Shock mortale

There have been a number of excellent films about murder and mayhem occurring in small towns. "They Only Kill Their Masters, "Sherlock Holmes & The Scarlet Claw", "Winter Kills", and "Five Card Stud" come to mind, and this 1973 ABC movie-of-the-week has got to be one of the very best ever made.

An increase in the death rate among the older residents of a small New England community is initially labeled as being due to natural causes. But something about it doesn't feel right to Daniel Barnes, the local chief of police. Barnes, (excellently played by Alan Alda) refuses to believe the official findings and begins an investigation to prove there's something rotten going on in his little town.

The excellent supporting cast includes Will Geer as a nicotine addicted coroner, Louise Lasser of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" fame as the police station's wise-cracking receptionist, and Ruth Gordon cast to type as a dotty old lady who may be in danger of becoming the next senior to sign off.

Directed by John Badham of "WarGames" fame, the film maintains a superb balance between both the story's darker aspects and the folksy charm of the familial setting and characters. The method of murder alluded to in the movie's title is refreshingly unique and the film's tense climax features some surprising character revelation. There's even an action-packed car chase that, appropriate to the film's setting, takes place in a corn field.

Lane Slate's script is as funny as it is intriguing, and he clearly has a great feel for small town characters. The undeclared courtship between Alda and his receptionist, Lasser, is particularly fun to watch as they joke and natter away about bird watching and other mundane things because neither is willing to risk declaring to the other their true feelings. It's as endearing as it is amusing and the chemistry between these two actors is remarkable.

David Shire's score effectively captures the feel of the rural setting while injecting the right note of menace to reflect the darker and at times melancholy aspects of the story.

ABC Movies Of The Week were quickly shot and a mere 90 minutes in length, but for some reason the 2 hour TV-movies we get today seldom approach the quality of a little classic like this, and that truly is shocking.

Mount Angel, a small New England community inhabited mostly by seniors, is beset with a serial killer; the bachelor chief of police and his kooky assistant figure out the murderer's motive. "Isn't it Shocking?", an ABC movie-of-the-week scripted by mystery writer Lane Slate and directed by John Badham, is full of talent, yet it fizzles out somewhere along the way. The teleplay, the handling and the performances are all offbeat, yet not odd or unusual enough; the scenario is tinged with black comedy, but it isn't funny enough; and, worst of all, there's no guesswork needed in these killings because neither Slate nor Badham is interested in making the film a mystery (the killer is revealed to us right off). Alan Alda has the perfect dryly-eccentric manner for a role like this; if he were comically frazzled, it would add too much weight to the material (he gives the proceedings the cautiously light touch it needs). But there's no sympathy for the elderly victims (the first of whom, a woman, is found stripped), and the succession of funeral services is too gloomy. Badham doesn't provide any sting (or, conversely, any dark humor) to the narrative; he's determined to bend this thing towards the bizarre but, like the pun in the title, he lacks taste and finesse.

I've found, after seeing a dozen or so of them, that made for TV seventies horror flicks are generally good for seventy minutes of entertainment. This one looked really good considering the comments about it, so I hoped that I'd be in for one of the better ones; however, that wasn't the case. It's not that this is a bad film, but it's not all that good either and certainly isn't one of the better made for TV movies from the seventies that I've seen. The plot is interesting enough, and focuses on a small town where a bunch of old people are dying. There are certain similarities between the deaths, and it leads Sheriff Dan Barnes (Alan Alda) to investigate. The plot plods along at a relaxing pace, and there's not a great deal of suspense or interest, which is a bit of a surprise since director John Badham would go on to make the very suspenseful thriller 'Nick of Time'...though that was twenty two years later. The small town setting provides a good place for the film to take place, but this isn't taken advantage of to any notable extent, and the film simply boils down to a simple ending. Overall, this film isn't terrible; but it's not great either, and I can't really recommend bothering to track it down.

ISN'T IT SHOCKING starts right off with the murder of an elderly woman by a man (Edmond O'Brien) who uses a unique weapon for the deed. The police Chief (Alan Alda) notices only one odd thing about the death, and figures it was just natural causes. When more older folks begin dying in similar fashion, the Chief wonders if something quite unnatural is going on.

One of the most striking aspects about this, as with other early made-for-TV movies, is the cinematic quality of the production. It plays like a theatrical release. Also, the plot is original, scary, and absorbing. The suspense builds slowly, and even though the killer's identity and method are known from the opening seconds, the cat-and-mouse is thrilling.

Alda is at his best, showing his dramatic range. Those only accustomed to his "Hawkeye" character, should definitely see him here. Don't worry though, Alda's wry humor comes through when necessary. Louise Lasser puts in a memorable performance as the resourceful Blanche, as does Dorothy Tristan as the town doctor.

Watch for the great Will Geer as the Coroner and the mighty Ruth Gordon as the irrepressible Marge Savage! Her last words of dialogue are priceless!...

I remembered this film when I was a kid and loved it.

Does it still match up to my memories? Yes and no but in the end I'll say yes.

Okay lets start positive:

The cast is great, Alan Alda and a cast of veteran actors making the most they can of the material available.

The plot is different and interesting at first you think its just a serial killer on a spree but there is a sanity to the killers insanity.

The negative:

Who wrote the dialog? its crap!

I said the cast made the most of the material they had and man its a good thing they knew their job because the script writer sure didnt.

The actors are all saying what they are doing before or as they do it, who the hell does that?

The cast & plot are great but the screenplay's dialog drags this film down to only a good film.