The Night Stalker/The Night Strangler (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

That is the case when it comes to "The Night Stalker" and its sequel "The Night Strangler," which spawned a TV series, a cancelled remake series, and the undying adoration of "X-Files" creator Chis Carter. These cult movies are small-scale TV movies -- but are far scarier and more intelligent than most blockbusters.

Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) is a frustrated reporter at a Las Vegas paper. But when he checks out some mysterious murders, he finds that the cops are suppressing information -- the victims all had their blood drained. Kolchak puts the clues together, and reaches the obvious conclusion: The serial killer is a vampire.

But his apoplectic editor (Simon Oakland) and the hostile police aren't about to admit it to the public, or even admit that the killer is a vampire -- despite his unnatural strength, longevity and toughness. Frustrated, Kolchak takes matters into his own hands to save Vegas from the vampire...

"The Night Strangler" picks up with a pickled Kolchak in a Seattle dive. After his repentent ex-editor Tony Vincenzo gets him a new job, Kolchak finds himself in a similar situation -- hostile cops, repressive media, and a serial killer. This time, a man who looks like a corpse crushed the throat of a young belly-dancer and extracted a bit of her blood.

Kolchak digs deeper, and finds that similar serial killings have happened every twenty-one years since the Civil War. The killer is a doctor-turned-alchemist who apparently has been brewing a youth elixir every few decades -- and unless Kolchak can capture him quickly, this ruthless killer will vanish for another twenty-one years.

At heart, "Night Stalker" and "Night Strangler" are the best of B-movies: low budget, solid acting, excellent scripts. Thirty years after they were first made, these movies still stand up to scrutiny as excellent pieces of cult horror. Yes, even without violence, gore or special effects.

What makes these so scary? Mostly atmosphere. No blood and gore, no gruesome details. Not even much violence. The vampire and the alchemist aren't fully shown, except for brief glimpses, until the end. The fatal attacks are ever shown. Sure, the vampire does little but grin and screech, but Barry Atwater (almost) makes you feel sorry for him when Kolchak attacks.

And Chris Carter owes a debt to this. Reflecting the attitude of the times, this is also about the truth-seeking reporter, versus the cold media and police, who merely want to keep the populace ignorant, "for their own good." Wrap that up in some witticisms, smart dialogue and the occasional running gag ("Out! Get out!" "OUT! OUT! GET OUT!" Kolchak and Vincenzo yell at each other, more than once). And the scripts are excellent as well, intelligent and tautly-written.

But the clincher is Kolchak himself -- a bit too brash, too forthright, and too determined for his own good, or the good of his job. In the tradition of hard-boiled detectives, he gets drunk or stares at pretty belly-dancers. But he's also dedicated to protecting people and searching for the truth, no matter how bizarre it may be.

Still creepy and dark after thirty-plus years, "The Night Stalker" and "The Night Strangler" are among the best movies of cult horror. Definitely a must see for fans of movie paranormality.

The Night Stalker is the story of Carl Kolchak (played by Darren McGavin), a formerly respectable reporter who fell on hard times and has ended up at a Las Vegas newspaper, searching for the one big story that will propel him back to the New york daily papers and the Big Time. That big story comes in the form of a killer with amazing strength who is, for some reason, draining his victims of blood. There is much nervous joking about the killer thinking he is a vampire. However as Kolchak follows the killer's trail, he comes to the impossible realization that the killer may indeed be a genuine vampire, and since no one else will believe or at least admit the possibility, it is up to him to kill it.

The character of Kolchak works because he is a lot like the rest of us. When the killer discovers him in hiding, Carl screams like a little girl and runs like mad! It makes us examine how we would truly react if faced face-to-fang with a REAL mythical undead creature. Carl is cowardly in many ways but he is noble on some level too. He risks his life to stop the creature, but then again, maybe he is just doing it to land that perfect story.

The Night Strangler takes place in Seattle (Kolchak moves there after the events of the first film) and he bumps into his old editor from the original movie, Anthony Vincenzo (played by the great Simon Oakland)and begs his way into another job. Soon he is investigating a series of murders where the killer apparently re-appears every few decades. This story is very similar to the character of Toomes in the first season of the X-Files, and since Chris Carter's inspiration for X-Files was the Kolchak series, it is possible that this resemblance is not coincidental.

As many other reviewers have mentioned, it is a SHAME that the Kolchak TV series has not been released on DVD yet. I am sure it will happen eventually, but the sooner the better. These movies are 30 years old now, but they still hold up today. Just try to ignore the polyester suits, plaid sports jackets, and go-go boots!

Note: in August 2004 a new release of these 2 films is being issued. It supposedly will have some featurettes and interviews. I am reviewing the 1998 release which has no extra features. Hold out for the new release if you have not bought this yet.