(1974)
Dir - Michael T. Caffey
Overall: GOOD
A clever melding of a malevolent entity from Hindu folklore that finds itself in the middle of Chicago's Jewish district, (all of which draws attention to the often marginalized elderly who are stuck in less than agreeable neighborhoods due to their poor financial states), "Horror in the Heights" works better than even the most agreeable episodes in the program. There are no official meetings between the press and the police to provide Carl Kolchak the chance to get on their nerves, but he still manages to annoy the foremost expert in Eastern legends, as well as his usual knack for driving his editor Tony Vincenzo up the wall with his inability to keep a low profile and follow assignments. The demonic creature is a creepy one, probing the psyche of its victims and appearing as someone that they trust in order to get close and crush them with a bear hug. We also get a history lesson on the swastika's non-Nazi origins and a humorous scene where Darren McGavin eats beef curry in an empty Indian restaurant while his Jewish waiter warns him that the abdominal pain should kick in at any moment.
(1975)
Dir - Gene Levitt
Overall: MEH
Some sci-fi is reintroduced in Kolchak: The Night Stalker for "Mr. R.I.N.G.", the second of three stories for the series that was authored by L. Ford Neale and John Huff. This time our title character finds himself slowly uncovering a military project that produced a sentient android that escapes, steals a mask, and then also steals some mortuary makeup to crudely cover that mask in a misguided attempt to appear more human. These themes of an artificial intelligence trying to integrate itself are not explored as much as the concept of just having it terrorize the Chicago suburbs, exhibiting superhuman strength when up against the police and anyone that gets in its way. Thankfully Julie Adams gets an easy paycheck in two scenes as a bitter and alcohol-pickled widow to the scientist that serves as the title robot's first victim, though her character provides little to the story besides adding a few minutes to the running time. Said android looks unsettling enough in its various forms, plus Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland have the usual quota of funny scenes together, but the premise is not one of the show's strongest.
(1975)
Dir - Robert Sheerer
Overall: MEH
One could accuse "Primal Scream" as an example of Kolchak: The Night Stalker scrapping the barrel, running out of traditional monsters to use and instead going with an ape-man the spawns from some recovered Arctic cell samples, because you gotta go with something. The opening scene recalls Ken Russell's Altered States where the primordial savage bursts through a laboratory and runs amok, but in place of any trippy and/or frantic set pieces, the story instead settles into its usual algorithm of Darren McGavin sneaking around, annoying officials, and going up against the threat single-handedly until the frustrated police catch up to him. In other words, it is a combination of a less than interesting premise fitted into the show's steadfast formula, making for a watch that is far from bad yet also not as memorable as other entries. At least John Marley gets to the play the police chief this time who is up to here with Kolchak's mischief, and also M*A*S*H's Jamie Farr shows up as a character named Jack Burton, not be be confused with that of Kurt Russell's best role in Big Trouble in Little China.
(1975)
Dir - Don Weis
Overall: GOOD
Organized crime, fashion industry politics, witchcraft, animated mannequins, and poltergeist activity all join forces in "The Trevi Collection", a Kolchak: The Night Stalker episode that gets by on its desperate combination of elements. Dark Shadow's Lara Parker hams it up to eleven as a black magik practicing model with grand ambitions, turning in a performances that could be seen as ruining if not for the overall silly nature of the material. In other words, it makes sense in this context to have Parker thrashing about wide-eyed while covered in blue paint and sores on a street while Kolchak publicly accuses her of witchcraft to a bewildered crowd in order to strip her of her power. The police stay out of it more than usual as our title character follows leads on his lonesome and figures out what is happening, including why the mob is after him and why he has become a target of malevolent influence. One of the show's campier installments, a goofy black mass and the aforementioned mannequins coming to life provide some fun set pieces as well.
(1975)
Dir - Bruce Kessler
Overall: GOOD
A sword-wielding headless biker comes back from the grave in Kolchak: The Night Stalker's "Chopper"; another episode of the program with a silly premise that leans into its camp appeal. Notable for a young Robert Zemeckis receiving story credit, several moments are played for laughs, particularly those that revolve around an over-acting Sharon Farrell who plays the widow of one of the biker's victims. Farrell wails away at a funeral and when packing her bags to get the hell outta Dodge when the bodies start piling up, meanwhile Vincenzo deals with an ulcer, and a new hotheaded police captain is having even less of Kolchak's shit than most of them do. There is little to distinguish this one from the lot of them as it follows the same path of Darren McGavin getting to the bottom of the unbelievable events by way of shrewd journalism tactics, usually either lying or schmoozing his way into restricted areas to interview who he needs to interview. The killer motorcycle ghost looks ridiculous of course since there is no other way to pull it off on screen than to have an actor with an elongated torso, but there are enough amusing details in the script to keep it cruising along.
No comments:
Post a Comment