Curse of the Black Widow

"Curse of the Black Widow" (1977) is an ABC Movie of the Week film from director Dan Curtis, starring: Anthony Franciosa, Donna Mills, Patty Duke. A mysterious woman who turns into a spider is terrorizing local men and a private detective is on her heels to solve the mystery.

Private detective Mark Higbie (Franciosa) is in a local bar, a mysterious and beautiful woman enters and lures one of the patrons outside to help with her car.  Shortly after, screams are heard outside and a man is found dead and wrapped in some sort of cocoon - drained of blood!  The local cops aren't sharing and Higbie believes they are covering up what is really going on.  The PI starts his own investigation that leads to two sisters: Leigh and Laura Lockwood played by Donna Mills and Patti Duke respectively.

PI Higbie discovers that one of these women was bitten by a spider when she was an infant and according to local Indian legend, can turn into a spider woman at full moons.  Will he find out who it is before it is too late?

This movie uses Dan Curtis' tried and true formula of a private detective on the trail of a supernatural being, much like his Kolchak movies and series.  The number of characters were hard to keep track of at first and you don't know how they are all connected until later.  Once you see the creature, it's somewhat laughable but that is just because the time period it was made.  The film is still filled with plenty of suspense and horror to keep you interested.

Watch the original TV intro from 1977

Dead of Night

 

 "Dead of Night" (1977) is a made for TV movie from director Dan Curtis ("Dark Shadows", "Burnt Offerings", etc.) that has three stories written by Richard Matheson.

"Second Chance" stars Ed Begley Jr. who plays Frank, a man who loves restoring old cars.  He starts by completely restoring a 1920s car which he decides to drive into town using the old country highway.  On his way there, he ends up traveling back into time to his town in the 20s.  Is there a reason he was sent to that time and then back home?

"No Such Thing as a Vampire" stars Patrick Macnee as Dr. Gheria that takes place in the late 1800s.  The doctor and his wife live in a large mansion but his wife is visited each night by what appears to be a vampire.  Most of the household staff leave in fear, the entire town is in terror of what is happening and a family friend comes to try to help discover why a vampire is targeting this couple.

"Bobby" starring Joan Hackett and Lee Montgomery will be familiar to those that saw Dan Curtis' later movie "Trilogy of Terror II" which has this same story in its third slot.  A mother who is devastated by the accidental drowning of her young son just outside their oceanfront house, turns to the dark arts to try to resurrect her son while her husband is out of town on business.  Bobby returns to her on the dark and stormy night but Bobby is a bit off to say the least.  He wants to play deadly games with his mother.  Lots of spooky atmosphere and the creepy child's voice tormenting his mother.

For those familiar with other Dan Curtis movies, you'll feel right at home with the music and spookiness he likes to create. 

Trilogy of Terror Double Feature!

"Trilogy of Terror" (1975) is a made for TV movie starring Karen Black, Robert Burton and John Karlen.  "Trilogy of Terror II" (1996) is also made for TV movie starring Lysette Anthony, Geraint Wyn Davies and Matt Clark.  Both are directed by Dan Curtis of Dark Shadows fame.  Both movies have three stories that don't have anything to do with each other except for the fact that the same actress portrays a different role in each story.  

In the first Trilogy, Karen Black is the star in all three stories. Ms. Black does a great job playing the three different characters.  She was also in Curtis' "Burnt Offerings" horror movie.  It's just too bad she can't embrace her part in horror movie history because now she tells everyone that she never starred in horror movies - they were science fiction!  Anyway, back to the stories. Story 1: "Julie" is about a college professor whose tryst with one of her students ends in blackmail and a twist at the end.  Story 2: "Millicent & Therese" is about twin sisters.  Millicent believes Therese is using voodoo to try to kill her.  It doesn't turn out that way!  Story 3: "Amelia" really uses Black's talents.  She buys a Zuni fetish doll for her boyfriend and it comes alive with its sharp knife and chases her throughout the apartment trying to kill her.  This last story is the one that everyone remembers about the movie and it is by far the most fun to watch!

In the second trilogy, Lysette Anthony is the actress that plays the three characters in the three stories.  I didn't even know there was a sequel until I happened upon it on TV.  This sequel was made over 20 years from the first but in my opinion is equal to or better than the original.  Story 1: "Graveyard Rats" is about a woman married to a horrible old rich man and she's having an affair with one of his employees.  They decide to kill him and almost get away with it but then discover he took to the grave the codes to access the Swiss bank accounts.  Going to the graveyard to dig him up will be a big mistake!  Story 2: "Bobby" is about a boy who drowns in the ocean outside of this large seaside mansion on a cliff. The mother is so upset of his death, she resorts to satanic rituals to try to bring him back to life.  During an intense thunderstorm, he comes back but he's not the same sweet Bobby.  My favorite line from this story is when Bobby calls out, "Bobby's coming to get you Mommy!"  Story 3: "He Who Kills" brings back everybody's favorite Zuni doll who after murdering 2 women is brought to Dr. Simpson at the local museum by the police.  Of course the doll comes alive and is at its best running around the museum trying to kill everyone!  I was very impressed with this sequel and was glad to discover it!

 

House of Dark Shadows

"House of Dark Shadows" (1970) starring Jonathan Frid, Grayson Hall and Kathryn Leigh Scott is directed by  Dan Curtis and has finally been released on DVD & Blu-ray!  All the characters from the TV series are here:  the Collins family (Carolyn, Roger, David and the matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard), vampire Barnabas Collins, governess Maggie Evans, Dr. Julia Hoffman, caretaker Willie Loomis and more.  Everyone lives in Collinwood the family mansion and estate.

Barnabas is uncovered by Willie in the Collins family crypt.  He is awakened after nearly 200 years of being imprisoned.  He soon begins killing as vampires must do and making additional vampires.  He also introduces himself to his family saying he's a distant relative from England.  He moves in and fixes up the old family home that's on the estate.  One by one people around Collinwood start dying, including some of the family members.  Dr. Julia Hoffman (the wonderful Grayson Hall) soon figures out Barnabas is behind this and offers to try to cure him of being a vampire.  Barnabas also falls in love with the governess who he believes is the reincarnation of his fiancee Josette who died before they were married.

The storyline and characters will be familiar to those that loved to watch the original series or any of the remakes over the years.  Collinwood Estate is a huge Gothic style mansion with a large estate that has dilapidated buildings that the characters wander through at night to add to the suspense and eeriness.  This is another great Dark Shadows film to add to your video library!

Night of Dark Shadows

Just in time for Halloween, "Night of Dark Shadows" (1971) starring David Selby, Grayson Hall and Kate Jackson was finally released on DVD and Blu-ray today!  I've been waiting for it to be released and am glad to finally own a copy of this movie. This film is written and directed by Dan Curtis who did the original Dark Shadows series as well as many made for TV thrillers in the 70s.  It takes place in the present (1971) where Quentin Collins (David Selby) and his wife Tracy (Kate Jackson in her first movie appearance) move into the newly inherited Collinwood Manor. 

Soon after moving into the mansion, Quentin starts acting mysteriously, always locking himself into the tower room to work on his paintings.  He starts remembering things from his family's past in the 1800s when Angelique was alive and then killed as a witch.  Angelique's ghost is haunting the house and turning Quentin against Tracy.  The housekeeper, Carlotta Drake (the delightful Grayson Hall), is the reincarnation of a girl that lived in the house and is now keeping Angelique's spirit alive. 

The Gothic style house and estate is a character in itself adding loads of atmosphere to this movie.  I'm glad to see this movie finally getting wider release.  A great addition to any horror library!

Recently Seen 70s Fright Movies

YouTube has been getting a workout lately while I discover some "new to me" made for TV (mostly) films from the 70s.

• She Waits (1972), starring Patty Duke, David McCallum and Dorothy McGuire:  A murdered woman seeks revenge, possesses her husband's new wife.  Nice atmosphere and good job by Patty Duke playing the innocent new wife.
• Reflections of Murder (1974), starring Tuesday Weld, Joan Hackett and Sam Waterston: The wife and mistress of the abusive headmaster of a boy's school plot and carry out his murder.  Takes place in and around Seattle.  Good plot twists that keep you guessing.
• Scream of the Wolf (1974), starring Peter Graves, Clint Walker and Jo Ann Pflug:  A big-game hunter comes out of retirement to help track down a killer wolf, and begins to suspect that it isn't a wolf but an animal that can take human form.  One of Dan Curtis' made for TV movies.  Couldn't quite hold my attention.
• Haunts of the Very Rich (1972), starring Lloyd Bridges, Cloris Leachman, Edward Asner, Donna Mills and several more famous actors: A group of rich people are lured to a secret new resort.  It seems like paradise at first but then things start to go wrong. Kind of a mash up of Fantasy Island and Twilight Zone.
• The Uncanny (1977) [not made for TV], starring Peter Cushing, Samantha Eggar and Ray Milland: Wilbur Gray, a horror writer, has stumbled upon a terrible secret, that cats are supernatural creatures who really call the shots. In a desperate attempt to get others to believe him, Wilbur spews three tales of feline horror. The first story of the old lady, her many cats, her devious maid and nephew was my favorite.  After that, they kind of went downhill.
• The Eyes of Charles Sand (1972), starring Peter Haskell, Joan Bennett and Barbara Rush: When his father dies, Charles inherits the Sand family legacy, the ability to see visions beyond the grave. He helps a girl investigate her brother's alleged murder. Very slow to start but had a fast paced last third.

A Kolchak Kind of Day

Yesterday I watched a double feature of Carl Kolchak made for TV movies: Night Stalker & Night Strangler.  Kolchak is a pushy newpaper reporter who keeps getting into trouble in each city he lives and has to leave town.  The Night Stalker takes place in Las Vegas where a vampire is on the loose and no one in the city will believe Kolchak.  Classic 70s telefright film that I have added to my Made for TV list as a favorite.

The Night Strangler is a sequel that takes place in his new city, Seattle.  Here also there is a string of murders, women being strangled and blood being taken, but it's not a vampire who is to blame this time.  Not quite as good as the original but great to see my city from the 70s on the screen.

Both films directed by Dan Curtis who made a lot of these types of movies during the 70s, including my favorite Burnt Offerings.