Wisecracking reporter Carl Kolchak investigates a string of murders in Las Vegas and suspects the culprit is a vampire. His editor thinks he's crazy and the police think he's a nuisance, so Kolchak takes matters into his own hands.
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Reviews
Wuchak
8
By Wuchak
A formidable vampire is on the loose in Las Vegas
RELEASED TO TV IN EARLY 1972 and directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, "The Night Stalker" chronicles events in Las Vegas when the bodies of several young women are found drained of blood. Intrepid reporter Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) increasingly suspects that something supernatural is at foot, which his bellowing boss finds incredulous (Simon Oakland), as well as city authorities (Ralph Meeker, Claude Akins & Kent Smith). Elisha Cook Jr is on hand as an informant while Barry Atwater plays Janos Skorzeny.
“The Night Stalker” was a hugely successful TV movie, which naturally led to a sequel, “The Night Strangler” (1973), and a series that ran for one season from 1974-1975 (20 episodes), not to mention numerous Kolchak books. This original movie was the best of the batch with “The Night Strangler” almost as good and even better in some ways. Both movies established the template (formula) for all that followed.
What makes this movie “the best of the batch”? Answer: The streamlined story is full of intrigue, action, ravishing women, horror and suspense; and the jazzy score doesn’t hurt. As far as the women go, lovely Carol Lynley is on hand as Kolchak’s babe, but not enough is done with her. Nevertheless, there are 3-4 peripheral beauties. The sequel flick and the first episode “The Ripper” followed this pilot’s lead in the female department, but the rest of the series was rather weak on this front.
Since this is a TV flick from the early 70s don’t expect a much gore.
THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 14 minutes and was shot in Las Vegas with studio work done at Universal Studios & Samuel Goldwyn Studios, CA. WRITER: Richard Matheson (teleplay) & Jeffrey Grant Rice (story).
GRADE: A-
whitsbrain
9
By whitsbrain
This is a nicely done TV thriller. It's campy but has a dark mood that I enjoyed. The "Night Stalker" himself got quite a bit of screen time; he wasn't hidden in the shadows too much.
There are a couple of short but good action sequences where the Night Stalker evades police cars, motorcycles, even gun fire. Kolchak manages to handle the Night Stalker a bit too easily when compared to the army of police and their failings, but that is all part of the movie's charm. Darrin McGavin as Kolchak was one of my favorite characters as a youth and I absolutely loved the TV series that followed soon after. Kolchak is different in this movie than he is in that TV series. He's mostly interested in getting the big story so he can get a job in New York again. He doesn't seem to be friends with his boss Tony Vincenzo in this. They seem very much at odds with one another. Kolchak greases a lot of palms and swings a few deals to get what he needs to score the scoop.
I'm surprised he doesn't wear the light blue suit here. He's got the trademark porkpie straw hat, though. He also has a love interest who seems much too young and beautiful for ol' hairy Carl.
Darren McGavin is fantastic as Kolchak, and this has a nice gritty '70s Las Vegas atmosphere.
