Surprisingly Good Television Movies

[Hammock Rider]

"Mother Knows Best" with Joanna Kerns as a snooty, homicidal socialite who really, REALLY disaproves of her daughters blue collar husband. I'll watch even a Lifetime movie if it has Joanna Kerns in it(Yeah I was a teen in the 80's) and this one is actually pretty good. Based on a true story, Joanna plays a woman who wants to have her doctor daughter's working class husband killed. THe dialogue is pretty good and Joanna gives a great over-the-top evil performace.


"Midnight Offerings" starred Mary Ingalls herself, Melissa Sue Anderson, as a pretty and popular teen high schooler who was also an evil witch. She goes up against a good teen age witch in a battle that seemed pretty cool back in the early 80's and is still pretty fantastic. Gordon Jump plays her oblivious dad and Marion Ross plays a mentor witch. I think Vanna White is in it too. It's cheezy fun and worth your time.

[Nightowl]

Duel
Buried Alive

[BoyScoutKevin]

World War III sounds really good from your description. I'd like to check that one out.

Having seen "World War III," I'd like to say it really is good. There is some wonderful action in it, especially for a TV movie.

[Allhallowsday]

Great stuff guys. Allhallows has listed (pretty much his entire list) a whole bunch of TV movies I really want to see but haven't got around to just yet.

Apparently, it's all available on youtube (watching right now).  Check it out:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oen5JQvU8PQ
The rest is up there, but be warned, if I remember correctly, the ending is... eh, disturbing.

Poking around, found some more TV movie titles worth looking for, all from the ABC Movie of the Week : 
A COLD NIGHT'S DEATH (1973)
DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY (1971)
HOW AWFUL ABOUT ALLAN (1970)
GO ASK ALICE (1973)
THE LEGEND OF LIZZIE BORDEN (1975)
ISN'T IT SHOCKING? (1973)

[Texdar]

I thought The Possessed (1978) was a good movie.  Liked the scene where the woman spit out all the nails.  It freaked me out as a kid.  It even had Harrison Ford in it.

[Raffine]

THE LEGEND OF LIZZIE BORDEN (1975)

I recall it was really chilling seeing Elizabeth Montgomery as Lizzie. Bewitched had only been off the air a couple of years and was everywhere in reruns.

I saw this one recently for the first time since it was originally on ABC way back when. It holds up very well, especially Montgomery's performance.

[Allhallowsday]

THE LEGEND OF LIZZIE BORDEN (1975)

I recall it was really chilling seeing Elizabeth Montgomery as Lizzie. Bewitched had only been off the air a couple of years and was everywhere in reruns.

I saw this one recently for the first time since it was originally on ABC way back when. It holds up very well, especially Montgomery's performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqXCp1VYdwU

[Raffine]

Thanks for that scene!

It's amazing how closely Montogomery resembled Borden in this.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Many mentioned, but I'd like to mention one from 1974.

"Death Cruise"

Three couples: Richard Long and Polly Bergen, Edward Albert and Kate Jackson, and Celeste Holm and Tom Bosley win a free cruise on a cruise ship, but as soon as the ship leaves port, someone or someones start to kill off the six passengers. Also starring Michael Constantine, as the ship's doctor, who sets out to solve the murders, and Cesare Danova as the ship's captain.

A neat mystery with a couple of neat twists at the end.

As a historical note, this was Richard Long's last film role, before he died.

[The Burgomaster]

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