"The Ultimate MIDNIGHT Site"...in the news:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Nov. 20, 1997 [Closeup]
'Midnight' sites no mystery; Fans spin multiple webs around Savannah-based film
By Richard L. Eldredge/STAFF WRITER
Between trips to the cineplex this weekend, fans of "Midnight in theGarden of Good and Evil" can get their fill of Midnight Madness on the Internet.
Start by taking a virtual tour of Savannah, where Clint Eastwood filmed much of the adaptation of John Berendt's best seller. Readers who were captivated by the book's take on Savannah society and the multiple murder trials of antiques dealer Jim Williams can view notable locations on severalWeb sites. Among the stops: Mercer House and Williams' antiques shop; Club One, where the Lady Chablis occasionally performs; and Bonaventure Cemetery.
Warner Bros. has a detailed (if not completely accurate) tour on the film's official Web site. The Savannah After Midnight site, posted before Eastwood began filming, also offers a tour with many color photos. The best virtual journey can be found on Savannah Now, the Savannah Morning News site. It provides the most accurate information on the area, as well as large photos.
Savannah Now also offers a juicy, in-depth timeline of the events from the time of hustler Danny Hansford's shooting death in 1981 to the 1997 location filming.
The mother of all "Midnight" Web sites, however, is The Ultimate Midnight Site - A Virtual Garden of Good and Evil, created and painstakingly updated (almost daily) by artist and entrepreneur Max Movsovitz, a Savannah native. Fans can read a calendar of upcoming "Midnight"-related events and stories on the tube and in major publications. The site also includes information on Movsovitz's "Midnight" merchandise, including a Bird Girl cookie cutter and "Make My Movie" T-shirts.
Although the site has been up for nearly a year, Movsovitz has recently added some features for "Midnight" maniacs. The Midnight Photo Album combines photos of the real Savannah residents who are immortalized in the book as well as their film counterparts. (Movsovitz admits, incidentally, that he is still scrounging around for a photo of Hansford to complete the album.)
Movsovitz has also gathered everything from reprints of Berendt's post-"Midnight" magazine pieces for the New Yorker and Esquire to the Savannah Morning News' early review of the film, and a schedule of dates and cities for Berendt's endless book tour. Links are provided to sites with even the slightest hint of a "Midnight" connection. Example: The First Unofficial Jude Law Site, which gives Webheads the skinny on the virtually unknown English actor who plays Hansford, called Billy in the film (he has a butterfly tattoo and was named for a Beatles song).
ADDITIONAL SITES
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" Reading Group Guide: Includes discussion questions prepared by Midnight publisher Random House
Savannah Virtual Tour: Text-heavy site with a map of Savannah's historic district.
Access Atlanta's Midnight: Atlanta Journal-Constitution coverage of "Midnight" and a Savannah travel guide.
Johnny Mercer Resource List: Dedicated to the Savannah-born composer of "Moon River."
