"The Norliss Tapes" is a TV movie that was originally intended as a pilot for a TV series--one that never materialized. Dan Curtis (who created the original "Dark Shadows" and made some great monster films in the 70s) was shopping this show as well as "Kolchak" (with Darren McGavin) at around the same time. Both shows were essentially the same sort of thing--with very few differences. Curtis made two Kolchak pilots, re-arranged the show and made Norliss. Oddly, "The Norliss Tapes" aired only a few weeks after the second Kolchak film ("The Night Strangler"). Perhaps he was just trying to cover all the bases. Soon Kolchak was okayed by ABC and aired as a series for one season. Both involved writers who investigated so-called monsters--and in each, the monsters turned out to be true! The only major difference was that Norliss was a darker show--with a less comedic style.
This one begins with a writer, David Norliss (Roy Thinnes) disappearing. His publisher is worried and all they find are a stack of cassette tapes. When the publisher places one of the tapes in the cassette player, the story begins. Presumably, had the show been picked up, each episode would have been a flashback instigated by the playing of yet another of these tapes.
The monster in this one is a dead man. His zombie body returns--and naturally scares the crap out of his wife (Angie Dickenson) when it tears his dog to pieces and tries to kill her. However, no one believes her and the only one who will listen is Norliss--and at first he doesn't believe her. Not surprisingly, the local sheriff (Claude Akins) doesn't believe her stories about a giant smurf-like zombie! What does some magic ring have to do with this and how can Norliss help her? I would say that this show wasn't quite as enjoyable as the two Kolchak pilots ("The Night Stalker" and "The Night Strangler")--but it is quite enjoyable in a campy way. Worth a look to see what might have been.
