Dead of Night: A Darkness at Blaisedon

I know full well that the comments that have been provided by my fellow horror fans are quite accurate, but I think you should give this little piece a chance. As clichéd as it is -- and it is! -- it manages to evoke a certain atmosphere that makes it fun to watch, despite the technical issues and the predictable storyline.

For me, a movie is almost always more about image and atmosphere; the question I always ask is "does it stay with me?" There are good movies that I would never see again and there are bad movies that become guilty pleasures. Dan Curtis had something and it comes across in most of his material. This is a perfect example of a certain type of horror, the kind that we did grow up with and ultimately find funny rather than scary; but it remains atmospheric for all that.

Angela Martin (soap actress Marj Dusay) hires Jonathan Fletcher (Kerwin Mathews, the dauntless hero in Columbia's classic "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad") and his assistant Sajid Rowe (Cal Bellini, an ethnic 1960s John Stamos) to investigate the haunted mansion that she's just inherited.

Another reviewer referred to this short film (actually a television pilot) as "not really that interesting" and "only a footnote" in the world of horror. I think that sums it up nicely. While this did not turn into a "Dead of Night" television series, it seems to be closely linked to "Dark Shadows".

The writer is Sam Hall (who did 315 episodes of "Dark Shadows") and the director is Lela Swift (who did 585 episodes of "Dark Shadows", as well as 589 episodes of "Ryan's Hope"). We even have great music from Bob Cobert, a Dan Curtis regular, setting the tone. This idea never really went away so much as just became repackaged.

There's some questionable things about the show... like a mummy coffin with hinges? And they have very Broadwayesque stages and acting styles, not unlike soap operas or a high school musical. Personally, I was turned off my this over-the-top approach. But really, if you have a chance to see this, I'd say go for it... once. There's nothing particularly special about this film and it's easily forgettable.

Modest but engaging 'haunted house' effort with all the typical trappings: sinister custodian, lookalike descendant, possession, séance, ghost, grave-digging, atonement over past crime, etc.

The film was the unsold pilot (running 52 minutes) for a proposed TV series, though the title was later adopted by a feature-length anthology (also for the small screen) by its creator, Dan Curtis; in fact, I acquired this along with that one and I intend the latter's viewing to follow presently. Despite the uncinematic look (redolent of early video quality), the result conjures up sufficient atmosphere and tension throughout (technically via lighting, production design, sound and music and thematically as much by way of conjecture as action scenes) to keep one solidly entertained.

The rest of the protagonists are a couple of men with a passion for and knowledge of the esoteric (one is played by ex-Sinbad Kerwin Mathews, gracefully aged, and the other an Indian) – whom the leading lady calls upon to 'investigate' her brand-new legacy. By the end of the picture, apart from the fact that she starts having mutual feelings for the hero, her companions ask the woman to join their 'business' since, during her tenure inside the house (which obviously goes up in flames at the climax), she had proved especially receptive to the supernatural!

Same creator ( Dan Curtis). One of the same directors. One of the same writers. Same stock music ( at least some of the same music). Thayer David ( who very slightly yells and overacts here a little much). A similar seance scene as some such events on DS. Similar plot. Another cast member from DS. Differences are the extremely beutiful Marj Dusay. Two other actors. Better house sets here than on DS. None of the same characters.

A little too much is crammed into this hardly hour show.

This un-aired pilot for a series that never was to be,can be seen on the DVD for the "Dead of Night" TV movie. In it, Angela Martin hires Jonathan Fletcher and his assistant Sajid Rowe to investigate the haunted mansion that she's just inherited. A mansion that looks suspiciously like redecorated 'Dark Shadows' sets. It's easy to see why this failed pilot was never picked up for a series, it's not really that interesting & both "Dark Shadows" and the later ""Kolchak: The Night Stalker" were much better. This is only a footnote in 'horror' television (if it even warrants that) and in my mind deservedly so.

My Grade: C-