Customer Reviews

The Night Stalker [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The 1972 pilot that opened the door for one of the most popular horror-based television series of all time, "The Night Stalker" is a superb piece of story telling and film making that stands on its own right as one of the most suspenseful and terrifying films ever made.

It stars Darren McGavin as news reporter Carl Kolchak who is out to solve the mysterious string of murders plaguing the darkened streets and alleys of the Las Vegas night life. Curious thing is that all the victims' bodies have been left drained of blood with two small puncture wounds left on their necks.

Eventually, after doing a little research on the subject of the "undead", Kolchak comes to the conclusion that all the victims have fallen prey to a modern-day Vampire. Unfortunately, everybody else refuses to believe Kolchak's "impossible" conclusion and Carl is left to track down and kill the blood sucker alone.

I first saw this film on T.V. when I was about 10 years old (I was born in 1977, so I did not have the privilege of seeing it when it was originally aired), and I must tell you that up til that time (I had not seen the original "Night of the Living Dead" yet) it had been the only movie I'd seen that actually scared me. The last 10 or so minutes that has Kolchak snooping around the Vampire's house are quite chilling and are certainly the scariest few moments in Vampire film history.

If you're a fan of Darren McGavin, horror movies, or just a fan of the T.V. series, you have probably already seen this one. If not, you definitely need to check it out as soon as possible.

The credit for this one goes mainly to Richard Matheson who wrote the script for "The Night Stalker." Certainly casting Darrin McGavin as the cynical reporter Carl Kolchak who becomes the world's crotchety vampire slayer was a brilliant selection, but Matheson's script sets the tone. This is not surprising, since Matheson was the second best writer on the original "Twilight Zone." I still vividly remember watching this when it first came on, and became the highest rated made for television movie of all time (an honor that did not last long, to be sure). There was just a feel to this movie, that it took itself and its subject seriously. Of course we "knew" there were such things as vampires and waited for Kolchak to catch up to the truth. "The Night Stalker" also had the advantage that for most of the story we are dealing with the "idea" that Janos Skorzeny (Barry Atwater) is a vampire rather than dealing with the actual bloodsucker himself. The supporting cast is excellent, most notably Carol Lynley as Kolchak's plucky but endangered girl friend Gail Foster and Simon Oakland as his gruff boss at the newspaper Tony Vicenzo. Also, look for Larry Linville has a role as Medical Examiner Robert Makurji. Ultimately, "The Night Stalker" turns the traditional vampire story, as represented by countless take offs on Abraham Van Helsing going after Count Dracula, on its head. Just compare what happens to the heroic Kolchak at the hands of the grateful citizenry. Not until "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" made its way to television has the tube treated vampires with this much intelligence and creativity. For my money this is definitely the first "realistic" vampire story and a first class effort.

I originally purchased this movie largely because X-Files creator Chris Carter cited it and the short-lived Night Stalker TV series as important influences on his own vision. I also love vampire movies. This does seem to be a rather unusual TV movie for its era (1971), but you can hardly go wrong when Richard Matheson is the scriptwriter. Darren McGavin is wonderful as Kolchak, the much-beleaguered, formerly big-name newspaper reporter determined to get to the bottom of a string of murders in Las Vegas. The cast is rather interesting, featured Larry Linville of M*A*S*H fame as the "boy coroner" and Claude Akins as Sheriff Butcher. This is a rather old TV movie, so there is virtually no blood to be seen outside of IV packs and bottles, but there is plenty of suspense. Kolchak is brought back from vacation by his editor to cover the string of murders, yet the editor won't publish anything Kolchak writes. The police are no fans of him, either. When Kolchak makes the logical conclusion that the killer is a real-life vampire, the authorities are less than open to such a possibility--at least, until a swarm of Las Vegas' finest cannot bring down the suspect with brawn and bullets. Don't expect to see Count Dracula in this one; Kolchak's vampire is not suave or mysteriously handsome at all; his appearance explains why he attacks women rather than seduces them. I must say that the ending was somewhat unusual and helps to distinguish this movie from the string of forgettable, darkly comical string of low-budget vampire movies of the 1970s and 1980s. History shows that it is not easy to make a decent vampire movie, but The Night Stalker succeeds rather impressively. Having been made for TV, it is rather short (clocking in at around 78 minutes), but The Night Stalker deserves a place among the better vampire movies ever made. Even the most squeamish of viewers should be able to sit through this movie without a problem. I myself prefer more blood and gore in my horror movies, but the kind of suspense this movie manufactures is the most critical factor in its success.

This has to be the best made for TV movie ever made. Filmed in 1972 with strict TV censorship, this movie is still filled with suspense and is scary. Very few movies from the late 1960's or early 1970's hold up today. The ""Night Stalker" has hardly aged at all. There is this hook that emerges from the very beginning of the movie that grabs our interest and never lets go! And this hook is reality.

When Kolchak tell us to "Judge for yourself the believability, and then try to tell yourself, wherever you may be, it couldn't happen here", he is giving us the street reporters version of Dr. Van Helsing version from Lugosi's Dracula: "The superstition of yesterday can become the scientific reality of today...The strength of the Vampire is that people will not believe in him." Yet, with Kolchak, he tells us with facts and figures. Makes you believe. After watching this movie you will check your doors and windows at night.

This is a great movie and when it came out in 1971, it was truely frightening. Fortunately, for todays viewers it has not lost its scariness one bit. Darren McGavin portraysarl Kolchak, a one-time big city reporter who is banneshed to Las Vegas for stirring up too much trouble, and in this movie he definitely finds the trouble in discovering a modern day Vampire. Simon Oakland plays Kolchak's exasperated Newspaper Editor, who deep down likes and respects Kolchak but dosen't believe (or dosen't want to believe) Kochak's chilling conclusions.

This movie is full of humor, wit, and truely frightening moments, and for a T.V. Movie made in 1971, it is truely outstanding entertainment. Many horror writers and producers of today say this movie was their influence, for instance Chris Carter who wrote and founded the X Files, said the Kolchak is the inspiration for Skully and Mulder, quite a high achievement and honor.

This is HIGHLY recommended to all Horror/Terror fans and is well worth watching over again.

The best "b" or TV movies as a rule will feature well written scripts performed by great character actors. The NIGHT STALKER fits the bill to a T.

Darren McGavin shines in his first apperance as Karl Kolchak reporter who refuses to disbelieve the unbelieveable if it means a great story. It is no shock that this film, tightly scripted and well acted all round resulted in a sequel and a TV series that is still in syndication.

Enjoy this modern father of the TV horror series of today. Too bad they all don't reach this level.

Well worth your money

Though originally made for television, THE NIGHT STALKER is definitely one of the finest horror/suspense films made anywhere at any time, for television or the big screen. Rarely before, and even more rarely since, has a horror film managed to stay within the bounds of the restrictive TV censorship mores and still be truly effective and scary.

Darren McGavin gives an excellent performance as Carl Kolchak, a Las Vegas newspaper reporter who is forced by his irascible editor (Simon Oakland) to cover what he thinks is a "two day old, third-rate murder" of a local showgirl. But this murder has a twist, in that she was drained of blood! Two more women end up being killed in the same way, drained of blood. McGavin openly suspects that the killer either is, or fancies himself as being, a vampire. But the law enforcement officials in town, not to mention Oakland, are in total disbelief of McGavin's supernatural theories. This, even when the vampire (Barry Atwater), said to be in his seventies, can't even be slowed down, let alone stopped, by cops' bullets.

Capped off by a chilling confrontation between McGavin and the vampire in Atwater's house and a slightly predictable but nevertheless satisfying coda, THE NIGHT STALKER has a highly worthy pedigree behind it. Dan Curtis, the creator of TV's only horror soap opera "Dark Shadows" was the producer; Richard Matheson (of DUEL and "Twilight Zone" fame) wrote the screenplay from an unpublished story by Jeff Rice; and British emigre John Llewellyn Moxey directed with a flair worthy of Hitchcock. Indeed, THE NIGHT STALKER is very much like a Hitchcock film in its mixture of horror and black comedy. Ralph Meeker (THE DIRTY DOZEN) is good as the one law officer sympathetic to McGavin's cause, and Carol Lynley is also quite good as McGavin's girlfriend, and, because of her employment as a showgirl, a potential victim of Atwater's.

In its day the single highest-rated TV movie ever, THE NIGHT STALKER has hardly dated all that much; and for fans of horror and suspense, it is well worth adding to your collection.

This is one of the best television movies of all time. Darren McGavins’ performance as investigative reporter Carl Kolchak, who stumbles onto the actions of a rampaging vampire is masterful. His rumpled look, off-style clothing and mannerisms endear you to him immediately.

The supporting characters are also strong and well-played. The are the perfect foils for Kolchak as he reaches the absurd, but correct conclusion long before the authorities do. The setting is Las Vegas, which, given the vampire’s predilection for sucking the blood of voluptuous young women, sets the perfect backdrop.

Horror movies come in many forms, many of which are completely forgettable. I am not a fan of the genre, yet I remembered some of the dialog in this movie even though I had not seen it in over twenty years. Absolutely first rate.

Believe it or not, I actually had a friend who would not leave the house for three days after watching this when it originally aired, not even to go to school. Well acted, well written, well directed little potboiler of a movie which occasionally pops up on cable, but is well worth owning. It spawned a TV series, but it failed to capture the magic of the original.

If you are a fan of the X-Files I highly recommend this video. Carl Kolchak is a great character and Darren McGavin is perfect for the role. Every time I watch this show I want more. The story holds up very well today as far as being creepy. The on screen chemistry between Darren McGavin (Kolchak) and his boss Vincenzo (Simon Oakland) is priceless! What are you waiting for....get this movie and any of the other episodes on video today!