. As for the rest, the creature makeup was good and the romantic sub-plot was executed well, so well in fact that the film ended on the best of notes even if it was a wee bit sad. All in all, The Midnight Hour provides some good, wholesome fun and makes for a truly great movie to celebrate the greatest non-holiday of the year.

4 out of 5