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Night Terror is a simple thriller that tells the story of a woman driving across country by herself. The drive turns into what might be classed as a REALLY bad day, and the film effectively charts her run of bad luck which reaches it's most frightening when a psychopathic creep starts to follow her.

I used the term "simple" not as a criticism. The film achieves what it sets out to do, charting a frightening journey for a lone traveller out in the middle of nowhere. Valerie Harper is superb as the central character Carol, and for a lot of the running time she carries the whole movie single handedly. What impressed me about the film was that all the experiences are portrayed convincingly. Carol initially just runs low on gas, but from this, she stumbles from one stressful situation to another, each worse than the last, yet she handles each challenge with realistic ingenuity. I really liked her resourcefulness as more and more danger is thrown at her.

The film starts quite slowly as Carol leaves her family for a long drive, but it gets going soon enough and the middle third is the best as night falls and the real drama of Carol's ordeal is played out. Night Terror is actually a fitting title, as the movie lives up to it in this middle section. The story ends satisfyingly, although without all the loose ends tied up, but I really enjoyed it.

Only available on rental VHS from years ago, it's very unlikely that many people will see this now, which is a shame. I'm glad I did, as it's another little gem of 70's made-for-TV-movie fun.

This one has good and bad points. The climax and ending were the bad points. It's as if they really didn't know how to end it so they threw in the desert and helicopter stuff... followed by the hospital scene.

The good to it is that most of it is fairly interesting - all the middle stuff going on is sorta thrilling. The gas station scene is simply weird. I thought for a minute she was trying to break into a wall safe to try to find coins to use the phone, then I realized it was to turn on the gas pump. lol.

This would have a really good movie but the ending - when it became daylight in the desert and then the hospital scene was a bad way to end an otherwise decent made for TV thriller.

5/10

I agree with Kirk; I saw this when I was nine, and never forgot it! It provided a special twist to your typical, melodramatic woman-alone-on-the-road story, so common for an age where were just getting over the idea of women being "helpless." But this killer should never have messed with Rhoda!

The production values weren't bad for the 70s-made-for-TV genre, either. Really kind of a breath of fresh air, when all the other made-for-TVs were going for the "creepy-crawly thing of the week" motif.

Valerie Harper plays a mother who is traveling across the country to see her son, who has just had an ear operation. On the way, she witnesses a policeman being murdered. What's worse, the murderer witnesses HER. Then the chase is on!

The killer only speaks through a vibrating larynx box, which makes his words, considering their nature, sound even more sinister and mechanical, when we hear him speak at all (really only at the beginning).

I'm not sure where this movie can be rented...the best hope is to wait for your local television station to play it as a late-night feature or a Sunday matinee. Try and catch it if you can. Watch especially for the clever climax and turnabout, as Val turns the tables on the killer!

You can have days in life where literally everything goes wrong! Poor, neurotic housewife Carol Turner is experiencing such a day to the extreme, to say the least. She was scheduled to enjoy a second honeymoon, but then her hubby is stuck at work. Carol finds herself all alone in a motel room when she receives a phone call to inform her that her 9-year-old son is in the hospital due to an accident. She needs to go urgently from Phoenix to Denver, but there aren't any flights due to the bad weather. Carol hates driving on the Interstate, but now she must start a 16-hour drive with a gas tank as good as empty.

And yet, the worst is still to come for Carol. As night falls, she witnesses the brutal murder of a police officer by an unseen killer in a yellow Mustang. She rushes off and a deadly cat-and-mouse game ensues.

"Night Drive" is clearly inspired by the greatest television thriller of all times; - namely Steven Spielberg's "Duel". Of course, this one contains more dramatic background and a whole lot less suspense, but it has a handful of strong moments. Several sequences carry on for too long, like Carol's intrusion of an abandoned gas station, and actually reduce the tension level rather than building it up. The killer (Richard Romanus) is very menacing. He's mysterious, silent (when he does speak he uses a larynx box), and his mean personality is perfectly illustrated in an early scene at a roadside diner. He is creepy, but still not as creepy as a psycho that remains invisible the entire time, like in "Duel".

Howler of a Duel knock-off with Valerie Harper playing a character so stupid it defies belief. I don't even want to spoil all the examples of how stupid this person is because it would ruin so many funny scenes for you. You have to watch. I will say that every single part of the lengthy gas station sequence is comedy gold. GOLD I tell you! A warning before you watch: the movie takes itself seriously. It's a comedy, but an unintended one. I'm telling you this because the first fifteen or twenty minutes before any actual driving starts is pretty dull stuff. Harper's line delivery is atrocious, which helps with the comedy but makes the film a chore to sit through whenever she's interacting with another person. It's really hard to believe this is the same actress who breathed life into one of the most colorful, likable characters in TV history, Rhoda Morgenstern.

Forget all the Duel comparisons. There's no tension or suspense here. You don't really care what happens to anyone, you just want to laugh at it all, particularly Harper's character. This is a great watch if you go into it with the right mindset. Take it seriously and you're in trouble. Finally, one of the highlights for me is this exchange between Harper's character and a man who is a word we aren't allowed to use anymore - Man: "You're a nice lady." Our Heroine: "Do you have any money?"

Welcome fellow movie fans to my review of Night Terror 1977

The Story gets a 1.25 out of 2: There comes a time when you grow tired of the Hollywood film glamour and want something with a tad more substance. I find most mainstream directors are now happy to give you eye-candy visuals while writers screenwriters are dumbing down. However, TV Movies, which don't possess a large budget, tend to pride themselves on storylines and plausibility. It's the creditability that makes Night Terror one of the better TV Flicks. Night Terror isn't outstanding, but it is certainly entertaining.

Carol and Walter Turner are married with two children. Walter's career means the family have to relocate every few years. This account takes place in one of those years. Walter has flown to his new job but has arraigned to meet Carol at a motel to celebrate their anniversary with a second honeymoon, then drive to their new home. Carol's sister has flown with the two kids to the new house and awaits them there. Deplorably, Walters work forces him to miss his liaison, though Carol agrees to wait for him. She subsequently receives a call from her sister, who informs her of her son's hospitalisation. Carol gives the doctor consent to operate and then proceeds to rush to his side. Due to wintry weather conditions, she's unable to fly down and decides to make the long journey in the family's trusty station wagon. Desperately seeking a gas station, she slows her car to ask a police officer, who's pulled over an automobile for speeding, for directions. As he nears her vehicle, the man in the parked car shoots him with a shotgun. Fortunately for Carol, the gun jams, and she stomps on the accelerator, speeding into the safety of the evening. Behind her, the gunman ignites his engine and gives chase. No witnesses.

What Carl Gabler and Richard DeNeut provide the audience is a chase filled with authenticity. For example, we know Carol's car is low on gas, and when it does run dry, she's going to be in real trouble. At the time of the shooting, we're aware she's looking for a service station, the last one having moved to Interstate 17. The road she requires. The road she's racing down. But will she reach the garage before the killer catches up to her? She does, but it's not without its challenges. Her car stops on the curve overlooking the station, so Carol heaves the vehicle down the slope. Once there, she notes the garage is closed and a "Gone Hunting" sign sits in the window. Gabler and DeNeut then take Carol through a crash course of required criminality as she has to break in, try to phone the police, get the petrol pumps working, fill up, and get on her way. All before the madman with the gun arrives. They carry out unlawful activities superbly. They even throw in a twist or two to add tension to her actions.

Gabler and DeNeut give the viewers scenes of uniform depth throughout the film. But on top of this, the narrative is moreover about Carols growth. At the beginning of her tale, she is timid and a tad wishy-washy. As her saga unfolds, she learns to be strong, independent, and a canniness grows within her. All of which allows her to be her strongest when she inevitably faces the army veteran intent on her demise.

I've watched a few films lately where one of the leading characters are vocally dumb, Willy's Wonderland and The Spiral Staircase. Night Terror is another film with a silent character. In this instance, it's the bad guy. I additionally have to say this is the best mute character to date. In most ways, it's down to the actor playing the killer, but I have to mention his character is also carefully crafted. We see he has a chip on his shoulder and anger in his heart. His hatred and loathing aren't solely for himself; it's for everyone. But Carol and her perpetual good luck at escaping him burn his inner fires the brightest.

Another element I appreciated was the coincidences. Life is swarming with them, like me watching films with mutes in them. I haven't beheld one in years now three come along at once, just like the No42 bus. Gabler and DeNeut put in a superb one. Carol doesn't know she's lost him. The killer is about to abandon the chase. Then he observes a car on a spur road; he observes it as it draws up to the intersection with his highway. It's Carol. It made me smile because this is my type of luck, which I could relate to easily.

The Direction and Pace receive a 2.25 out of 4: E W Swackhamer (you have to love that name.) isn't the best director, though he does keep the film entertainingly absorbing. There are way too many scenes that could have been better. Especially the Petrol Station Break-in. He utilises the night's darkness well enough, but it could have been emphasised better with brighter spots of moonlight or by generating darker shadows. A variety of interesting camera angles would've added grandly to the whole affair. What he delivers is okay, but a smidgen more would've been better.

As for the pacing, Swackhamer is as average there as he is with the direction. Though there are hints of variations in tempo, it would have improved immensely had he implemented the quicker cuts of today's filmmakers. The tension is there when she's breaking into the garage and when she gets grounded in the mud. Once again, it's adequate but could have been better.

The Performances get a 1.25 out of 2: I am unsure if Valerie Harper was suited to the role of Carol. To begin with, she came across as a kind of non-entity. I acknowledge Carol's starting character is like that, and her strength and personality grow. I've witnessed Harper in other roles, and though I'm not a massive fan, I've never faulted her work or skill until now. I'm unable to place my finger on it. However, I think a blank like Carol required an actress with a screen presence. It would have provided the viewers with something tangible.

I believe the most capable actor in the movie was Richard Romanus, who played the mute killer. He effortlessly oozed contempt and hatred for his fellow men and women. You knew this guy was mean and bad to the bone. He's the type of guy to guzzle down gasoline so he could pee on you if you were on fire. Romanus especially nailed the man's rage, anguish, and desperation.

Close on his heels was John Quade. Usually known for his more butch and forceful characters, in Night Terror he portrays a derelict. A homeless man, moneyless and down on his luck. And though he's not on screen that long, Quade infuses him with sadness, loneliness, and timidity that is palpable. You can experience the depression seeping out of the man's body. He merely wants to find a place and disappear. A tragic character superbly acted.

And my Enjoyment level hits a 1.25 out of 2: The story and the acting reinforced my enjoyment of the picture, while the unexceptional directional style bore me unhindered to the conclusion. The only dislikes I had were personal, like my statement about Valerie Harper and Swackhamer's direction. As such, these are elements you may, and probably will, have different opinions than mine. For once, it's delightful not to pick fault with a film for any of its elements. No issues with the script in general. Only ideas on how the filming could have been stronger. It was an enjoyable way to spend an evening, and I will doubtlessly enjoy Night Terror again in the foreseeable future.

These ratings give Night Terror a 6 out of 10: If you're a fan of TV Flicks or Thrillers, I'd gladly recommend giving Night Terror at least one viewing. It's a Sunday afternoon picture. You're happily stuffed, just like the chicken you've gobbled down, and all you want to do is have a tipple, relax, and enjoy an easy movie. This is that kind of picture, but with enough interest to stop you from falling into dreamland while watching it.

Once you've escaped the psychopathic killer, come and check out my Killer, Thriller, Chillers, and The Game Is Afoot list to see where Night Terror raced into my rankings.

Take Care and Stay Well, and Get Inoculated.

Way too slow and the chick acted like she knew how to do nothing. The movie was hideous. Don't you love it how all the killers in the 70's came from Vietnam? I take high offense to that. Dad was in "Nam and he didn't run to Canada or Mexico, he toughed it out. You'd think Jane Fonda made this movie?

watched it on t.v while doing the ironing very late one night. After reading about it in the t.v guide I thought it wouldn't be very good, but was one of the best things I've ever watched on t.v. I don't recall a terrible lot of talking (because she's on her own in the car being stalked for a lot of the time) but it was so terrifying just to watch. Usually I watch these types of movies just to laugh at them and it was good to actually be scared by one for a change. I just wish I had it on video to show all my friends, it would be perfect viewing for a Halloween party or something like that.

Night Terror is not a particularly original film and clearly takes more than a little bit of influence from Steven Spielberg's suspenseful masterpiece 'Dual'. In spite of this, however, Night Terror is a decent romp that does at least entertain for most of its duration. The plot is very simple and focuses on a woman out on the road by herself. It just so happens that there's also a psycho around and when she witnesses him killing a police officer; she finds herself on the wrong end of his attention as she is stalked through the road by the psychopath. The film was made for TV and the budget restrictions are obvious because the film does not lift itself above the ordinary; but it keeps the focus on the plot and the suspense and this is enough to carry it on through. The lead actress is Valerie Harper, who apparently has a lot of TV credits to her name. She gives a decent performance; it not especially brilliant but at least she remains interesting for the duration. Richard Romanus is not memorable enough for me in his psycho role, however. It all boils down to the token and expected ending and while I would say that the film is slightly too long on the whole; it's still decent enough stuff and is worth a look if you can find it.

I can't believe this just got a blu ray release. It didn't even deserve a vhs release. I love 70's made for tv movies and have watched every single one i can get my hands on for decades. If you took all of the boring night-time driving scenes out of this you'd have a generic half hour tv episode. Harper is so annoying in this all she does is do dumb crap and scream for 73 minutes. The killer is equally lame and ridiculous. Skip it. You've been warned.

(1977) Night Drive THRILLER

The theme is similar to Steven Spielberg's 1971 film "Duel" that is coincidentally also made for TV, except that this time has housewife and a mother of two, Carol Turney (Valerie Harper) of two, hoping to spend her honeymoon or to have some alone time with her husband, Walter at a motel, except that he is unable to make it. And for unforeseen circumstances, and upon hearing about her son's sudden illness from her sister, Vera, she is forced her to cut her stay at a motel short. At first, she tries to go by plane except that they were cancelled as a result of weather, leaving her with no choice but to drive from Phoenix to a Denver, hospital by herself. Meanwhile, a killer (Richard Romanus) tries to strike up a deal with his dealer through the phone.

Separated from her husband and kids by extraordinary circumstances, harried housewife Valerie Harper needs to drive alone from Phoenix to Denver (she can't fly because the airport is snowed in!). An example of the corny writing here: after asking the valet how to find the interstate to Denver, the man says to Harper, "That's a 16-hour drive! Are you sure you wanna go straight through?!" Naturally, she's low on gas (blame it on those pesky teenagers at the truck stop!) and stops to ask a cop where the nearest filling station is and...he's shot dead right in front of her! Richard Romanus plays the villain called "Soldier"; he carries a rifle and has a nasty tracheotomy scar, requiring the use of a electrolarynx to speak. Veteran TV director E. W. Swackhamer and his crew get some good shots of Soldier's yellow Mustang idling the dark; otherwise, this is pretty formulaic stuff with a less-than-resourceful heroine. Writers Carl Gabler and Richard DeNeut are responsible for the shameful, shameless teleplay. * from ****

I saw this movie when I was a kid, and still remember it. The suspense in the movie was off the charts. It was on late at night and kept me up even after it was over. You really had no idea what was going to happen next. Once you started watching it you definitely could not stop. The character that used the voice box made it even scarier. Valerie Harper was awesome, and definitely showed that she can do more than comedy. I would love to see the movie again. Hopefully it will come back on, or there is a way to find it on video. For a made for TV movie I must say it was even better than some that I have seen at the movies. Back than they had to have good stories, and great actors since they couldn't rely on big budget special effects.

This is a TV Movie that had quite an impact in its day and it's easy to see why. Even when at times it looks like a poor rip-off of "Duel", it manages to be thrilling in some sections and has an iconic villain. My main problem is with the main character, that is continuingly making stupid decisions that detract from the credibility of the plot.

"Night Terror" follows a mother (Valerie Harper) who is forced to make an emergency night drive from Phoenix back to Denver after her son is injured there. En route, she witnesses a psychopath murder a police officer, and is pursued through a night of pure hell.

This road thriller has all the hallmarks of a solid television suspense flick, with "Mary Tyler Moore Show" star Valerie Harper (starring in an atypical role), a dusty desert setting (which many of these films seem to share, as they were shot in California--"Dying Room Only" comes to mind), and a premise that has the potential to be high-octane.

The film starts off strong, with a forlorn atmosphere as Harper's character embarks on her journey. She attempts to purchase gasoline, but the attendants have shut off the pumps just before midnight, leaving her in a conundrum. Her lack of fuel of course becomes seriously troubling once she's crossed paths with a killer.

The film propels Harper's character through a series of incidents as she plays a cat-and-mouse game with her assailant, and it's during the midsection that the film starts to feel a bit clunky, culminating in a fitting albeit not particularly thrilling finale. No less, Harper possesses a down-to-earth realism here, and Richard Romanus is effective as the voiceless assailant hot on her heels.

All in all, "Night Terror" is a decent suspense thriller that is exemplary of the period in which it was made. It is a straightforward, no-frills TV movie of the week that, despite some clunky pacing in its midsection, has just enough atmosphere and a handful of suspenseful situations that make it worth viewing. 6/10.

I agree with all the messages . I saw this TV movie when I was a girl... I still remember the real fear that I felt Nevermore I could see it again in TV or find it in VHS or DVD I known that my English..is so poor... I ' m Argentine...

Here in my country ..I can't find this film... Who can help me to find this copy movie?

I saw a lot of suspense ..terror film..thrillers... but I ever remember this one... Up to the last moment it supports the suspense... The one who sees it does not know even there how it ends .. it is to say does not have a predictable end

Valerie Harper must have decided to try her hand at a dramatic role while on hiatus from Rhoda and this is the result. Although she tries to give it her best, it often proves to be more comical than dramatic. (The gas station scene badly needed editing.) Then there's the cutesy ending with her clueless husband and that scene alone causes me to give this a lower rating. The singing drunk guy in the car should have been shot much sooner just to put the audience out of its misery, and then there's the climatic scene near the end when she throws -- throws! -- the gun AT the bad guy! Not too smart. This movie does leave an impression, but not the one they were hoping for.

After a long search I finally located a copy of "Night Terror" starring Valerie Harper. According to the box, it was issued on home video back in 1990.

Not your typical cheesy 1970's "made-for-T.V." movie. It is very well directed, the acting holds up and is very believable and suspenseful. A great "midnight movie" thriller if you're lucky enough to find a copy!

I saw this movie years ago on a late night t.v. movie and haven't forgotten it... It kept me on the edge of the couch and couldn't get to sleep for hours... Not that it was terribly a good movie... just one of those that you remember for a long long time. If anyone out there knows where I can get a copy of this I would appreciate the info. It's about a woman that is being chased in a car and always running into dead ends, or out of gas or anything else that can possibly go wrong. I can't quite remember why she is chased.. just how awful it was.

Love this movie. It is fun to watch late at night. It is frequently on the MGM HD channel.its also titled when movie starts titled Night Terror

***SLIGHT SPOILER***

I don't know why, but I love crime thrillers that take place on freeways and interstates. There's something about watching a person do everything they can to avoid the clutches of a homicidal maniac, when all they have is their car... Which sounds like the best method for getting away. It's not like you have to rely on your ability to run, but there's other factors you have to take into consideration that might make you an easy target, like running out of gas or blowing a tire. Night Drive, despite being a made for TV movie, was quite impressive, as it didn't fail to deliver when it came to action and suspense. The film opens with Colorado housewife Carol (Valerie Harper) feeding her two kids breakfast. Later on we see that she accompanied her husband Walter on his business trip to Phoenix. Their plan to go back together changes when he finds out he has to stay longer than he expected. So she has to spend a night in their hotel, alone. That's when she gets a call from her sister, telling her that her one child had to go to the hospital. She can't get in touch with Walter, and is unable to book a flight, so she rents a car to travel back to Denver. It's a 16 hour drive, which is quite intimidating for a woman to do solo, but she doesn't have any other choice. As if the stress and anxiety of driving by herself at night in an unfamiliar area wasn't enough, she witnesses a murder when she sees a police officer who was in the middle of a traffic stop. She drove up next to him to ask for the location of the nearest gas station, since the previous one she had been to was closed early by a couple of idiotic teenage boys who wanted to go hang out with their girlfriends. The cop was shot by a serial killer (Richard Romanus), and he subsequently pursues her.

She meets a couple of people along the isolated, endless stretches of desert roads. Both men: one homeless, living in a seemingly abandoned gas station, and another who had not only pulled over because it was storming, but keeps alcohol in his car, and had gotten intoxicated. After she pulls up behind him and sees he's not moving, she gets out of her car and goes up to his driver's side window. He invites her to join him. She asks him if he can take her to a phone, but he says it's raining too hard to go anywhere, so they might as well sit back and relax. He starts talking her ear off about where he lives, how everybody else is gone, his second wife redecorating the house, etc. At that point, I just felt so sorry for her. Although she was encountering people along her terrifying journey, it wasn't like they could help her. The drunk guy was nice (at first I thought he would try to touch her inappropriately), but he couldn't protect her. At least she had found someone to keep her company. Too bad he had to mess that up and get himself killed. The psycho has tracked her down, and is sitting behind them. The drunk guy gets out of the car to approach the psycho's car, thinking it's her uncle (he didn't believe anything she had told him). I could understand him getting out because he had to pee after all of that drinking. But otherwise, he shouldn't have left her. That was stupid. He actually walks to the psycho's car, ignoring Carol shouting at him to come back. And then boom, he's shot point blank. Wow, didn't see that coming! She starts driving his car, backs up just to look at his body, and then takes off. What was the point of that?? Those types of scenes get on my nerves. It's like watching a horror movie where you find yourself yelling 'run, dummy!' at the screen.

I was familiar with Valerie Harper. Like I knew who she was, but this was my first time watching her, since I didn't care for the Mary Tyler Moore Show. She was a great actress. Her performance was convincing as a woman trying to back home to her family, while also fearing for her life after becoming a murder witness. I was on the edge of my seat - the suspense was so heavy that I was anticipating to jump before it even happened (yeah, I know that sounds lame to say of a movie that was made in the 70s. Compared to the sick garbage that's coming out now, this is nothing, but I scare quite easily). It's an ideal film if you're bored on a Friday or Saturday night and just want something to watch that's not too gory.

I also remember watching this movie as a kid and it scared the hell out of me as well. It has never left my mind even though I have not seen the film in more than 20 years. I just placed a bid for the movie on VHS at ebay and I'm hoping to win the auction so I can show it to my niece and see if it has the same affect on her (she's 14). Probably won't since she laughs at "The Exorcist" and "Friday the 13th." Ah, times have changed.