The Night Stalker

The 1970s produced a large volume of made-for-TV movies, and, unlike today, they did not have to be about relevant social topics or preach political correctness. Back then, TV movies could actually be made with no intent other than to entertain--what a decade!

The Night Stalker is one of the very best of these made-for-TV films. Be warned, the production values are not as good as a feature film, but the story, the writing, the acting, and the director's mastery of creepiness make up for any other faults. From McGavin on down the line, the acting is terrific! In fact, Carl Kolchak may be McGavin's finest role. Richard Matheson's writing is up to his usual standards of excellence. Barry Atwater is a great bit of casting as the vampire. If there is one fault, and it has to be laid at the feet of the director, it is the inept use of a stunt man as a substitute for Atwater during the action scenes. In some scenes it is painfully obvious that it is not Atwater; it's a wonder the scenes weren't clipped. But this is the price that is paid for a TV movie with a short shooting schedule. As a whole, The Night Stalker is one of the very best vampire movies ever made. Don't let a few faults deter you from an otherwise classic bit of horror film-making. Remember, this is a TV movie; if you want lots of gore, don't waste your time.

At one point in the 1970's ABC movie of the week was the king of television movies. The Night Stalker was one of those reason why movie of the week reigned supreme. This along with movies like Duel and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and others I can't think of off hand were the reason. The Night Stalker is probably the best of these movies. It was a good story, with a very good and experienced cast of actors. While many were character actors and second bananas, they played their roles well.All of the actors were believable in their roles.The movie was believable and the vampire element was kept simple with little or no special effects.It was not needed. I will grant some of the criticisms about how a middle-aged reporter like Kolchak was able to battle the vampire whereas the police had trouble have merit.However, this doesn't take away from the story. Remember, Kolchak was the only one armed to fight a vampire in the first place.Also, remember it was a made for t.v. movie and plus do you really think Peter Cushing could match Christopher Lee evenly in all of the Hammer Dracula movies, I mean there was a size and strength difference there too. Suspend your belief just a little.The movie was perfect for the times, towards the end of Vietnam and right before Watergate when we were skeptical of everything. This is one of the very few movies from the 70's that I remember fondly.The ending was perfect for the times as well. The Night Stalker as both a story and a movie has to rank in the top ten vampire movies bar none. This is a vampire classic that you can sink your teeth into with great satisfaction!

Good stuff here as modern-day vampirism gets a respectable TV-movie treatment that managed to bring something original to the mixture by having the story told from the point of view of a weary reporter.

Darren McGavin is unforgettable in a telefilm that set the record for ratings shares in its day. His reporter, Carl Kolchak, becomes a believer in the supernatual when he investigates a series of murders where the (female) victims are drained of blood. Kolchak uncovers the truth--the murders are the work of a "real live vampire"--and the truth is quickly covered up again by the Las Vegas police department, who don't want the news of a vampire to interfere with business (one is forced to consider that the ultimate proof of bonafide supernatural goings-on would ultimately be of more importance, but that would spoil the fun).

The film is delightfully dated in its fashions and styling, but otherwise the treatment of the material is surprisingly contemporary, which goes to show just how far ahead of its time "The Night Stalker" really was. 70s genre buffs will be thrilled to see plenty of familiar faces among the cast, including Carol Lynley and Elisha Cook, Jr. The finale, where Kolchak makes the classic spooky-movie mistake of confronting the monster in his own lair, manages to be both tongue-in-cheek and hair raising at the same time. A real example of how storytelling and creativity can render a big budget unnecessary.

And it took a TV movie to achieve this feat. But there's no denying the powerful intersection of screen writer Richard Matheson, producer Dan Curtis, and Darren McGavin in perhaps his best role (after A Christmas Story). Ably assisted by Jeff Rice's original novel, Night Stalker works on every level. The humor is there, but a bit subdued. The vampire is a feral beast who is strong, invulnerable, and drinks blood...and that's it. No lame transformations into a bat: The script's portrayal of Skorzeny the Vampire echoes that of Christopher Lee (Hammer also resisted displaying much of Dracula's superhuman abilities).

Skorzeny has none of the sexuality or personality of Dracula, but in a sense the movie isn't about him even if he's the "Stalker" of the title. It's a movie about Carl Kolchak, reporter and undeterred seeker of truth. He could be stalking a story about corrupt politicians, or mobsters, or whatever. The only difference is here, he's after a vampire. This extra supernatural element rises it above what few dramatic reporter-featured movies there are out there.

Nice little made for TV (ABC) film about Kolchak (McGavin), a washed-up reporter in exile in Las Vegas, looking for a vampire who everybody is convinced is just a psycho. Some good scares, funny moments, and a healthy criticism of the establishment Vegas are all patched into the wonderful Matheson's script. Nice cheezy music and period cars are also a plus. Was turned into a short-lived TV series.