Welcome to film no. 5 in our series of 31 films leading all the way up to Halloween. Today's film was never released theatrically. Although in an interview on the MGM DVD producer Dan Curtis wishes it had been, considering its successful initial test screenings. Since its inaugural broadcast in 1972, the film has been followed by a sequel, a brief TV series, and given an unsuccessful reboot in 2005, but none of these presentations were to be as fruitful as the original: John Llewellyn Moxey's The Night Stalker.
Title: The Night Stalker
Director: John Llwellyn Moxey
After a series of bizarre murders, Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) is assigned to cover the case for a local newspaper. Even Kolchak himself is reluctant towards his findings, that is until he connects the victims' autopsy results with the robberies of a number of local blood banks. He is left with no other conclusion except for the culprit of these crimes is a real-life vampire, or at least someone who thinks they're a vampire.
This stance puts him in hot water with the local authorities and government officials. They think the idea of a vampire loose in Las Vegas is far fetched and would incite a panic that would damage the city's reputation as a major tourist destination. Kolchak begins to realize that he is sitting on top of what may be the biggest news story of all-time, but is forced to keep it quiet.
After a chase that leads to shots being fired and cops killed, the officials come to the conclusion that their suspect, identified as Janos Skorzeny (Barry Atwater), may very well be a vampire. They agree to Kolchak's plan to hunt Skorzeny as if he were a vampire, but he is to be arrested and brought in for questioning. This leads to a suspenseful confrontation between Kolchak and Skorzeny that brings the film to an impressive apex.
The Review
This may be a case where all the planets aligned and something special was created. There's McGavin, whom most will undoubtedly know as the father from A Christmas Story, as the entertaining, cynical Kolchak. You have Moxey's sweeping direction. One of horror's greatest writers, Richard Matheson, wrote the script based on a an unpublished novel by Jeff Rice. This had all the makings of a hit horror movie, and it didn't fail. This may very well have been one of the highest-rated TV horror movies in network television history.
The acting in this film is a treat. McGavin made the role of Kolchak very much his own. You have great supporting performances by Simon Oakland, Carol Lynley, Elisha Cook Jr., and Claude Akins. However, Barry Atwater as Janos Skorzeny steals the show. Skorzeny, in my opinion, is the scariest vampire ever put on film. He is a ferocious animal and brute who will let nothing get between him and his blood. He is what a vampire should be. There is no romanticism to be found in this monster.
Matheson does what a good horror author should do: he makes the horror palatable, this as he steadily makes a progression of logic regarding the growing number of details surrounding the Skorzeny character. This is the same guy who was responsible for I Am Legend, The Incredible Shrinking Man, A Stir of Echoes, and “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”. This ABC Movie of the Week, in my opinion, could be one of the most realistic vampire stories ever.
Conclusion
The Night Stalker is a project that was made by some of the most gifted hands in horror. The producer of Dark Shadows, the director of the TV film A Taste of Evil, the author of Hell House, and one of the best character actors ever created a truly inspiring and entertaining feature. This films deserves a prominent spot in your DVD collection and on your Halloween viewing menu.
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