Blackout in Electric City 3: The Midnight Grid (1990)

Blackout in Electric City 3: The Midnight Grid (AKA, Kiss of the KryptoSphere) is a 1990 cyber thriller directed by Leon Powell, starring David Everett as Kade Dakota, Brenda Sachs as Roxanna, and JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist) as Wendy Pavlord. The film was a wild departure from the Cold War themes of the first two Blackout entries, focusing instead on some of the emerging computer software technologies of the late 1980's/early '90's. A notorious flop, the movie led to the bankruptcy and eventual demise of its distributor, Premium Shift Pictures.

Blackout 3 begins in the virtual reality world of the KryptoSphere, which looks like a cross between Tron and the video game Doom. People in "the KS" appear as themselves, but with futuristic clothes and colorful auras around their bodies.

In a digital arena, handsome tech virtuoso Kade Dakota fends off a group of computer hackers using a 3-D game called Deity Blaze (a hybrid of Chess, Tetris, and Badminton). The three cyber criminals all wear white ski masks and their voices are filtered through a distortion program. They continuously refer to Kade as a "coral reef", alluding to his hindrance of their open web-surfing. Kade gains the upper hand when he dispatches a "zero-gravity spin-cube", the ultimate checkmate move in Deity Blaze. The hackers dissipate into digital mist.

The threat defeated, Kade removes his VR helmet and is back in the real world. His control center is located at futuristic Pavlord Industries, creator of the KryptoSphere. Kade is praised by his supervisor, Hector Stormdale (David Naughton, An American Werewolf in London), and told that the Wendy Pavlord owes a huge debt to Kade for keeping her company's innovations virus-free. Kade reveals his desire to see compu-crime ended by the year 2000. Kade then says he has to leave for a hot date with a woman named Roxanna that he met at a nightclub called Throttle Drive the night before.

Later that night, Kade meets with the beautiful Roxanna at her stylish condominium. Before they leave for their date, she requests that Kade fix her malfunctioning answering machine. Kade makes jokes about her not being tech savvy, but is embarrassed when he too cannot get the machine to work. She teases him before leading him toward her bedroom for gentle lovemaking. As they leave the room, the answering machine's message light switches on and the audiotape rewinds.

Kade is awoken in the early hours by voices coming from somewhere in Roxanna's condo. He tells the girl to hide in the closet and inspects the other rooms. He discovers that the voices are coming from the answering machine, which now is malfunctioning by playing back old messages. Before he can hit stop, however, he overhears a man's voice describe an upcoming crime in the KryptoSphere, expressing hope that no "coral reefs" prevent him from "catching a big wave".

The message ends and a moment later Roxanna appears in the doorway. She asks what the voices were, but Kade tells her it was nothing and they go back to bed. Roxanna blissfully sleeps on Kade's chest as he stares at the ceiling, obviously troubled about what he has overheard.

The next morning, Roxanna climbs into her Ferrari Testarossa and drives off, secretly tailed by Kade in his lime green Mustang. They end up at a storage warehouse downtown, where Roxanna walks in. Kade spots a payphone across the street and uses it to call into work. Hector is upset that Kade isn't at the office, informing him that Wendy Pavlord has asked that Kade present a lecture on compu-crime at a global conference in two days, to held in the KryptoSphere's Golden Palace.

Kade hints that he may have a lead on the recent hacks and hangs up. Using his impressive physical prowess, Kade climbs up some scaffolding to the warehouse's second story and enters through an open window.

Kade sneaks along some rafters until he gets a good view of Roxanna's meeting with a mysterious figure in a white ski mask and black leather trench coat. They put on VR helmets and Kade climbs down to get a closer look at the equipment they are using. Both helmets have Pavlord Industries labels on them, which confuses him. They end their VR session and Kade hides behind some large crates. He overhears them agree to meet again later that same day and they go their separate ways. Kade tries to follow the mysterious stranger, but a secret passageway in one of the warehouse's backrooms thwarts his attempt.

Later at the Pavlord Industries, Kade gears up in his VR equipment. He enters the KryptoSphere and appears surrounded by various types of Krypto-denizens: mostly typical web surfers, but also game peddlers, sexbots, and roving scammers. Kade enters a virtual dive bar and approaches shifty Hawke Gunnar (Harry Dean Stanton in one of his paycheck roles) sitting by himself in a corner booth. They trade a few verbal barbs before Kade threatens to ban Hawke from "the KS" due to a scam involving counterfeit KryptoKash (the virtual world's currency).

Hawke offers information about the team of ski mask-wearing hackers, which he refers to as the Midnight Grid. He tells Kade that they are a super-group of disgraced technophiles from each of the Electric Nations, assembled by none other than Hector Stormdale himself. Kade pushes for more information, but Hawke's connection distorts and his avatar appears extremely digitized. A health meter appears above his head, emptying fast. Distressed, Hawke says that he has just been stabbed through the heart in real life and will be dead soon. Kade backs away as Hawke's avatar explodes into digital carnage.

Kade removes his VR helmet and, through his control center's window, sees Wendy Pavlord talking to Hector. Kade exits his station to investigate. He can tell that Hector is overcome with Wendy's beauty and sophistication. She sees Kade and compliments him on this hard work for her company, saying that her father, Reynolds Pavlord, would have be proud of him. Kade thanks her and she leaves. Hector admonishes Kade for being rude and asks what he was doing in the KryptoSphere. Before Kade can ask Hector about the Midnight Grid, an assistant tells Kade that he has a phone call. It's Roxanna - and she needs Kade's help.

Kade rushes to Roxanna's condo. She is distraught, coming clean to Kade about her involvement with the Midnight Grid and their nefarious plot to bring down the value of KryptoKash. She explains that she thought the KryptoSphere's collapse would help the Electric Nations' economy, but found out that it would only lead to anarchy. Kade asks her about Hector, but Roxanna says she doesn't know who he is. Once he's convinced, Roxanna leads Kade toward her bedroom for another round of gentle lovemaking (set to "Hyperdrive" by C.C. Cobalt).

The next morning, Kade sneaks Roxanna into Pavlord Industries and they enter the KryptoSphere together. She tells him that there is a virtual records cave in Database Mountain where the secret identities of the Midnight Grid's members are held. Kade and Roxanna reach the base of the virtual mountain and begin to scale it in a sequence that has gained notoriety as a viral video.

The sequence is as follows:

Rather than using normal mountain climbing techniques, Kade switches off the surrounding gravity and the two of them bungee-jump up each level. Badly-rendered digital pterodactyls attack them as they near the top of Database Mountain. Roxanna uses a program called "KryptoKopy" in order to create opposing pterodactyls to defeat the initial wave of prehistoric birds. However, Roxanna's bungee cord is inadvertently cut by one of their beaks. Kade catches her and resets the mountain's gravity to normal. They find a winding path that leads up and activate inline skates (see: rollerblades) from within in their avatars' feet.

The clip currently has over 12 million views on YouTube.

Once they reach the top of Database Mountain, Roxanna points out the entrance to the records cave. However, they are stopped by overriding signals, warning alarms, and messages that appear in their VR helmet displays. Kade and Roxanna are wanted by the Electric City Police Patrol for the murder of Hector Stormdale.

They quickly exit the KryptoSphere and avoid several security guards as they escape Pavlord Industries. Driving through downtown Electric City, Kade explains that they won't be able to access the KryptoSphere while they are wanted. Roxanna asks Kade about Hector Stormdale and he tells her a funny story about a time they got into a street race in "the KS" and had to allude a fleet of KryptoKops. Kade then gets an idea and drives to an old arcade called Button Mashers.

Roxanna tells Kade that this is no time to play Dig Dug as he leads her to a classic pinball game in the back. He taps out a pattern on the flippers and the machine sinks into the wall, revealing a secret passage. They enter and are faced with a old-school robot that demands a password. Kade says "Bodlaender" and the robot leads them to a room filled with technology from all eras. Roxanna is confused, but Kade explains that Bodlaender was an important Dutch computer scientist.

Hunched over a tiny microchip in the middle of buzzing electronics, sits computer tech legend Bolty Dobbs (Jon Gries, Real Genius). He yells at Kade about bringing the Spanish Inquisition to his doorstep, but it turns out to be a Monty Python reference. The two old friends greet each other and Kade introduces Bolty to Roxanna. Bolty say that he knows all about what is happening and that he's there to help them both.

Bolty tells Kade that he has something for him and takes him to a side room with a wall of display monitors. Bolty hits play on a VCR and Hector Stormdale appears on every screen. In a pre-recorded video, Hector explains that if Kade is seeing the message, then he (Hector) has been murdered. He reveals that he once worked directly under Reynolds Pavlord and had a brief love affair with Wendy, which angered the old man. Hector was moved from R&D to security detail at the company, but he kept his ear to the ground over the years and witnessed Wendy absorb her father's penchant for greed, especially after Pavlord died. He then discovered her plot to throw the Electric Nations into chaos, all so that the KryptoSphere would be the only safe haven for people looking to escape crime and rampant poverty.

The message ends abruptly with Hector telling Kade to get as far away from Wendy Pavlord and the Midnight Grid as he can. Bolty hits stop on the playback and Roxanna (who has been standing in the doorway for much of Hector's message) asks Kade what he wants to do. Kade asks Bolty if he can gain access for two to the KryptoSphere, along with counterfeit identities for their avatars. Bolty says that he can and will. Kade turns to Roxanna and tells her that they are going to "KryptoKrash Pavlord's party".

Inside the KryptoSphere, two giant blue pterodactyls circle the Golden Palace. Krypto-denizens pour into the large compound, a banner that reads "Electric Nations Global Conference 2000" adorns the entrance. Wendy Pavlord's smiling face is seen on monitors at every corner. The pterodactyls perch atop one of the landings and transform into two members of the Midnight Grid, both holding briefcases. They enter the building through a roof access opening.

The conference takes place inside a large ballroom where digital food and beverages are being served. Inside the KryptoSphere, people are well-dressed and ecstatic. However, in their real-life Electric Nation homes, people are merely wearing VR helmets while in their underwear and surrounded by filth.

Wendy Pavlord takes the stage, greeted by thunderous applause. She welcomes the denizens and speaks about her father's vision for the KS, as well as the need for evolution. Speaking to concerns about security, Wendy reveals that the Midnight Grid has bested Pavlord Industries' team at every level, infiltrating their ranks and murdering Hector Stormdale. She reveals her romance with Hector, saying that she never stopped loving him.

Behind Wendy, the two Midnight Grid figures appear. Wendy is confused and asks security to capture them, but the masked figures are able to disappear and reappear, seemingly at will. Finally, one accuses Wendy of murdering Hector. The crowd gasps. The two figures press buttons on their trenchcoats and reveal themselves to be Kade and Roxanna. The crowd gasps again.

Wendy asks why their presence isn't transmitting alert signals and Kade explains that they've accessed an override command through a friend. He also tells her that he and Roxanna again have reached the summit of Database Mountain and now know the identity of the Midnight Grid. He asks if it could have been her the whole time: Wendy Pavlord herself?

Through a flashback, Wendy is revealed to be the Midnight Grid in the real world, leading Roxanna through a maze of corporate espionage in order to ensnare Kade in a trap. The figure gracefully alludes Kade in the warehouse without letting on that she knows she is being followed. The secret passageway door closes and she removes the white ski mask, smiling. Later, she sheds a single tear as she plunges a knife into Hector Stormdale's heart.

Back in the KryptoSphere's Golden Palace, Kade says that this is only partially the truth. He opens his briefcase and dumps files onto the floor which morph into a 2-D hologram of the Midnight Grid. He announces that Wendy might be able to play secret agent in Electric City, but the true identity of the Midnight Grid is none other than her father, Reynolds Pavlord, his mind uploaded into the KryptoSphere before death. However, in the KryptoSphere, he is represented in triplicate. The three members of the Midnight Grid appear from the crowd and remove their white ski masks (each played by Harry Dean Stanton).

Kade shakes his head, saying that he never expected a dirtbag like Hawke to actually be Reynolds Pavlord, not in a million years. Two of the Pavlords fade into digitized blocks as the remaining one leaps onto the stage. His clothes transform into a tuxedo and he kisses his daughter's cheek. Smiling, Pavlord greets the audience, telling them that this is all a part of the night's amusement.

Reynolds Pavlord removes a transmitter from his pocket and presses a button, locking Kade and Roxanna into place and preventing them from disappearing again. Pavlord takes his daughter's hand and reiterates to the crowd the need for evolution in the KryptoSphere. He then announces that there is a new innovation from Pavlord Industries. He presses another button on the transmitter and the Golden Palace becomes ultra-realistic. He welcomes the audience to the KryptoSphere Version 2.0 and they rapturously applaud.

As the applause dies, one person in the crowd refuses to stop clapping. Pavlord glares to see who this is. Hector Stormdale, also wearing a tuxedo, walks up onto the stage and asks if they validate parking.

Pavlord demands to know how he got there and Hector explains that he uploaded himself into KryptoSphere 2.0 as soon as he found the specs. He then tells Wendy that he doubts she ever loved him. The only love she ever knew was for her father, who controls her even from beyond death. Wendy begins to cry, finally realizing that this is true.

Hector reveals that he too has a transmitter and releases Kade and Roxanna. He presses another button and the Golden Palace begins to shake and the walls crumble. They begin to flee, but Pavlord tackles Kade and they both disintegrate into digital dust. Roxanna screams, but Hector forces her to keep running. The palace falls and the KryptoSphere reverts back to its 1.0 version.

Later they all gather in a digital KryptoSphere field, a digital scrawl in the sky informs everyone that Wendy Pavlord has been arrested by the Electric City Police Patrol and that Reynolds Pavlord's program in the KryptoSphere was somehow deactivated. Roxanna wonders what became of Kade.

A moment later Kade appears over the horizon, triumphant. He explains that Pavlord believed that he could best Kade in any game of his choosing. She asks him what he chose and he removes a zero-gravity spin-cube from his pocket. She smiles at him and they kiss.

Kade asks Hector what he plans to do now that the Pavlords are gone. Amused, Hector says that he will let the KryptoSphere evolve on its own. He won't be its ruler, but perhaps he'll be its protector. His tuxedo transforms into a superhero outfit and he flies off. Kade and Roxanna laugh. They look at each other and kiss again.

The credits roll in a futuristic font created for the film.

Despite an extensive marketing campaign by Premium Shift Pictures, Blackout in Electric City 3 failed to capture the imagination of its intended audience. The film opened eleventh in its opening weekend and went on to gross only 23% of its production budget. While some critics maintained that the movie featured lively performances and a fun soundtrack, many were confused by the plot and jargon-heavy dialogue. Rumors of a behind-the-scenes romance between David Everett and JoBeth Williams were found to be a marketing ploy perpetrated by Premium Shift, resulting in one marriage's dissolution and several lawsuits.

Today, Blackout 3 is seen as an early counterpart to other cyber thrillers such as Hackers and The Net, though its legacy is less pronounced due to lack of future stars. The special effects, while not bad for its time, now look crude compared to the notable blockbusters that soon followed (T2: Judgement Day and Jurassic Park). However, many fans discovered Blackout 3 on various cable channels and the film has maintained a healthy cult status in the decades since its disastrous theatrical run. Upon Blackout 3's DVD release in 2011, former Premium Shift president Howard Kleinhorn asked these fans where they were in 1990, and then told them all that they could go to hell.