Spectre

...from co-writer and producer Gene Roddenberry.

Robert Culp stars as William Sebastian, a renowned criminologist whose attentions have turned to occult matters in recent years. He re-teams with old colleague Ham Hamilton (Gig Young), an alcoholic medical doctor who's hit hard times,vand they journey to England to investigate reports of supernatural powers targeting the wealthy Anitra Cyon (Ann Bell). Also featuring John Hurt and James Villiers as Anitra's brothers, Gordon Jackson as a Scotland Yard inspector, and Majel Barrett as Lilith, Sebastian's spell-casting housekeeper.

If Star Trek was Roddenberry's rumination on 60's-era idealism, this failed pilot was his look at 70's hedonism and the search for spiritual meaning. Modeled after Holmes & Watson, Culp and Young's characters encounter a cult of Dionysian sex-addicts and demon worshipers, all living an anything-goes debauched lifestyle that ultimately leads to their destruction.

This film suffers from poor production values, shoddy editing, terrible pacing, and laughable effects in the big finale. The identity of the mastermind behind everything is.

Take the basis of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, bring them forward 100 years and instead of crime, have them battle spiritual evil... A great idea, but unrealized here. A slightly ridiculous plot only saved by the talented Robert Culp who plays it straight down the line. A criminologist who specializes in the occult and battling evil. Gig Young was at the end of his carreer and shortly following this outing, his life as well. A sad loss of a fine comedic actor who usually didnt get the girl but did get all the best lines. Though in this film, Young basically sleep walks through the movie... Almost as if he was on sedatives. Culp and Young are recruited by a beautiful woman whose brother has recently undergone a personality change after doing some archeological investigations on his English country estate. So, off they all go to England to get to the bottom of things. This movie has a real Gene Roddenberry flavor to it. If you have seen any of Roddenberry's post Star Trek TV movies (basically, failed pilots)... Well, you'll know what I mean. But, bottom line is I liked this when I saw it in 1977 and it is still fun to watch. Not scary, but fun never the less. Look for it on The Fox Movie Network as it gets shown there often....

I saw this on TV when I was a kid and thought it was very cool. Recently, I tracked down a copy online (very hard to find), and watched it. Guess what? I still liked it. Although it's a 70s show, it still maintained a good story line, and great acting to keep it alive. It had everything....monsters, demons, boobs, booze, twisting plots, and women in S&M outfits. I ask you, does it get better? Well...I guess it could, but this film was wayyyy ahead of it's time, and reminded me of a Lovecraftian forerunner to the Xfiles.

I can't wait until this gets put onto DVD, so I can add it to my collection.

Great job Gene Roddenberry! You should remake it, bringing it up to date. I believe it was intended to be a series, but never made it past the pilot episode. Too bad.

What a disappointment to learn that this wonderful occult thriller is NOT available neither on DVD nor VHS. Gene Roddenberry did this made for TV movie and it is superb! The best role for Robert Culp and the superb Gig Young plays the sidekick in a wonderful energy with Culp. The lovely wife of Roddemberry, Majel Barrett. plays the mysterious Lilith, housekeeper of William Sebastian. The English settings and a wondrous cast of British actors make this a really exquisite example of the genre. The phenomenally talented John Hurt in a standout performance. This is what American television was capable of at one time.

Shame on the movie industry for letting this classic of horror and the master Gene Roddenberry disappear. SHAME ON THEM!!

Spectre is one of Gene Roddenberry's busted pilots.All during the 1970's he tried to repeat the success of Sta Trek only to churn out pilot after pilot and failure after failure. Most were cliché ridden variations on a sci-fi theme and probably wouldn't have gone anywhere. Spectre is the exception to that cycle.

Telling the story of a supernatural Holmes and his Watson this is a very good thriller that might have been the lead into bigger things had it been picked up. More akin to Hammer's The Devil Rides Out than any standard satanist film of the period this film has our heroes investigating a rich English Lord and his family. While not particularly scary, it is extremely entertaining as Robert Culp shows himself to be much more clever than anyone around him.

If you can see this film. Its worth your time.

8 out of 10