Death Stalk

When two white-water-rafting couples (Vince Edwaeds, Anjanette Comer, Robert Webber, and Carol Lynley) come in contact with four escaped convicts (led by legendary heavies Vic Morrow and Neville Brand!), the fight for survival begins.

DEATH STALK is a suspenseful made-for-TV thriller, packed with adventure and drama. The desperate escaped convicts are well-realized, with Morrow as the brains, and Brand as the maniacal brawn. Norman Fell is also good in his serious role. Larry Wilcox is "the kid" of the gang.

One thing you get used to with this movie is saying the phrase: "Why don't they just run?" over and over. In spite of this, it's an effective ride...

During the second half of the 20th century, a new classification of the thriller film genre emerged: "Whitewater Rafters Attacked by Escaped Convicts", and this made-for-television work is one of the better examples, a well-made item that relates of two couples who are captured by four prison escapees whose intentions toward them are clearly going to be unpleasant. Initially scheduled to be viewed during Thanksgiving week, the film was shifted to a less celebratory date due to its host network's perception that it contained immoderate violence and sexual innuendo. It will seem to be actually rather mild to audiences of later years, particularly when referential to John Boorman's 1972 film DELIVERANCE but, although it holds no candle to the Boorman feature, DEATH STALK yet turns out to be an efficiently paced melodrama. The rafting couples, Hugh & Cathy Webster (Robert Webber/Carol Lynley), and Jack & Pat Trahey (Vince Edwards/Anjanette Comer) are enjoying class IV whitewater rafting upon the challenging Tuolumne River in California's Sierra foothills, when they are boldly set upon, while camping, by four fugitives, performed by Vic Morrow, Neville Brand, Norman Fell and Larry Wilcox, who have escaped from a prison, or "rehabilitation center", as is mentioned with disdain by the group's leader, Brunner (Morrow). The two women are seized as hostages, and their husbands bound and left behind at their campsite. Rather than merely accept that their wives will soon be dead as mutton, Hugh, a businessman, and Jack, an attorney in his employ, pursue the outlaws in order to effect a rescue. The original scheduled run time for the picture's television viewing was 90 minutes but, blessedly, advertisements are not included for the VHS release, its 73 minute length helping to account for the conciseness of the storyline. Although several subplots are appended, they are not permitted to go unchecked, being adeptly dispatched by director Robert Day who sets a crisp pace from the film's initial frames. Shot upon a stretch of the Tuolumne River between Lumsden Bridge and Lumsden Camp, the film benefits from the fine natural clarity of outdoor lighting during daytime scenes. Morrow earns the acting honours here with his low key and generally subtle performance. In sum, this is a satisfactory filming of Thomas Chastain's typical neatly organized novel after which it is based. In addition to a wise decision to minimize superfluous subtext, the work offers a pleasing and somewhat ambiguous ending, making for a tidily crafted affair.

This film begins with four convicts escaping from prison and running as fast as they can through the countryside to escape those pursuing them. Meanwhile, two couples are out whitewater rafting before eventually stopping on a riverbank to set up camp for the night before planning to continue on down the river the next morning. Unfortunately, it's then that the four convicts come upon their campfire and quickly overpower the couple. After helping themselves to some food, the leader of the convicts named "Leo Brunner" (Vic Morrow) decides that, rather than continuing on foot, the fastest way to make good on their escape is to take the two rafts down the fast-flowing river. The only problem is that none of the convicts know that much about whitewater rafting. So, to alleviate that problem, the decision is made to tie up the two men but to use the wives Pat Trahey" (Anjanette Comer) and "Cathy Webster" (Carol Lynley) to help them navigate down the fast-flowing river. At first, everything goes as planned, but having been incarcerated for a lengthy period of time, one of the convicts named "Cal Shepard" (Neville Brand) clearly wants Cathy in the worst way possible--and he lets everyone know it. To that effect, realizing that they will probably be killed once their journey down the river is over, the two women secretly consider using their femineity as a last resort to stay alive. Meanwhile, their two husbands "Jack Trahey" (Vince Edwards) and "Hugh Webster" (Robert Webber) have finally freed themselves and are racing down the river in another raft which the convicts hadn't detected. The question, however, is whether they can get there in time to rescue their wives. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an okay movie which suffered somewhat from its made-for-television format--especially when it comes to certain scenes involving sex or violence. Be that as it may, although it may have been limited to a certain extent, I suppose it was worth the time spent, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.