Thought I was gonna have to arm wrestle you to prove my point. Btw, I thought most of victims were blonde with hot pants. But to be fair, Night Strangler main theme has a more strident, driving beat than simply porting the Stalker theme as is.
I'll stick to my less-than-manly writing, thanks.
I'm not too fond of The Night Strangler. I do appreciate the filmmakers devoting more time to the Kolchak-Vincenzo dynamic, but the story on the whole isn't as enjoyable as the one in first film, or the subsequent series, which is my all-time-favorite TV show.
I'm not too fond of The Night Strangler. I do appreciate the filmmakers devoting more time to the Kolchak-Vincenzo dynamic, but the story on the whole isn't as enjoyable as the one in first film, or the subsequent series, which is my all-time-favorite TV show.
I hope you don't mean the 2005 Kolchak series.
Inre NIGHT STRANGLER, I suppose you weren't too upset that the first note of Cobert's music is missing from the recent video release. I agree, the movie isn't that great, but part of the problem is McGavin smirking and hamming it up. He's not surprised by anything supernatural, clues are thrown at him, plotting is reused from the first movie like it's an episode. I thought Richard Anderson was surprisingly good, and the belly dancing scenes a nice distraction. Some characters seemed created just to hire older Hollywood actors (Margaret Hamilton, Al Lewis). I wonder how you would have felt about the 3rd film script, set in Hawaii, which resembles the movie "Futureworld" except aliens are the perps behind the android duplicates.
The only thing I recall about the 2005 series was a scene in which 1970s Kolchak's hat was hanging on a hat rack in the background.
I also recall my depression at having watched even a moment of that 2005 abomination.
Agree with you about McGavin's hamming it up in Strangler. The entire film felt like a desperate attempt to get the thing made into a series by emphasizing what worked about the classic first film; I've only watched "Strangler" a few times, whereas the series is one I've seen more than any other show--it was the first TV show I ever bought on DVD.
The third film and those unproduced Kolchak episodes didn't sound enticing, either; it's no wonder McGavin wanted out early.
The third film and those unproduced Kolchak episodes didn't sound enticing, either; it's no wonder McGavin wanted out early.
They say that's why Melle left the TVseries early. I'm sure we can agree on the handful of good episodes, but most are silly and the formula wears thin. There, I said it.
The third film and those unproduced Kolchak episodes didn't sound enticing, either; it's no wonder McGavin wanted out early.
They say that's why Melle left the TV Series early. I'm sure we can agree on the handful of good episodes, but most are silly and the formula wears thin. There, I said it.
Yes, there are only a handful of episodes with decent horror aspects, but that's not why I love Kolchak: The Night Stalker, the TV series I've watched more than any other. It's the first series I ever bought on dvd (okay, maybe Columbo was first).
What I love about the show is the comedy, the razzing of mid-1970s culture, and the interplay between Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland. David Chase is the reason for all of that, and he would also bring those elements to The Rockford Files.
Back when the IMDb had their message boards, someone on the Kolchak board wrote this, which only partially expresses why I love Kolchak:
"This series is forever located in the early to middle 70s. It's part of the reason the remake was so terrible. Kolchak can't be updated. It's forever in a world of IBM selectrics, old manual typewriters, AP/UPI tickers, gaudy apartment decor, Ford Mustangs, and Pintos!”
Kolchak (the original series) belongs in the 1974-75 time frame in which it originally aired: the immediate post-Watergate period. By 1974, the late '60s-early '70s hangover already felt like it happened ages ago by the time this series was made. The indulgent, Disco-drenched, Boomers-snorting-cocaine, Aaron Spelling TV shows, Jimmy Carter part of the decade was still yet to come. I don't know of any show that gives off that same vibe by capturing such a brief moment.
As you can tell, this is an obsession of mine.
For the record, The Energy Eater is my favorite episode, and it's among the least-liked episodes in the entire run.
I'm impressed you can remember all that. The '70s are a big blur to me - everybody was kung fu fighting or had Disco fever (and yet there was no health lockdown!). So I'm surprised your favorite ep. wasn't "Legacy of Terror" with Eric Estrada.
The third film and those unproduced Kolchak episodes didn't sound enticing, either; it's no wonder McGavin wanted out early.
They say that's why Melle left the TV Series early. I'm sure we can agree on the handful of good episodes, but most are silly and the formula wears thin. There, I said it.
Yes, there are only a handful of episodes with decent horror aspects, but that's not why I love Kolchak: The Night Stalker, the TV series I've watched more than any other. It's the first series I ever bought on dvd (okay, maybe Columbo was first).
What I love about the show is the comedy, the razzing of mid-1970s culture, and the interplay between Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland. David Chase is the reason for all of that, and he would also bring those elements to The Rockford Files.
Back when the IMDb had their message boards, someone on the Kolchak board wrote this, which only partially expresses why I love Kolchak:
"This series is forever located in the early to middle 70s. It's part of the reason the remake was so terrible. Kolchak can't be updated. It's forever in a world of IBM selectrics, old manual typewriters, AP/UPI tickers, gaudy apartment decor, Ford Mustangs, and Pintos!”
Kolchak (the original series) belongs in the 1974-75 time frame in which it originally aired: the immediate post-Watergate period. By 1974, the late '60s-early '70s hangover already felt like it happened ages ago by the time this series was made. The indulgent, Disco-drenched, Boomers-snorting-cocaine, Aaron Spelling TV shows, Jimmy Carter part of the decade was still yet to come. I don't know of any show that gives off that same vibe by capturing such a brief moment.
As you can tell, this is an obsession of mine.
For the record, The Energy Eater is my favorite episode, and it's among the least-liked episodes in the entire run.
To tell you the truth, the reason I like Kolchak the series is the atmosphere, McGavin's idiosyncrasy and voice-overs, the actors, the inspired music scores by Mellé and Fielding, to watch McGavin driving his car at night while listening to his inner thoughts about the weird events … but also facing a new guest cop almost at every new episodes. Some return. The fun is also witnessing the interactions with his colleagues at the INS. I love the quote “Miss Emily, god will understand” when Carl steals the holy water of Miss Emily.
To tell you the truth, the reason I like Kolchak the series is the atmosphere, McGavin's idiosyncrasy and voice-overs, the actors, the inspired music scores by Mellé and Fielding, to watch McGavin driving his car at night while listening to his inner thoughts about the weird events … but also facing a new guest cop almost at every new episodes. Some return. The fun is also witnessing the interactions with his colleagues at the INS. I love the quote “Miss Emily, god will understand” when Carl steals the holy water of Miss Emily.
Agree with everything above. I would also add that the eccentric witnesses, contacts, and Kolchak's outsider status are also enjoyable elements of the series.
The opening credits shows the viewer nearly everything about Carl Kolchak and the series itself: He's first one in the office in the morning, drinking last night's leftover coffee, tossing his hat toward the hatrack only for it to fall into the wastebasket. Working on his latest story until something catches his attention as Mellé's theme ratchets up the suspense...Kolchak is a comedy and a horror program, and it's all laid out as the theme plays.
To tell you the truth, the reason I like Kolchak the series is the atmosphere, McGavin's idiosyncrasy and voice-overs, the actors, the inspired music scores by Mellé and Fielding, to watch McGavin driving his car at night while listening to his inner thoughts about the weird events … but also facing a new guest cop almost at every new episodes. Some return. The fun is also witnessing the interactions with his colleagues at the INS. I love the quote “Miss Emily, god will understand” when Carl steals the holy water of Miss Emily.
Agree with everything above. I would also add that the eccentric witnesses, contacts, and Kolchak's outsider status are also enjoyable elements of the series.
The opening credits shows the viewer nearly everything about Carl Kolchak and the series itself: He's first one in the office in the morning, drinking last night's leftover coffee, tossing his hat toward the hatrack only for it to fall into the wastebasket. Working on his latest story until something catches his attention as Mellé's theme ratchets up the suspense...Kolchak is a comedy and a horror program, and it's all laid out as the theme plays.
Agreed! True, true … Amongst the contacts, find the monk during the early days of the series. I like how he ridicules the young photo printer in “The Ripper” when he says: "you can develop a personality …” One of my favorite guest character is the high school teacher who can't stand his pupils in “Primal Scream”. It’s a treat to witness Carl making fun of weak reporter Ron Updyke aka Ron Uptight (sic)!
Above all, Carl actually works as a failed private eye a la Phillip Marlowe and he reminds me the Marlowe of The Long Goodbye. And the best evidence is how Carl treats lightly his official assignment while investigating on the supernatural case—his true motivation—in “The Vampire”.
There's also the pillorying of the swinging singles scene in the otherwise lame "Youth Killer."
"I want a girl who's into Tantric Yoga and a Macrobiotic diet."
The singles scene is wonderfully sent up in "The Energy Eater", too. The cute blonde chick with the defective toaster William Smith was trying to repair went on to become Reagan's astrological advisor, so this episode was her "peak" moment.
One of the many infinite things I love about the '70s' cynical age was that it frequently satirized or criticized itself; something the hideous 1980s rarely ever did.
Treated myself this morning to a double-shot of Mission: Impossible (season six) and Graves wears the same brown "action jacket" his character would wear in Scream of the Wolf.
Treated myself this morning to a double-shot of Mission: Impossible (season six) and Graves wears the same brown "action jacket" his character would wear in Scream of the Wolf.
You mean the casual brown sport jacket that he first wears during season 5 during the tape scene. Willy has his light brown one too.
Back to Kolchak: Carl is a former NY reporter from the late 40's lost in the early 70's.
Carl actually makes fun of all his INS colleagues. That's fun!
Kolchak is the perpetual outsider in the same way that most private detectives and "rogue cop" characters are. Characters like Kolchak rarely even dress like anyone else in their era.
I think Gil Mellé missed the point of Kolchak in that he believed it was "just" a horror show. It's the comedy, the commentary, and all those quirky characters and their interactions with one another that makes the show so memorable. After all, special effects don't hold up for very long, but great characters and dialogue always will.
The problem with the comedy and dysfunctional newsroom is it lessened plausibility for the supernatural aspects. The regulars or guest stars were more caricatures than quirky characters, but does that elevate the comedy to social satire? Jonathan Swift, move over! And all this time I thought McGavin wanted the humor so kids wouldn't be traumatized by the horror.
Or maybe they figured if they made the comedy and characters so lame, the drowning-in-disbelief audience would hold onto the supernatural part for dear life. Melle worked on another horror series with a similar "comedy" problem - Night Gallery.
In our neighborhood, there is an amazing one-of-a-kind mid-mod that has fallen on hard times. It is on a sprawling corner lot. It has been vacant for at least 3 years. Someone will get a great deal on the place, but God knows what kind of structural issues the new owner will encounter.
When Ms. Birri and I are going to sleep, I will tell her a story involving our neighborhood with some random pop culture elements mixed in. Her latest favorite story involves Peter Graves buying the aforementioned house and fixing it up. He looks like he does in the early 70s. We will be out for an evening stroll, and Peter Graves will be in the driveway, wearing a two-piece cabana combo similar to that worn by the 1960 Ken doll. He is holding a garden hose and watering the lawn with one hand, and holding a highball glass with scotch in the other. We wave to Peter Graves, and he smiles and toasts us with the glass of scotch.
