History Film / MidnightMadness

* DidIJustSayThatOutLoud: Blaylak accidentally does this when the clue in the piano shop rings a bell. Of course, three of the four other teams are present when his realization hits.

* TheLoad: Peggy and Lulu of the Red Team slow down Donna and Berle by boogieing at the Stargate Disco and hopping off their truck and into a carnival. It was pure luck the Red Team ever got back in the race at that point.

* SecretlyWealthy: Debatable with Leon. He dresses like a bohemian and stays in a half-decent apartment, but he manages to curry the favor of an observatory, a piano museum, a major brand brewery, a chain restaurant, a miniature golf course, a pinball arcade, an ''airport'', and a posh hotel to go along with his game. That means he'd have to shell out some serious dough to keep these places operational in the middle of the night, not to mention hire a few extra personnel and buy wonderful prizes for the winners.

-->'''Blaylak:''' Wait a second, I know that song anywhere. (''plays the notes on the toy piano'') "[[ProductPlacement I got Pabst Blue Ribbon my mind.]]" It's the Pabst Blue Ribbon beer song... [[SuddenlyShouting THE NEXT CLUE MUST BE AT THE PABST BREWERY]]!\\

* DidIJustSayThatOutLoud: Blaylak accidentally does this when the clue in the piano shop rings a bell. Of course, all five teams are present when his realization hits.

* DidIJustSayThatOutLoud: Blaylak accidentally does this when the clue in the piano shop rings a bell.

[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/midnight_madness.jpg]]

It centers on The Great All-Nighter, an all-night scavenger-hunt-type game put on by a nerdy gaming aficionado named Leon. In this game, five teams of students and faculty from Los Angeles Community College are to race around the city, searching for hidden clues that will ultimately lead them to the finish line and victory.

* The Yellow Team: consisting of counselor Adam Larson (Creator/DavidNaughton, who at the time was best known for dancing around in Dr Pepper commercials), his love interest Laura, his friend Marvin (whose trusty Jeep provides the team's transportation), and Flynch, a nervous and awkward freshman who Adam has been counselling. Along the way, the team is forced to add Adam's younger brother Scott (Creator/MichaelJFox in his first big-screen role) to their ranks, after he tries to run away from home and the brothers' parents are out of town. The members are largely pleasant and well-meaning individuals who play fair and join the game to have a fun time.

** It ''could've'' been averted, as the clue given could have been "[[Series/ThePriceIsRight Mr. Barker's]] Obese Male Child". But the management behind Bob's Big Boy must've gotten a bit antsy...

* ClueOfFewWords: After looking between the "[[VictoriasSecretCompartment two giant melons]]", the only clue to the next destination is a necklace that says "Hug Me".

* WellDoneSonGuy: Harold is shown to have a domineering father who keeps an office full of trophies and berates him for being a slob who has nothing going for him, noting that Adam has a much more promising future than down the road. As such, he forces Harold to enter the game and win it to prove to him that he's a winner.

It centers on The Great All-Nighter, an all-night scavenger-hunt-type game put on by a nerdy gaming aficionado named Leon. In this game, five teams of students and faculty from Los Angeles Community College are to race around the city, searching for hidden clues that will ultimately lead them to the finish line and ultimate victory.

* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: While inside the Pabst brewery, Blaylak becomes overwhelmed by the massive amount of beer present and goes for a swim in one of the brewery's beer vats.

* ArtisticLicenseCars: Marvin's truck is referred to throughout the film as a Jeep, even though it's actually a Toyota Land Cruiser, with the name TOYOTA prominently displayed on the grille even.
* BigEater / JabbaTableManners: Before the game, Harold is always seen shoving junk food down his throat, to the point where Lucille puts him on a diet. He goes right back to it not even halfway through the game.

* TheCameo: A pre-[[Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse Pee Wee Herman]] Creator/PaulReubens plays the owner of Pinball City.

* DevelopersForesight: Leon apparently had failsafes put into the game for players who try to cheat, such as Harold skipping to the 18th hole at Miniature Golf World. The failsafe in this particular instance forces the cheaters to play the whole course over again.

* ExplainExplainOhCrap: This happens quite a lot. Most notably, when the Green Team stumbles upon the next clue in the Piano Museum. Blaylack recognizes the musical notes that make up the clue as the Pabst Blue Ribbon beer jingle. He excitedly notes that the next clue is in the Pabst brewery, to which every other team sarcastically thanks him.

* GilliganCut: Following the fight at Pinball City, which results in the White Team not being able to get the clue due to the machine it was in getting destroyed, and the Red Team's truck being accidentally thrown off a cliff, the leaders of both teams shout at each other when one of the members of the White Team suggest that both teams come to an agreement. Both leaders shout "NEVER!!!" at each other, but the very next shot has both teams commuting to the finish line on the White Team's mopeds.

* HufflepuffHouse: While the White Team gets just as much screentime as the others, its members are a lot less fleshed out than their competitors. Only one of them gets a name (Wesley), while every member of the other four teams is named.
* IdiotBall: Every team grabs the ball at some point, but a particularly bad example occurs when the White and Red Teams decide to drive the White Team's mopeds around the lobby of a hotel for no apparent reason, causing them to get thrown out.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Scott is a bit of a troublemaker at times, but it's only because he wants attention from his brother, and he's justifiably angry that he forgot his birthday. Otherwise, he's a good kid.
* TheLoad: Peggy and Lulu of the Red Team slow down Donna and Berle by boogieing at the disco and hopping off their truck and into a carnival. It was pure luck the Red Team ever got back in the race at that point.

* LovableNerd: Leon, creator of the Great All-Nighter. His neighbors bang on his door to complain about the noise coming from his apartment. When he sits them down and tells them what's going on, they actually have a change of heart and enjoy the game right alongside him. Even the cops whom his landlady calls to have his game shut down end up joining him, slapping the cuffs on her instead.

* MeaningfulName: Mrs. Grimhouse, Leon's landlady, who despises him with a passion and tries to have him evicted and even ''arrested'' due to the noise his equipment is generating. Given her attitude, her building itself could be considered a ''grim house''.

* NoMoreForMe: Blaylack is a hard-drinkin' man, even by the standards of the hulking party animals that are the Green Team. His going for a swim in a refrigeration vat in the Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery is apparently what he considers enough for one night.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Given what happened to Leon's landlady Mrs. Grimhouse, one can't help but wonder if he'll be homeless once she gets out of prison. The novelization has a postmortem where she says that she ''did'' gain respect for Leon after the game, saying that she wouldn't want to kick out a celebrity of her apartment complex.

* GilliganCut: Following the fight at Pinball City, which results in the White Team not being to get the clue due to the machine it was in getting destroyed, and the Red Team's truck being accidentally thrown off a cliff, the leaders of both teams shout at each other when one of the members of the White Team suggest that both teams come to an agreement. Both leaders shout "NEVER!!!" at each other, but the very next shot has both teams commuting to the finish line on the White Team's mopeds.

It centers on The Great All-Nighter, an all-night scavenger-hunt-type game put on by a nerdy gaming afficionado named Leon. In this game, five teams of students and faculty from Los Angeles Community College are to race around the city, searching for hidden clues that will ultimately lead them to the finish line and ultimate victory.

* The Yellow Team: consisting of counselor Adam Larson (Creator/DavidNaughton, who at the time was best known for dancing around in Dr Pepper commercials), his love interest Laura, his friend Marvin (whose trusty Jeep provides the team's transportation), and Flynch, a nervous and awkward freshman who Adam has been counselling. Along the way, the team is forced to add Adam's younger brother Scott (Creator/MichaelJFox in his first big-screen role) to their ranks, after he tries to run away from home and the brothers' parents are out of town. The members are largely plesant and well-meaning individuals who play fair and join the game to have a fun time.

* The Green Team: consisting of Lavitus, captain of the school's football team, and his fellow players Blaylak, Cudzo, Gerber, and Armpit. Dubbing themselves "the Meat Machine", and often using their brawn to solve clues, the rambunctious, beer-guzzling, party-loving football jocks join the game to prove themselves as the greatest athletes in school, even off the field. Their transporation is a Volkswagen Beetle which they have dubbed "the Meat Wagon".

* The White Team: consisting of Wesley (Creator/EddieDeezen), the bespectacled, intelligent, and dorky leader of the school's debate team, and his similarly-nerdy fellow debaters. As the smartest players, the team attempts to analyze every clue they find very carefully, but they don't always get the right answers. Much like the Red Team, the debaters enter the game to get back at the jocks, who they consider unintelligent vulgarians, for pelting them with vegetables during one of their debates. They are the only team not to use an automobile for their transporation, instead travelling alongside each other on matching mopeds.

* AndStarring: Creator/StephenFurst, who plays main atagonist Harold.

* EnemyMine: The White Team (who were prevented from finding out where the finish line was but stiil have transportation) and the Red Team (who know where the finish line is but their transportation was destroyed) end up joining forces against their mutual enemies, the jocks of the Green Team, who seperately inconvenienced both of them early in the film.

* MeaningfulName: Mrs. Grimhouse, Leon's landlady, who despies him with a passion and tries to have him evicted and even ''arrested'' due to the noise his equipment is generating. Given her attitude, her building itself could be considered a ''grim house''.

* WhatTheHellHero: Adam is an all around good guy, but he treats his brother Scott like crap and forgets about his birthday. The rest of the team, Laura particulalry, isn't afraid to let him know it.

It centers on an all-night scavenger-hunt-type game put on by a nerdy mastermind named Leon. In this game, five teams of various stereotypical groups race around the Los Angeles area searching for hidden clues that will ultimately lead them to the final destination and victory. Originally released without the Disney brand and with a dismal box-office run in theaters, the film became a CultClassic after it hit the pay-cable-channel circuit. It is most notable for: starring Creator/DavidNaughton, who at the time was best known for dancing around in Dr Pepper commercials; being Creator/MichaelJFox's first big-screen role; and having a brief appearance by a pre-[[Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse Pee Wee Herman]] Creator/PaulReubens.

* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: Blaylak takes a swim in one of the brewery's beer vats.
* AllThereInTheManual: one would not know why the team captains would mutter Leon's name like they did when he revealed himself early in the movie; the novelization tells of various exploits of Leon's that gained him infamy on campus, including one that caused several students to have to return to the campus midsummer in order to take a test in order to graduate.
* AndStarring: Creator/StephenFurst.
* ArtisticLicenseCars: Marvin's truck is referred to throughout the film as a Jeep, even though it's a Toyota Land Cruiser with the name TOYOTA even prominently displayed on the grille.
* BigEater[=/=]JabbaTableManners: Harold, especially at the end of the film.
* TheBigRace
* BraggingRightsReward: The winning team gets a trophy but, as Leon says, more importantly a chance to prove to the other teams that their team is better.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: Once the Red and White teams are kicked out of the hotel and not to be allowed back in, Wesley crosses his arms and pouts before peering around a corner and finding the employee entrance. He then looks right at the camera with a delighted smile.
* BuccaneerBroadcaster: The AM frequency for LAX airport information is at one point taken over by Leon to provide the next clue.
* CoolCar: The Blue team's van. Turbocharged engine, supercomputer and flames on a blue paint job.
* ColorCodedCharacters: The groups put on shirts with matching colors, and by some ContrivedCoincidence, the vehicles' colors even matched. Even the envelopes given to each team captain to initially invite them to Leon's apartment were the same colors as their eventual colors.
* DevelopersForesight: InUniverse, Leon. Especially if you try to cheat.
* DirtyKid: A young boy uses the Griffith Park Observatory telescope to get a look at "Venus' two moons" (in a bedroom window).
* DumbMuscle: The green team.
* ElevatorFailure: Near the end, the yellow team is stuck in an elevator.
* EnemyMine: The White Team (who was prevented from finding out where the finish line is but has transportation) and Red Team (who knows where the finish line is but their transportation was destroyed), end up joining forces against their mutual enemies, the Green Team
* EpicRace: One that takes all night to finish.
* ExplainExplainOhCrap: Happens a lot. Most notable when the Green Team stumbles upon the next clue at the music shop, and Blaylack recognizes the notes as the jingle for Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.
* FatBastard: Blue Team leader Harold is a grouchy BigEater who can barely go ten minutes without cheating.
* FieryRedhead: Berle from the Red Team is a red-haired young woman who is very fiery and outspoken about her dislike for the jocks on the Green Team.

* ForgottenBirthday: It's Scott's birthday tonight... and Adam's too caught up in the game to remember.
* GameMaster: Leon.
* GilliganCut: Following a fight at Pinball City that results in the White team not being to get the clue due to the machine it was in getting destroyed and the Red team's truck being accidentally destroyed, the leaders of both teams are shouting at each other when one of the members of the White team suggest that the teams come to an agreement. Both leaders shout "NEVER!!!" at each other. The very next shot has both teams commuting to the finish line on the White team's mopeds.
* HiddenDepths: At least two members of the Dumb Jock Green Team can read music and play the piano. And one of them is ''Blaylack,'' believe it or not.
* HufflepuffHouse: While the White Team gets just as much screen time as the others, its members are a lot less fleshed out and distinct than their competitors. Only one of them gets a name, while every member of the other four teams is named.
* IdiotBall: Every team at some point, but a particularly bad one when the joint White/Red teams decide to drive the White team's mopeds around the lobby of a hotel for no apparent reason, causing them to get thrown out.
* {{Jerkass}}: Harold and the rest of the blue team.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Scott's a bit of a troublemaker at times, but only because he wants attention from his brother, and he's (rightfully) angry that he forgot his birthday. Otherwise he's a good kid.
* TheLoad
** Peggy and Lulu definitely slowed down their team with their antics at the disco and carnival. It was luck the Red Team ever got back.
** none of Harold's team are seen being helpful to him. The closest any came was when Barf tried to mention the airport radio being 530 AM before Harold stopped him abruptly.
* LovableNerd: Leon. His neighbors bang on his door to complain about the noise; next thing they know, they're helping him run the game.
* MacGyvering: How Marvin on the yellow team manages to get an elevator running again.
* MaleGaze: At one point, this is needed to get the next clue to the next destination. [[spoiler: Look between the two giant melons!]]
* MeaningfulName: Mrs. Grimhaus. Given her attitude, her building could be considered a ''grim house''.
* NerdGlasses: Leon and the white team.
* NoMoreForMe: Blaylack is a hard-drinkin' man even by the standards of the hulking party animals of the Green Team, but a swim in the Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery tanks is apparently enough for one night even for him.
* OnlySaneMan: Picture this, Pee-Wee Herman dressed in a ridiculous cowboy costume, trying to calmly and rationally talk down the teams from tearing each other (and Pinball City) apart.
* ProductPlacement: Some brands are crucial to the game, so this trope definitely comes into play. The game eventually leads to the Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery, Bob's... sorry, ''Johnny's'' Big Boy and the Bonaventure Hotel. An actual arcade game (Exidy's Star Fire) provides a clue as well.

* RedHerring: At the miniature golf course, Harold decides to skip the entire course and head straight for the 18th hole. When he sinks the ball, a flag pops up with a note on it, saying he shouldn't have cheated... and he lost his ball.
* ScavengerHunt
* SecretlyWealthy: Arguably Leon. He dresses like a bohemian and stays in a half-decent apartment, yet he manages to curry the favor of a piano store, a chain restaurant, a pinball arcade, a miniature golf course, a major brand brewery, a major ''airport'' and a posh hotel to go along with his all-nighter game. Which means he'd have to shell out some serious dough to keep these places operational in the middle of the night, not to mention hire a few personnel and buy some wonderful prizes for the winners.
** Debatable. Take for instance Leon's neighbors, who after learning about the game, become very enthusiastic about it. Possibly the same happened to everyone who helped to setup the game. Also, there were no wonderful prizes. Leon states that there is only a trophy and bragging rights for the winning team.
* SlowerThanASnail: After the Blue Team sabotage their car, Adam and Flynch attempt to hitchhike to the mini putt course. The first people to pick them up are an elderly couple in a '57 Chevy sedan that is literally moving at a crawl.
* SolveTheSoupCans: The clues that are given vary from playing a commercial jingle on a toy piano, to rearranging letters found on a necklace, to forming a business name from a bunch of objects, to beating a high score on a video game.
* ElSpanishO: Harold uses this with the maid at his house after intentionally making a mess while ordering her to clean it up.
* TheStoic: Blades. His expression never changes from an intimidating scowl except for one point when he smiles after watching Harold shove a pie in Lucille's face, causing her to fall backwards into a pool after she chastises him for breaking his diet for the umpteenth time, only to catch himself and go back to the scowl.
* {{Troll}}: Melio loves to get Harold in trouble with his girlfriend Lucille for cheating on his diet for no other reason than to watch the chaos and bickering.
* TheVoiceless: Blue Team member Blade has no dialogue and only communicates by shaking his head or giving the odd DeathGlare.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: given what happened to Leon's landlady, one can't help but wonder if he will soon be homeless once she gets out. The novelization has a postmortem where Mrs. Grimhaus says she did gain respect for Leon after this and said she wouldn't want to kick out a celebrity of her apartment complex.
* WhatTheHellHero: Adam is an all around good guy, but he treats his brother like crap and the rest of the team let him know it.
* WritingAroundTrademarks: It's not Bob's Big Boy, it's ''Johnny's Fat'' Boy!
** This ''could've'' been averted, as the clue given could have been "[[Series/ThePriceIsRight Mr. Barker's]] Obese Male Child". But the management behind Bob's Big Boy must've gotten a bit antsy...

* ColorCodedCharacters: The groups put on shirts with matching colors, and by some ContrivedCoincidence, the vehicles' colors even matched.

* AllThereInTheManual: one would not know why the team captains would mutter Leon's name like they did when he revealed himself early in the movie; the novelization tells of various exploits of Leon's that gained him infamy on campus, including one that caused several students to have to retake a test.

* ArtisticLicenseCars: Marvin's truck is refered to throughout the film as a Jeep, even though it's a Toyota Land Cruiser with the name TOYOTA even prominantly displayed on the grille.

It centers on an all-night scavenger-hunt-type game put on by a nerdy mastermind named Leon. In this game, five teams of various stereotypical groups race around the Los Angeles area searching for hidden clues that will ultimately lead them to the final destination and victory. Originally released without the Disney brand and with a dismal box-office run in theaters, the film became a CultClassic after it hit the pay-cable-channel circuit. It is most notable for: starring David Naughton, who at the time was best known for dancing around in Dr Pepper commercials; being Creator/MichaelJFox's first big-screen role; and having a brief appearance by a pre-[[Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse Pee Wee Herman]] Creator/PaulReubens.

''Midnight Madness'' is a 1980 film from Creator/WaltDisneyPictures, featuring an all-night scavenger-hunt-type game put on by a nerdy mastermind named Leon. In this game, five teams of various stereotypical groups race around the Los Angeles area searching for hidden clues that will ultimately lead them to the final destination and victory. Originally released without the Disney brand and with a dismal box-office run in theaters, the film became a CultClassic after it hit the pay-cable-channel circuit. It is most notable for: starring David Naughton, who at the time was best known for dancing around in Dr Pepper commercials; being Creator/MichaelJFox's first big-screen role; and having a brief appearance by a pre-[[Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse Pee Wee Herman]] Creator/PaulReubens.

''Midnight Madness'' is a 1980 film from Walt Disney Pictures, featuring an all-night scavenger-hunt-type game put on by a nerdy mastermind named Leon. In this game, five teams of various stereotypical groups race around the Los Angeles area searching for hidden clues that will ultimately lead them to the final destination and victory. Originally released without the Disney brand and with a dismal box-office run in theaters, the film became a CultClassic after it hit the pay-cable-channel circuit. It is most notable for: starring David Naughton, who at the time was best known for dancing around in Dr Pepper commercials; being Creator/MichaelJFox's first big-screen role; and having a brief appearance by a pre-[[Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse Pee Wee Herman]] Creator/PaulReubens.