Horror, '70s TV style

Hallowe'en has always been a favorite time of year since my birthday is exactly a week before so I had plenty to look forward to in October. I rotted my brain — and sometimes got scared — watching late-night movies on TV like The Mummy, Vampire Circus, Billy the Kid Vs. Dracula, Zombies on Broadway, The Fearless Vampire Killers, Willard, Sssssss and spent many Saturday afternoons at a theater watching double features of '60s Japanese monster movies.
Producer Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows was a favorite after school show in the early '70s) and writer Richard Matheson (don't get me started on how disappointing the I Am Legend movie was) teamed up for some memorable TV horror in the '70s.



"Amelia" from 1975's Trilogy of Terror starring Karen Black based on Richard Matheson's story "Prey."
Part 3, "Amelia" is still as vivid in my memory as when I saw it at age 7.



Based on Jeff Rice's novel The Kolchak Papers, The Night Stalker and its sequel The Night Strangler led to the beloved TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. I remember later watching X-Files when it first started and thinking to myself how it seemed a lot like Kolchak.


Dracula(1973) was preempted by Nixon's announcement of Agnew's resignation and aired in '74 with Jack Palance chewing the scenery and necks as the lead. Often overlooked but memorable.

Comments

Dusty said…
The signs that I am Legend was going to be a stinker were:

1.) the fire alarm was pulled just minutes into the movie at that crappy teen-aged baby-sitting camp (any shopping mall in the U.S.), in downtown Indianapolis, by some itchy kid.

2.) I got up from my seat and left the theater twice.

I am Legend - the signs were there.
Anonymous said…
Oh wow....I had completely forgotten about Amelia until seeing those clips. I was screaming, "Don't open the suitcase!" and "Don't open the oven!" Great stuff.