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In THE STRANGE AND DEADLY OCCURRENCE, Michael and Christine Rhodes (Robert Stack and Vera Miles), along with their daughter, Melissa (Margaret Willock), are settling in to their new, rural home. Odd things begin happening almost immediately, like unexplained power outages, weird furnace trouble, and an eerie, heavy-breathing presence!

Christine soon learns of the house's dark past. Could some paranormal phenomena be afoot? And, who's the bizarre guy that insists on buying the house? As the inexplicable events grow more frequent and dangerous, the Rhodes' start to question the wisdom of their investment.

Michael believes that some flesh and blood perpetrator is up to no good. The Sheriff (L.Q. Jones) is unconvinced that anything serious is taking place. Then, a life is lost, and a secret is uncovered. This all leads to the big, shock finale.

This made-for-TV movie is an effective mystery / thriller with a nice, ironic ending. Both Stack and Miles are convincing in their parts.

Watch for the inimitable Bill McKinney as Pratt...

Yes it's true there really isn't any strange and deadly occurrence in the film--though you could argue there are several. You could also say that not much really happens in the film--despite these, I feel, truths about this still obscure movie, it's worth watching.

I saw it as an adult in a poor copy that still couldn't ruin the film. Much credit to the director and to a set up that feels like the Manson family is about to attack at any moment--but don't expect that kind of pay off as there is more dread than actual action in the film. Shows what a good cast and director can do--at least back then. Robert Stack is especially good. And the late appearance of Deliverance crazy McKinney makes the ending much more satisfying than it should be. One of the great creepo character actors at the top of his form.

Today this would be made for LIFETIME in a lifeless way. And if they did, they would cut the "headless" scene that is the horror highlight of a movie that isn't really a horror film. I suppose if you saw this as a kid you'd say it was the headless movie though that is one isolated scene with little or nothing to do with the rest of the film.

No the film is not in the same league and the great scary 70's TV movies, but it's way above par for what passes as TV thrillers currently.

Sandor Stern as one of the writers is a plus as well. This just shows what talent and craft can do with a very limited story concept.

I had this movie for a long time in a Betamax tape bought by my father just after buying our first color TV (a Sony KV-2142R) and Betamax (Sony SL-8600) back in mid 1978. Dubbed to Spanish and re-titled "La Casa Embrujada" ("The Haunted House"), I consider it a promising movie with a really bad ending, but anyway I'd love to have that Spanish-dubbed version just for memories from when I was eleven. It was recorded from a Panamanian TV broadcast, commercials included. I used it a lot (specially Dr. Gillgreen's face) to adjust the TV's hue and color settings, at a time in which color TV broadcasts hadn't arrived to my country (Color TV was officially launched in Colombia on Saturday Dec. 1, 1979 at 7:00 PM GMT -5). The only worry in life back then was school...

Hey guys this movie is ran all the time..... it came on TBS several times in the late 80s early 90s and recently was shown on the Turner South Network!!!!! Ive seen it probably 7 or 8 times !! im sure it will be on soon.... if i see it coming on ill tape it and maybe i can get you guys copies or something !!!!!!!!!

While I can't comment too much on this movie in detail, I do remember it scared the hell out of me as a kid when I first saw it. The "headless" mannequin dummy and the eerie pounding is what I remember about it that was so scary. I also remember the ending, which I won't give away here of course. (Not that you'll ever get to see this movie.)

NO ONE, I mean NO ONE remembers this movie. The fact that I'm the only one with a comment here so far for this movie attests to this. This TV movie scared me as much as DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK and TRILOGY OF TERROR. Almost everyone remembers those though. I even saw DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK on video at my local Blockbuster, but NEVER this one ANYWHERE EVER.

I haven't seen it in at least twenty years. I'd like to see this again somehow and my searches turn up nothing. It's not even listed in Leonard Maltin's fat movie book. If anyone knows where this can be found on video. Please email me.