Dead of Night: A Darkness at Blaisedon

I know full well that the comments that have been provided by my fellow horror fans are quite accurate, but I think you should give this little piece a chance. As clichéd as it is -- and it is! -- it manages to evoke a certain atmosphere that makes it fun to watch, despite the technical issues and the predictable storyline.

For me, a movie is almost always more about image and atmosphere; the question I always ask is "does it stay with me?" There are good movies that I would never see again and there are bad movies that become guilty pleasures. Dan Curtis had something and it comes across in most of his material. This is a perfect example of a certain type of horror, the kind that we did grow up with and ultimately find funny rather than scary; but it remains atmospheric for all that.

Failed pilot to a proposed TV series by Dan Curtis("The Night Stalker") features a little known cast in a story about a woman who contacts two paranormal researchers to investigate her reputedly haunted house she has inherited.

Oddly video-taped, rather than filmed, which makes the whole thing look cheap and amateurish, though script isn't too bad really, and there is some atmosphere to be had, it just fails to come to life adequately to engage the viewer, though it may have cult possibilities.

Was released on DVD as a special feature with the similarly titled "Dead Of Night" TV film from 1977, which was a more successful effort, though a TV series never developed from either project.

Same creator ( Dan Curtis). One of the same directors. One of the same writers. Same stock music ( at least some of the same music). Thayer David ( who very slightly yells and overacts here a little much). A similar seance scene as some such events on DS. Similar plot. Another cast member from DS. Differences are the extremely beutiful Marj Dusay. Two other actors. Better house sets here than on DS. None of the same characters.

A little too much is crammed into this hardly hour show.

Modest but engaging 'haunted house' effort with all the typical trappings: sinister custodian, lookalike descendant, possession, séance, ghost, grave-digging, atonement over past crime, etc.

The film was the unsold pilot (running 52 minutes) for a proposed TV series, though the title was later adopted by a feature-length anthology (also for the small screen) by its creator, Dan Curtis; in fact, I acquired this along with that one and I intend the latter's viewing to follow presently. Despite the uncinematic look (redolent of early video quality), the result conjures up sufficient atmosphere and tension throughout (technically via lighting, production design, sound and music and thematically as much by way of conjecture as action scenes) to keep one solidly entertained.

The rest of the protagonists are a couple of men with a passion for and knowledge of the esoteric (one is played by ex-Sinbad Kerwin Mathews, gracefully aged, and the other an Indian) – whom the leading lady calls upon to 'investigate' her brand-new legacy. By the end of the picture, apart from the fact that she starts having mutual feelings for the hero, her companions ask the woman to join their 'business' since, during her tenure inside the house (which obviously goes up in flames at the climax), she had proved especially receptive to the supernatural!

This is a bonus feature included for the TV movie "Dead of Night". Despite the similarity of the titles, the two are unrelated projects by Dan Curtis (of "Dark Shadows" fame). The TV movie is an horror anthology (perhaps originally intended as a TV pilot) and "A Darkness at Blaisedon" was a one-hour failed pilot. Both are well worth your time.

This pilot concerns folks who investigate the supernatural and in many ways it's a bit like the later "Kolchak" series. In this particular case, a young heiress is concerned because she cannot sell the mansion she just inherited because the potential buyers all complain that the place is haunted. While she doesn't believe this, she is willing to pay a paranormal researcher to investigate and give it the all clear. However, it IS haunted and soon this pretty lady finds herself possessed! What's next? See it yourself.

Overall, this is a pretty good show--and perhaps it was good enough for a 7 (it is close). It kept my interest and the only complaint is the cheap look of the production--though the "Dark Shadows" TV show also looked really, really cheap as well and probably used the same sets. Worth a peek.