User Reviews

Las Vegas is a town where the unusual is considered normal.However when former top reporter Carl Kolchak played by Darren McGavin meets with police reluctance while covering the murder of a showgirl his curiosity is aroused.Suddenly there is a series of murders apparently committed by the vampire killer.The closer Kolchak gets to the truth the less he is able to reveal and the more frightened he becomes."The Night Stalker" is a taut and suspenseful mix of vampire horror and comedy.The cast is superb with McGavin playing Kolchak like a 1940s' reporter who has emerged from a time capsule into the 1970s.The portrayal of vampire Skorzeny is positively bone-chilling.I'm not deeply into made for TV horror,but "The Night Stalker" is very good.

For those who remember this television show, re-visiting it on VHS or DVD is a nostalgic experience. Darren McGavin was a likable, funny guy as "Carl Kolchak," a reporter for an independent news service who chases after vampires and assorted weirdos.

In this pilot show, "Kolchak" goes after a vampire in Las Vegas. Ah, a good place for any bloodsucker. Since this was on television back in the early-to-mid '70s, you see a thriller with no gore and no profanity and you also get to see the beautiful Carol Lynley's face again.

Darrin McGavin was an underrated actor, a guy who always seemed to make whatever character he was playing an interesting guy. He was great in this short (2 years, I think) television series.

The only annoying part of the this film and the TV series is all the hostility toward Kolchak, particularly by his loud and obnoxious employer, "Tony Vincenzo," played by Simon Oakland.

Item - Take one modern setting such a Las Vegas and tell a story of vampirism set there. Item - Add one eccentric, cynical reporter out for a good story with a great personality. Item - Add supporting characters that are interesting. Item - Add a fine cast headed by Darren McGavin as the relentless reporter Carl Kolchak. and Simon Oakland as the head of the newspaper Kolchak works for. Also add great supporting stars such as Barry Atwater, Larry Linville, and Claude Akins. Item - Have one of the kings of horror fiction...Richard Mathseon write a script based on the excellent novel by Jeff Rice. Item - Add the final ingredient of artful direction and you have one great movie that was made for television and that spawned a sequel and a television series on the title character. The Night Stalker is easily one of the best horror films ever made and certainly one of the best ever produced for television.

And it took a TV movie to achieve this feat. But there's no denying the powerful intersection of screen writer Richard Matheson, producer Dan Curtis, and Darren McGavin in perhaps his best role (after A Christmas Story). Ably assisted by Jeff Rice's original novel, Night Stalker works on every level. The humor is there, but a bit subdued. The vampire is a feral beast who is strong, invulnerable, and drinks blood...and that's it. No lame transformations into a bat: The script's portrayal of Skorzeny the Vampire echoes that of Christopher Lee (Hammer also resisted displaying much of Dracula's superhuman abilities).

Skorzeny has none of the sexuality or personality of Dracula, but in a sense the movie isn't about him even if he's the "Stalker" of the title. It's a movie about Carl Kolchak, reporter and undeterred seeker of truth. He could be stalking a story about corrupt politicians, or mobsters, or whatever. The only difference is here, he's after a vampire. This extra supernatural element rises it above what few dramatic reporter-featured movies there are out there.

At one point in the 1970's ABC movie of the week was the king of television movies. The Night Stalker was one of those reason why movie of the week reigned supreme. This along with movies like Duel and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and others I can't think of off hand were the reason. The Night Stalker is probably the best of these movies. It was a good story, with a very good and experienced cast of actors. While many were character actors and second bananas, they played their roles well.All of the actors were believable in their roles.The movie was believable and the vampire element was kept simple with little or no special effects.It was not needed. I will grant some of the criticisms about how a middle-aged reporter like Kolchak was able to battle the vampire whereas the police had trouble have merit.However, this doesn't take away from the story. Remember, Kolchak was the only one armed to fight a vampire in the first place.Also, remember it was a made for t.v. movie and plus do you really think Peter Cushing could match Christopher Lee evenly in all of the Hammer Dracula movies, I mean there was a size and strength difference there too. Suspend your belief just a little.The movie was perfect for the times, towards the end of Vietnam and right before Watergate when we were skeptical of everything. This is one of the very few movies from the 70's that I remember fondly.The ending was perfect for the times as well. The Night Stalker as both a story and a movie has to rank in the top ten vampire movies bar none. This is a vampire classic that you can sink your teeth into with great satisfaction!

Nice little made for TV (ABC) film about Kolchak (McGavin), a washed-up reporter in exile in Las Vegas, looking for a vampire who everybody is convinced is just a psycho. Some good scares, funny moments, and a healthy criticism of the establishment Vegas are all patched into the wonderful Matheson's script. Nice cheezy music and period cars are also a plus. Was turned into a short-lived TV series.

The 1970s produced a large volume of made-for-TV movies, and, unlike today, they did not have to be about relevant social topics or preach political correctness. Back then, TV movies could actually be made with no intent other than to entertain--what a decade!

The Night Stalker is one of the very best of these made-for-TV films. Be warned, the production values are not as good as a feature film, but the story, the writing, the acting, and the director's mastery of creepiness make up for any other faults. From McGavin on down the line, the acting is terrific! In fact, Carl Kolchak may be McGavin's finest role. Richard Matheson's writing is up to his usual standards of excellence. Barry Atwater is a great bit of casting as the vampire. If there is one fault, and it has to be laid at the feet of the director, it is the inept use of a stunt man as a substitute for Atwater during the action scenes. In some scenes it is painfully obvious that it is not Atwater; it's a wonder the scenes weren't clipped. But this is the price that is paid for a TV movie with a short shooting schedule. As a whole, The Night Stalker is one of the very best vampire movies ever made. Don't let a few faults deter you from an otherwise classic bit of horror film-making. Remember, this is a TV movie; if you want lots of gore, don't waste your time.

Long a staple of late night television schedules, `The Night Stalker', is a memorable slice of ‘seventies horror. Darren McGavin is fantastic as Carl Kolchak, an eccentric, down at heel reporter covering a series of murders which are not what they seem. He is backed by a fine cast of familiar faces who help reinforce genre veteran Matheson's quality script and the atmospheric direction of John Llewellyn Moxley, which hides the made for television origins of this movie.

If this has a weak spot, it lies in the ‘bad guy', who is basically all teeth and snarls. Lacking character (and plainly odd) it's surprising that he wasn't spotted long before he arrived in Las Vegas (incidentally, the location adds a certain charm to the story).

Despite being made for television, this modern vampire flick certainly has a lot going for it! The film takes place in modern day Las Vegas and stars Darren McGavin as a cynical and eccentric reporter. However, the main plot line is about vampires; which brilliantly offsets the serious tone of the rest of the film. Being made for TV does hinder it somewhat - as it's very tame and the short running time doesn't allow for a very complex plot, but even so; it makes for a fun viewing and that's what is more important. The plot follows the murder of a handful of young girls, and our hero; reporter Carl Kolchak comes to believe that the murders were committed at the hands of a vampire. However, it's not easy to convince the town's officials, and soon he realises that he must deal with it himself. Darren McGavin is the pick of the acting cast, with a performance that really makes the film worth noticing, and also paved the way for a sequel a year later, and a short lived cult TV series. I will say that this film wont appeal to people who enjoy blood and gore in their vampire films, and indeed I would have it enjoyed it more if it wasn't so tame - but overall, this made for a fun watch and I'm glad I saw it.

Richard Matheson has scripted some of the finest fantasy to ever grace the screen (big and small) and this one, based on the then-unpublished novel by Jeff Rice, took us all by surprise in 1972. I remember the feeling of unease that crept over me as the tale unfolded that night so long ago. I remember a pale man dressed in black, robbing bloodbanks, and the not-so-heroic reporter who dogged his trail, determined to find the truth of the matter, no matter what the cost. I was mesmerised. And greatly satisfied, on all counts. Try watching this one alone, at night, and you'll experience the sheer terror that only the best fright films can engender.

Narrated by eager-beaver newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin), "The Night Stalker" is Kolchak's account of his involvement in the murder cases of multiple young women in Las Vegas. His narration style is that of a diary of major events, even citing the date and time of day. The script consists of a talky first half wherein a lot of the scenes take place in meetings and one-on-one chat between Kolchak and his co-workers. Action picks up in the second half after the villain has been identified.

There are several major problems here. First, Kolchak is not an especially likable guy. He's arrogant, cocky, egocentric, superior, and dominates discussions. Second, the ghoulish theme I found boring. I would have much preferred a standard whodunit with multiple suspects. The film does contain suspense, especially in the second half, but by that time the viewer already knows who the killer is.

In addition, the script makes use of the old standby cliché whereby the lone hero solves the case and in the process makes the paid cops look inept. Also, there's no real point to the "Gail Foster" character (Carol Lynley), though Lynley does a nice job in the role.

Production design, color cinematography, and editing are acceptable if a bit uninspiring. But that's to be expected, I suppose, given that this is a TV movie. Background music is jazzy in a 1960s sort of way, except for appropriately creepy sounds during the fairly suspenseful second half. Casting is fair. Actors Oakland, Meeker, Smith, and Akins have a similar look and tend to blend into a single character. Overall acting is average.

"The Night Stalker" (1972) is a cinematic vehicle for Darren McGavin. The film will appeal more to horror fans than fans of whodunit murder mysteries. Since an explanation by logic is not possible in a supernatural theme story, I just could not relate to it. Though by no means a bad movie, I find nothing special about it.

This is one of my all-time favorite movies. It had a great plot, good characters ... a reluctant hero and one of the best TV movie villains ever. Of course, you have to have a good villain to make a story work and Janos Skorzeny certainly fits the bill. And Barry Atwater plays Skorzeny with the perfect amount of venom and snarl, not going way over the top, which would have been easy to do.

Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak was also a role he was born to play. The rumpled suit, the trademark straw hat (which he incidentally wore along with a tuxedo to a Dean Martin celebrity roast!), the almost Columbo-like dogged questioning and pursuit. His "High Noon" showdown with Skorzeny was as good as it gets .... no one else was willing or able to take down the bad guy so the character least likely to do it reluctantly decides to save the city from a maniac.

The characters who worked for Las Vegas law enforcement were more interested in protecting their backsides and practicing CYA after being made to look foolish and incompetent by a reporter willing to consider something beyond their imagination. By sending the only people who knew the truth - Kolchak, his girlfriend and his editor, Tony Vincenzo - either out of town or threatening them into silence, the cover-up of the truth was completed.

Persistent rumors exist that there are plans to remake this into a big screen movie .... I hope not, I am having problems imagining contemporary actors who could play these roles better than the original cast.

I have never been a great fan of Darrin McGavin.But here HE is obviously having the time of his life!As "Karl Kolchak" McGavin has the job of convincing his TV viewers that HE is convinced that a real-life Vampire killer is running loose in modern-day Las Vegas!

And "the Night Stalker" is just the right mix of atmosphere and scariness and doubt to keep it's TV viewer on the edge of the seat!Maybe it even works BETTER as a TV movie!! We the viewer are left with that final puzzling question...try to tell yourself "it couldn't happen here"!

Of course,this wouldn't be possible without Darrin McGavin's performance.He took the best of an opportunity late in his career,paving the way for a future TV horror series.I don't think the series was nearly as good as the original.But only Darrin McGavin could have carried it at all!!!

This film begins in Las Vegas with a newspaper reporter by the name of "Carl Kolchak" (Darren McGavin) getting an assignment to cover the murder of a young woman in the local area. Although he is at first hesitant to cover this story, he soon finds himself immersed in it when the body count increases and there is one striking similarity to them all-they are completely drained of blood. And although he is instructed to keep most of the details secret, it soon becomes evident to all of those involved in this case that the perpetrator is no ordinary serial killer. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I remember watching this movie when it first came out on television and I was greatly impressed with it at the time. That said, having recently seen it again some 50 years later, I remain impressed. Admittedly, being a made-for-television movie, there isn't that much graphic violence or gore that one might expect to see these days--but even so, it has still retained its charm and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.

This movie premiered on TV when I was in fourth grade -- the commercials advertising it had been going on for weeks, and the night it aired, I think every kid in my school planned to watch it. The only TV that worked in my house at the time (and we only had two) was in my parents' bedroom. So my parents, my younger brother and I all parked on the rug in there, with the lights out, to watch what we had been looking forward to for weeks. This was long before cable and VCRs, so it's hard to understand today what a HUGE event this was. And, unlike a lot of highly touted TV flicks, The Nightstalker did not disappoint. IT WAS SCARY!! And funny, when it wasn't being scary. And overall, just enormously entertaining. Darren McGavin, who is in my top ten list of most under-rated actors, is just so much fun to watch. When it was over, all four of us went downstairs at the same time, practically on top of one another, we were so scared stiff. My older brother, who had a night job at a label factory had watched the movie there, and before leaving to take the trolley home, put a two-by-four in his back pocket, just in case.

I saw the movie again several years ago, and it was just as good as it was way back in 1972. Unlike today's horror movies, which are usually just gross or violent, this one is truly scary, and manages it with a minimum of gore and violence.

Carl Kolchak (Darren Mcgavin who wore a full hairpiece) is a veteran reporter for a Los Angeles newspaper . Through more accident than design he ends up investigating homicides, many of which involve supernatural forces that lead him to believe a modern-day vampire is stalking Las Vegas . Kolchak turned his investigative skills to vampires , but in the end he always failed to convince his skeptical editor, Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland who held same role in the series) , that the stories weren't products of Kolchak's own overworked imagination. One man's quest to uncover the truth. A vampire killer loose in Las Vegas? It's hard to believe, isn't it? . A real horror story. Television's Greatest Chiller Movie Becomes a Weekly Series! Ultimately, rather than reporting on the crimes, he solves them.

A superb and enjoyable made-for-televison chiller about a modern-day vampire stalking the streets of Las Vegas . This Richard Matheson's teleplay is suspenseful, intriguing and tight . Main and support cast are pretty good . Darren McGavin is nice as the intrepid journalist on the bloodsucker's trail . He's finely accompanied by a good cast such as : Carol Lynley ,Simon Oakland , Ralph Meeker , Claude Akins , Charles McGraw , Kent Smith , Elisha Cook Jr. , Stanley Adams , Barry Atwater, among others . This pilot was followed by 20 episodes in which Carl Kolchak was a reporter for Chicago's Independent News Service, and a trouble magnet for situations involving the supernatural beings as werewolves , vampires , zombies and all manner of legendary creatures, the series was the inspiration for The X - Files.

It contains an atmospheric and colorful cinematography by cameraman Michel Hugo , shot on location in Los Angeles , though mostly shot in studio : Universal Studios , Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California. As well as suspenseful and frightening musical score by Robert Cobet. The motion picture was competently directed and in limited budget , shooting was completed in 12 days . Being financed by the notorious producer Dan Curtis , this Night Stalker was well directed by John Llewellyn Moxey at his best . His first directing job was for British TV , followed by low-budget features in England , UK as ¨Foxhole in Cairo , Death trap , Ricochet , Downfall¨ and scores of TV assignments in the U. S. and England, such as ¨Matlock , Magnum P. I. , Scarecrow and Mrs. King , Masquerade , Blacke the magician , Mannix , Father Brown , First Night , Kung Fu , Mission impossible , Perry Mason, The champions , Hawaii 5.o , The cheaters , London playhouse , The Third Man , Avengers , Murder Bag¨ , among others . Rating : 7/10 . Better than average horror movie.

***SPOILERS*** After a number of Las Vegas show girls are brutally murdered with their blood drained out of their bodies hard nosed reporter Carl Kolchak,Darrin McGavin, smells a big story in what he feels is behind those savage killings. Kolchak is certain that it was a vampire who did the women in and he was going to prove it even he ended up becoming one the the vampire's victims himself.

With the Mayor and police commissioner of Las Vegas trying to prevent a city wide panic the thought that a legendary vampire was on the loose in the city Kolchak's story is put on hold with his editor Tony Vincenzo, Simon Okland, telling him to drop the whole thing and report on an upcoming beauty contest instead. It's when it become obvious to everyone even the city officials that some supernatural psycho with a craving for human blood is out killing people it's decided to finally go alone with Kolchak's plans in killing him. But only have it kept from the public together with the killer's by now some dozen drained of their blood of victims.

The killer turns out to be 72 year old Romanian immigrant Jonos Skorzeny, Barry Atwater, whom it's found out has used a number of aliases in countries like Britain and Canada as well as here in the US over the last 50 or so years. Skorzeny used those phony names in him getting jobs as hospital orderlies and ambulance drivers where there's freshly dead, but still warm, people as well as blood banks available to him where he has access to the life giving human blood that he so desperately needs. Despite Skorzeny's craving for blood he also seems to be immune to bullets or anything thing else that can kill a mortal man and even worse has the strength of ten man despite his advance, in him being over 70 years old, age!

***SPOILERS*** Reporter Kolchak finally hits pay-dirt when one of his stooges or informant little Mickey Crawford, Elisha Cook Jr, find out the address-13-13 Black Raven Lane-where Skorzeny spend his days locked up in his coffin. Kolchak now plans to do the guy in, when he's fast asleep and isn't looking, by driving a wooden stake through his evil heart and thus put an end to Skorzeny's regain of terror in the city of Las Vegas. Not quite sure what time of the day it is Kolchak, suffering from sleep deprivation, seemingly having lost his sense of time goes to confront and kill the sleeping in his coffin Skorzeny in almost the dead, or darkest before dawn, of night! In Kolchak not bothering to wait until the sun comes up where it would be suicide for Skorzeny to emerge from his deep sleep!

Wild showdown between Kolchak and the vampire Skorzeny with Kolchak's good friend Las Vegas police detective Bernie Jenks, Ralph Meeker, joining in with the vampire in the darkness of night quickly getting the upper hand on the two of them. Just when it looked like curtains for both Kolchak & Jenks an attentive, in him finally knowing it's morning and about what turns vampires off, Kolchak pulled down a curtain in Skorzeny's lair and lets the sun shine in. Together with a crucifix and stake slammed into his heart Kolchak puts him on ice at the local city morgue together with his dozen or so victims. It was just too bad for Kolchak in that he couldn't file his big scoop of a story in what Skorzeny did and how he finished him off. That's in what kin of legal trouble he was in by being threatened by the Las Vegas police department and the city D.A Tom Pain,Kent Smith, with a murder indictment in him killing an "innocent man", Jonos Skorzeny. Since Skorzeny wasn't even arrested indited or tried for his crimes. It was in that way the city officials felt that the true story of the Vampire of Vegas would never see the light of day. Which was far more important to them then preventing the mass killings that Skorzeny committed in the city that Kolchak did everything possible, including risking his life,to prevent!

Generally speaking, the 1970s had some good made for TV horror, mysteries and thrillers - I love a few of them. But this I really don't understand the hype over this one. I realize it's a pilot for a short lived series and it's about a vampire but I found it rather boring. Too much washed up reporter trying to get his name back and not enough vampire throughout most of the movie. It does get a little interesting at about 50 minutes into the movie - for me.

I was just rather bored with it and had to fast forward to get to the reason I'm watching the film. I wanted to enjoy this film but I did not.

I'm giving it a 3 out of 10 for the idea of using a vampire in a pilot TV series.

3/10