MIDNIGHT (1981)
Directed by John Russo
Starring Lawrence Tierney and Melanie Verlin
Russo, whose major claim to fame is a co-screenplay credit on George Romero's original "Night of the Living Dead," did a fair job writing and directing this "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" rip off.
While hitchhiking, a teenage runaway hooks up with two young thieves. The trio then run into what at first appear to be two sadistic cops.
In fact, the two "officers" are part of a satanic cult that's into killing people.
The girl finds herself encaged in the home of a homicidal, dysfunctional family not unlike the one we saw in "Chainsaw Massacre."
Aside from "Night," this is the only watchable film to which Russo's name has been attached to. The scene with the two police impersonators is a genuinely terrifying scene, reminiscent of the kind of hopelessness and fear last seen in Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left."
It's advisable to avoid Russo's other works. Another film he wrote, "Majorettes," is laughably bad. He also directed the totally lame "Santa Claws" and a "Midnight 2" so totally ludicrous it isn't even worth reviewing.