Darren McGavin gives a wonderfully robust and engaging performance as Carl Kolchak, an abrasive, impetuous, impulsive, and excitable down-on-his-luck newspaper reporter who uncovers the scoop of a lifetime after he finds out that Janos Skorzeny (a genuinely frightening portrayal by Barry Atwater), the man responsible for a vicious series of baffling murders in Las Vegas, is an actual vampire.
Expertly directed with topmost brisk efficiency by John Llewllyn Moxey (who also gave us the well-regarded early 60's gem "Horror Hotel"), with a sharp and witty script by noted writer Richard Matheson, a constant frantic pace, plenty of tension (the big confrontation between Kolchak and Skorzeny is especially harrowing), a wickedly amusing sense of cynical humor, several rousing rough'n'tumble action set pieces, and a realistic downbeat ending, this bang-up little winner makes for an incredibly gripping, scary, and flat-out entertaining treat. The first-rate acting from a stellar cast of seasoned pros constitutes as another significant asset: Carol Lynley as Kolchak's loyal, concerned gal pal Gail Foster, Simon Oakland as Kolchak's irascible, long-suffering superior Tony Vincenzo, Ralph Meeker as affable FBI agent Bernie Jenks, Claude Akins as the huffy Sheriff Warren A. Butcher, Charles McGraw as the crusty Police Chief Ed Masterson, Elisha Cook, Jr. as wormy informant Mickey Crawford, Kent Smith as the severe District Attorney Tom Paine, Larry Linville as puzzled coroner Dr. Robert Makurji, and Stanley Adams as fast-talking used car salesman Fred Hurley. Michael Hugo's crisp, polished cinematography accurately nails the blinding gaudiness of the Las Vegas setting (said Vegas setting is a truly inspired stroke of genius, with the city's notorious reputation for sucking tourists' wallets dry serving as an ideal counterpart to Skorzeny's literal bloodsucking rampage). Bob Cobert's groovy-spooky score likewise hits the funky spot. Moreover, the violence is really brutal and intense for an early 70's made-for-TV picture (Skorzeny calmly breaks a large dog's neck in one particularly chilling scene!). With his battered straw hat, rumpled suit, and aggressively opportunistic go-getter sensibility, McGavin's Carl Kolchak qualifies as a highly likable, if unlikely and pretty scrappy everyman hero. Totally worthy of its cult classic status.
Expertly directed with topmost brisk efficiency by John Llewllyn Moxey (who also gave us the well-regarded early 60's gem "Horror Hotel"), with a sharp and witty script by noted writer Richard Matheson, a constant frantic pace, plenty of tension (the big confrontation between Kolchak and Skorzeny is especially harrowing), a wickedly amusing sense of cynical humor, several rousing rough'n'tumble action set pieces, and a realistic downbeat ending, this bang-up little winner makes for an incredibly gripping, scary, and flat-out entertaining treat. The first-rate acting from a stellar cast of seasoned pros constitutes as another significant asset: Carol Lynley as Kolchak's loyal, concerned gal pal Gail Foster, Simon Oakland as Kolchak's irascible, long-suffering superior Tony Vincenzo, Ralph Meeker as affable FBI agent Bernie Jenks, Claude Akins as the huffy Sheriff Warren A. Butcher, Charles McGraw as the crusty Police Chief Ed Masterson, Elisha Cook, Jr. as wormy informant Mickey Crawford, Kent Smith as the severe District Attorney Tom Paine, Larry Linville as puzzled coroner Dr. Robert Makurji, and Stanley Adams as fast-talking used car salesman Fred Hurley. Michael Hugo's crisp, polished cinematography accurately nails the blinding gaudiness of the Las Vegas setting (said Vegas setting is a truly inspired stroke of genius, with the city's notorious reputation for sucking tourists' wallets dry serving as an ideal counterpart to Skorzeny's literal bloodsucking rampage). Bob Cobert's groovy-spooky score likewise hits the funky spot. Moreover, the violence is really brutal and intense for an early 70's made-for-TV picture (Skorzeny calmly breaks a large dog's neck in one particularly chilling scene!). With his battered straw hat, rumpled suit, and aggressively opportunistic go-getter sensibility, McGavin's Carl Kolchak qualifies as a highly likable, if unlikely and pretty scrappy everyman hero. Totally worthy of its cult classic status.