lazarillo I really like these 70's made-for-TV horror movies, perhaps because I saw a lot of them as an impressionable young kid. I never saw this one, but it was directed by Dan Curtis the master of small-screen suspense, who was behind both "Dark Shadows" and "Kolchack, the Night Stalker" and who directed several superior TV movies like "The Norliss Tapes" and "Trilogy of Terror" as well as the very scary theatrical film "Burnt Offerings". This is actually a failed pilot that is not quite at the level of the previously mentioned films--but then very few TV movies are. Like "Trilogy of Terror" this is an anthology of three tales, and as with "Trilogy" the quality of the three tales is rather uneven. Curtis' direction is pretty serviceable, and famed horror writer Richard Matheson's stories are all above par, but the length and some of the acting is a problem.The first story about an old car that transports its new owner back to a time when it's original owner was killed trying to beat a train is obviously intended to be more of a supernatural mystery tale than a horror. Still, it is overly long and hampered by a bland central performance from 70's douchebag, I mean actor, Ed Begley Jr. It does feature the very sexy Christina Hart in a regrettably small part (you can see a lot more of her--in every sense of the word--in 70's sex films like "The Games Girls Play"). The second story "There's No Such Thing as Vampires" is a period piece about a jealous brother who uses the local superstitions about vampires to get rid of his sister's paramour in a pretty imaginative way. This tale features performances by the late, great Elish Cook Jr. and the stunningly voluptuous Anjanette Comer (who they REALLY manage to waste by dressing her in Victorian garments and having her bedridden for most of the segment). While the first story is too long, this one unfortunately is actually a little too short.As everyone seems to agree, the last story "Bobby" is the best. It has elements of "The Monkey's Paw" where a distraught mother (Joan Hackett) wishes her drowned son (Lee Montgomery) back from the dead. It also has elements of "Prey" the final Matheson-scripted tale in "Trilogy of Terror" with "Bobby" taking the place of the African fetish doll. Imagine the ending of "Pet Sematary" some years later, but with GOOD acting and you'll some idea of the effectiveness of this tale. The three tales are definitely uneven, but I would still recommend the whole thing, especially if you like 70's TV movies.

Scarecrow-88 The late great Dan Curtis brings us three horror/fantasy tales from the pen of Richard Matheson, featuring a strong cast. Made for television, Curtis was one of the most successful producer-directors working in the field of horror during the 70's. A nice double feature this would make with his superior omnibus, Trilogy of Terror(..starring the incomparable Karen Black).The first tale(Second Chance) stars Ed Begley Jr as Frank, a young man with a knack for restoring older cars, with a knowledge and love for them. He restores a '26 London Playboy, understanding from it's past that a teenage couple perished as the driver attempted to pass a train. Driving the Playboy down a dirt road, Frank finds himself in the nearby town Crestwell, except in the 1920's! This is a poignant tale resembling those time-warp Twilight Zone nostalgia episodes where an otherworldly journey back in time can alter the lives of others, a chance given back due to the particular care of someone towards a machine left buried under a tarp. The second tale(No Such Thing as a Vampire) features Patrick Macnee as a professor whose wife(Christina Hart) seems to be falling prey to a vampire, under his own nose, asking a colleague(..played by Horst Buchholz)to assist him. Elijah Cook Jr. is Macnee's frightened, superstitious butler. This one has a twist regarding adultery and revenge. And, the third, final, and best tale(Bobby) stars Joan Hackett as a deeply traumatized mother who desperately longs for her deceased son, who mysteriously drowned(Lee Montgomery;BURNT OFFERINGS), going as far as using black magic, attempting to conjure him back from the dead. He does return, but it isn't the son she once knew. This one is stylishly executed and suspenseful as Hacket finds herself fighting for survival with Montgomery chasing her throughout their large house(..overlooking a cliff leading to rocks and ocean below), playing a game of hide-and-seek trying to kill her, as the thunder roars, power out, and the childlike voice proclaiming, "I'm gonna find you, MOMMY!" Montgomery has this really boyishly innocent face that makes his character's emerging menace even more palpable. The twist, regarding who this kid really is, adds a nice sock to the senses closing the anthology nicely. The first two tales aren't very potent in the terror category as the opening narration would suggest, but the third tale takes up the slack of both of them, and then some. Interesting enough, DEAD OF NIGHT is quite similar to TRILOGY OF TERROR, structurally, in how the tales impact you..the first is a mild opener, the second has an eye-opening twist, and the third packs a wallop(..quite a roller coaster thrill-ride where a heroine attempts to escape an unlikely malevolent presence bent on inflicting harm, brought to life by a magic spell). I think this will entertain fans of classic horror anthologies, but isn't quite as successful or memorable as TRILOGY OF TERROR, mainly because the novelty of starring Karen Black(..who displayed her incredible range as an actress)isn't here. The first film better belongs in a TWILIGHT ZONE anthology movie than in a Dan Curtis production. I found it pleasant, written with heart and care(..one can see Matheson's yearning for days gone by;this one felt particularly Bradbury), but not suited for what was supposed to be a "terror trilogy." The second's draw is Macnee and Cook Jr, even if the result of the tale is only mildly effective..although, Macnee's wicked grin leaves an unsettling feeling, closing the tale. I think most viewers will leave this movie, impressed with the final tale to the point that the overall product will have legs for years to come.

shadorealm I wondered why I had no memory of this whatsoever, despite being a big fan of Dan Curtis in his pre-WINDS OF WAR, gone-Hollywood days. I retained vivid memories of TRILOGY OF TERROR, NIGHTSTALKER, etc long before their resurrection on home video and DVD. I even remember Patty Duke turning into a really big spider in front of poor Tony Franciosa in the ridiculous CURSE OF THE BLACK WIDOW. Now I know why. Two of the three stories are very weak tea indeed. Odd considering this was made 2 years after TRILOGY. Worth a mention only for the 3rd and longest segment, 'Bobbie'. I never knew the same Richard Matheson segment in TRILOGY OF TERROR 2 was a remake and DEAD is the original. Joan Hackett, looking like a cross between Karen Black and Barbara Parkins, is older here than Lysette Anthony in TT2, and frankly does a better job with the part, introducing a subtle ick factor in her interactions with 'Bobbie' thats nowhere to be found in Lysette's version, and suggests just why the kid despises her so much.Also included on the disk is a failed pilot for a Dan Curtis TV series about psychic investigators. It plays exactly like a visit to Collinwood on an extremely slow nite. The feeling of deja vu is only enhanced by the DS music, very familiar camera set-ups, the presence of Thayer David (always welcome), and for all I know the sets from the Old House re-dressed with fresh trappings from the thrift shop.

mcbee-1 I saw this movie when it originally aired in 1977. I was only a little intrigued with the first two stories, but it was the third, "Bobby," that gave me nightmares for years. Joan Hackett is excellent (as usual) as Bobby's mother, and Lee Montgomery is equally good as a boy who goes from sweet victim to hellish tormenter. When I saw it again in '82, I was older of course and more cynical, but I found the ending just as frightening as it was the first time I watched it. Damn scary for a T.V. movie, and worth watching when Halloween rolls around!