I used to watch this show all the time. It started as a TV Movie directed by Dan Curtis of DARK SHADOWS and DRPHIBES fame. The first involved a Polish(!) vampire ,and a follow up movie involved an immortal serial killer -the NIGHT STRANGLER.(I had the paperback novelization !)
Anyway....I loved this show! I didn't care about the fact that Carl ran into more monsters in a month than Abbot and Costello did in their whole carrers! It was fun! Sure,the f/x were cheezy (rember the one with the rubber suit dinosaur monster chasing Kolchak through the underground tunnels?) Any other fans of this old show?
the music was cool,too!
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6E3NQ225_4
I remember this episode! :smile:
[youtube=425,350] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeDW18c00Js
Are you kidding? This show was monolithic on the old SCIFILM.org website, and has many devotees (but we all seem to be around the same age, y'know, 1960-63?) :teddyr:
I have both of the original TV movies on a DVD set, the first one is a masterpiece, one of the very best vampire movies ever made; the second one is fun and echoes the atmosphere of the first, but is fraught with holes in its storyline, is not nearly as scary, and it does get a bit corny with the working elevator to the underground city with more fog machines than a too-huge disco including fog-lights. The TV series was like an hour-long version of the second movie with a new monster each week. Darren McGavin? Who can complain? I loved it and mourned the day it was cancelled.
Yeah...Simon Oakland as his boss always seemed on the verge of a heart attack!
I guess it was doomed to falilure...I mean-cmon! How many monsters can one man run into in the space of a year? :bouncegiggle:
Still-it was a great show...(sigh)...Darren McGavin made it real...he always did such a bang up job!
Quote from: RCMerchant on August 11, 2007, 11:36:17 PM
Yeah...Simon Oakland as his boss always seemed on the verge of a heart attack!
I guess it was doomed to falilure...I mean-cmon! How many monsters can one man run into in the space of a year? :bouncegiggle:
Still-it was a great show...(sigh)...Darren McGavin made it real...he always did such a bang up job!
I'm sure you're aware there was an attempt to revive the TV series but it was cancelled; I've seen one or two reruns on the SCIFI channel (I think) and I did not find it nearly as bad as many had said... but, one can never recapture the past, even at its kitschyest. The original movie and that superb music haunts my dreams, and the eyes, those
black eyes of Janos Skorzeny... one of my favorites.
Oh wow did I love that show!!!! Even though I jokingly referred to it as KOLCHAK'S MONSTER OF THE WEEK, I never missed an episode. Good times, my junior high years.
I was just a wee lad when this series was on, but I can remember my family watching it. I can also recall being scared by some of the imagery, like the creature in "The Spanish Moss Murders." I really want the DVD set, so I can relive those fading memories.
I forgot all about the Mossman one!!! :bouncegiggle: Yeah! They came up with some crazy creeps! Another favorite of mine was this crazy biker with no head...he would drive around like a modern day Headless horseman with a sword...hunting heads! OOOOOieeeeiiooo!
I love Dr. Mality's tribute to it at his Wormwood Chronicles site. Just go to www.wormwoodchronicles.com and click Philm Phreaks...actually there's loads of great stuff at Doc's site and some familiar names amongst the regulars at his site's message board .
Quote from: JaseSF on August 12, 2007, 01:13:05 PM
I love Dr. Mality's tribute to it at his Wormwood Chronicles site. Just go to www.wormwoodchronicles.com and click Philm Phreaks...actually there's loads of great stuff at Doc's site and some familiar names amongst the regulars at his site's message board .
DAM!! How did I ever miss this site? Super cool!!! Jeff Rice...! That's it! I had a paperback book called the NIGHT STRANGLER back in the 70's...he was the writer. I think I need to look around at this joint...! :thumbup:
What a fantastic show. I both loved it and was creeped out by it. Sci-fi was rerunning them not too long ago, cheesy but still entertaining
Paid 40 quid for copies of it on dvd off e-bay thinking it would never get a proper release, some great stuff in it and a lot of wry comedy as well.
Kolchak was before my day and time but I always heard about how great it was. A cable station called Trio (now defunct) used to have a program called "Brilliant But Canceled" where they would air shows that were canceled way before their time. That's how I fell in love with Kolchak. Darren McGavin was a great actor and I love that he played Kolchak as a smartass. As was said before, some of the effects seem cheesy now, but it's still a ton of fun.
Man I was devoted to that show, it was on I was there. Never missed it, now I'm going to have to see if I can rent it or pick up the series reasonable.
I'll take Kolchak, cheesy effects and monster suits and all, over any of today's lifeless CGI crap.
This is one of my favorite shows, never missed an episode, had to get the DVD set, now I can watch Kolchak do his stuff whenever I want. Silly effects and goofy monster suits aside, what made the show for me was Darren McGavin's acting, especially enjoy his narration.
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q122/DENNISDURWARDHAMMOND/kchaknst.jpg)
I've always loved that show. ALL the actors really had a ton of personality and that made it a hoot to watch. The monsters were great too (well, maybe not the dinosaur guy in the tunnels, but he was fun anyhow).
I actually didn't mind the remake all that much. I thought it sucked when it started (especially Kolchak's boss, good grief, talk about doing absolutely nothing with the part). But after a few episodes it was mildly interesting. Nothing at all compared to the original, but for the umpteenth X-Files type rip off show...it was better than watching Home And Garden Network.
Remember the one BAD MEDICINE about that indian spirit that was using the jewelry from those rich people and in one part he jumps off the building and turns into a crow and i think he was played by RICHARD(JAWS)KIEL
Yes it was indeed Mr. Richard Keil as the Diablero. Very memorable spookfest featuring an evil Trickster style native spirit. Mr. Keil was also Peremalfait, the Swamp Monster in the almost equally creepy "The Spanish Moss Murders".
Love the show. Bought the DVD boxed set of all the episodes. Unfortunately, it doesn't include THE NIGHT STALKER and THE NIGHT STRANGLER pilot movies, which you need to purchase separately (boo!)
How about the episodde DEMON IN LACE involving the SUCCUBUS or the one about the thing that could make itself look like its victims trusted freind i think it was called a RISHAKA
Wasn't there one with a succubus and Kolchak somehow manages to escape the succubus' kiss with little to no harm?
This show's greatest claim to fame is that it served as inspiration for Chris Carter to make the X-files.
Now regarded as being a show ahead of its time.
Having seen all the episodes, or, at least, most of the episodes, I know it took me years, long after the show was over, to appreciate what I was seeing, when it was first on.
As for the two TV movies that preceded it.
"Night Strangler"
Seen it. Enjoyed it. Maybe because, when it was first shown on TV, I was living in the general area, where it was filmed.
"Night Stalker"
Seen it three times. Seen the beginning once. And the ending twice. But, I must admit, I've never seen it all the way through.
I'm A HUGE Fan Of KOLCHAK
I've Got the entire series and both movies on dvd
KOLCHAK Was The Inspiration that started THE X FILES And Darren Mcgavin Himself Made Some Cameo Appearances On THE X FILES
.....It's Just Too Bad That They Made A Short Lived Remake Of KOLCHACK That Was Really Terrible.....It Was Like A Slap In The Face Of The Original
Quote from: BoyScoutKevin on April 20, 2010, 06:43:33 PM
...
"Night Strangler"
Seen it. Enjoyed it. Maybe because, when it was first shown on TV, I was living in the general area, where it was filmed.
"Night Stalker"
Seen it three times. Seen the beginning once. And the ending twice. But, I must admit, I've never seen it all the way through.
You need to checkout
THE NIGHT STALKER - there's a reason it spawned a sequel (inferior as it is) and a TV series (I liked it, but it was lame.)
THE NIGHT STALKER is awesome!!
Compressed to 7 minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2H3xuhkZuY
Two words: Ruth McDevitt
(http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr154/Raffine/11547.gif)
The 70s version of Betty White.
Quote from: Raffine on May 07, 2010, 08:32:38 PM
Two words: Ruth McDevitt
(http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr154/Raffine/11547.gif)
Is she in
STRANGLER?
QuoteIs she in STRANGLER?
I don't think the dotty but lovable Miss Emily came along until the series.
Here's Hollywood Babylon-esque story I came across involving Miss McDevitt:
During blocking rehearsals for an episode of "Here's Lucy", Ruth had trouble standing in the place in which the director wanted her to stand. After several attempts to do this and failing, Lucille Ball went over to Ruth and kicked her foot attempting to move her into place. Ruth fell to the floor screaming with pain. Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do.
Quote from: Raffine on May 08, 2010, 07:15:38 PM
QuoteIs she in STRANGLER?
I don't think the dotty but lovable Miss Emily came along until the series.
Here's Hollywood Babylon-esque story I came across involving Miss McDevitt:
During blocking rehearsals for an episode of "Here's Lucy", Ruth had trouble standing in the place in which the director wanted her to stand. After several attempts to do this and failing, Lucille Ball went over to Ruth and kicked her foot attempting to move her into place. Ruth fell to the floor screaming with pain.
Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do.
Biatch.