Midnight Hustler Review

Distributor: Vinegar Syndrome Edition Details: Standard Streaming Movie Specs: Genres: Classic, Feature Film, Drama Run Time: 60 minutes Rated: X Release Year: 1971 Director: uncredited Written by: uncredited Cast: Sandi Carey, Norman Fields, Jim Frost, Ric Lutze Release Specs: Audio: English Mono Subtitles: none Video: Full Frame, 1.33:1 Video Format: NTSC Format: Streaming Regional Code (for DVD/Blu-ray): N/A Number of discs: N/A

The Midnight Hustler is a cheap and crude early adult feature film from an anonymous director. Despite being presented as a feature film, there really isn't a plot to The Midnight Hustler. After a brief set-up the film essentially just becomes a series of sex scenes with no real ending to the film. The film doesn't even have the pretense of a story arc throughout out it.

The pretense behind The Midnight Hustler is that Gail (Sandi Carey) has just arrived in L.A. by bus with no money. Angelo (Norman Fields) sees her at the bus stop and lures her to his home with the promise of food. Angelo ends up becoming her pimp and introducing her to party people.

The Midnight Hustler is just an ugly film and reminds this reviewer of the films of Bob Kirk — which for those who are unfamiliar with Kirk's body of work is not a good thing. Angelo's place is just a mattress strewn on the floor, which just eludes the feeling of the fast shot sleazy adult film. One of the sex scenes is even non-consensual, for apparent reason.

The sex scenes are shot with an emphasis on gynecological close-ups, just adding to the sleaze factor of the film. Nothing about The Midnight Hustler even attempts to be on a classy level. Sometimes the camera goes out of focus. The film just looks rushed.

Ultimately, The Midnight Hustler is an easily forgettable entry into the adult film genre that is ultimately best skipped. Despite the allure of Sandi Carey, The Midnight Hustler really doesn't have anything to offer the viewer.

The edition of The Midnight Hustler screened is the streaming only version from Vinegar Syndrome on Exploitation.TV. Vinegar Syndrome has done a good job with their release of The Midnight Hustler. The Midnight Hustler was shot on film and it looks like Vinegar Syndrome has used a film print for their streaming master. The Midnight Hustler is presented in the academy aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The print used is rather beat up with print damage, artifacts, some jumps, and grain. The colors in the film look good. The print may have beat up but it obviously still has life in it yet.

The Midnight Hustler is presented with an English monaural audio track. The audio contains pops, crackles, and a hiss. There are also some jumps in the audio. The audio levels are very uneven, which appears to be the fault of the filmmaker and the master not due to a flawed audio transfer. However, some of the dialog is impossible to discern. Outside of what appears to be defective from the start, Vinegar Syndrome's audio transfer is good. It is too bad they didn't remaster the impossible to hear portions so that the viewer would know what was being said.

Vinegar Syndrome hasn't included any extras for The Midnight Hustler.

The Midnight Hustler is an overall ugly film from an anonymous director. Sadly, The Midnight Hustler just serves as an example of how cheap and slimy adult films could be in the 1970s. The plot is essentially non-existent and many of the sets are plain lacking. The sex scenes aren't overly well-done. The Midnight Hustler is an easy film to skip. The quality of the film itself aside, Vinegar Syndrome has done a good job with their streaming only version of The Midnight Hustler on Exploitation.TV. Their print is beaten up and there are some issues that go back to the production but Vinegar Syndrome has made what they had to work with look good.

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