I saw this when it originally aired on ABC that fateful January 11th and have loved it ever since. I reviewed this once or twice, but will again as this is a totally new blu-ray presentation and a 4k upgrade.
Darren McGavin stars as Carl Kolchak, a reporter working in Las Vegas who stumbles upon a series of killing that may be attributed to a vampire. The local authorities headed by Sheriff Warren Butcher (Claude Akins) refuse to believe anything like that can happen.
The killings continue until there is no other choice but to believe Kolchak, and then the hunt is on for the monster. Dan Curtis produced this film and he said it best when he said that the movie worked because it was just plain good old story telling. He was and is right on the money.
There isn't one wasted minute in this gem and everything from the silent opening credits to the closing montage works perfectly. The cast works together well and are all very believable.
To me Dan Curtis was the king of TV horror and this is a fine example of why. Tight script, great direction and again, actors who know what they are doing. The quality on this disc is magnificent! It looks better than when I first saw it back in 1972 and it is also an upgrade from the MGM flipper disc I have owned for years now.
I can't see any horror collector not having this in their collection. It is an essential horror film. The rest of the cast includes Carol Lynley as a young woman who Kolchak wants to marry, Kent Taylor as the DA, who hates Kolchak, Simone Oakland as Vincenzo, Kolchak's ever suffering editor, Ralph Meeker, Charles McGraw, Elisha Cook, Jr., Stanley Adams, Larry Linville, Jordon Rhodes and of course, Barry Atwater as Janos Skorzeny, one of the best vampires to EVER appear on screens big and small.
Easily a top release of the year, I just can't recommend it enough.
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