TV Movie Terror: Terror Among Us (1981) review

TERROR AMONG US 1981

Don Meredith (Sgt. Tom Stockwell), Sarah Purcell (Jennifer), Jennifer Salt (Connie Paxton), Ted Shackleford (Delbert Ramsey), Kim Lankford (Vickie Stevens), Sharon Spelman (Sara Kates), Elta Blake (Beth), Pat Klous (Cathy), Tracy Reed (Barbara), Spencer Milligan (Alex), Austin Stoker (DA Rick Clayburn), Jane Badler (Pam), Ken Foree (prisoner)

Directed by Paul Krasny

The Short Version: Debuting on January 14th, 1981, TV director Krasny delivered a memorable piece of small screen quasi-trash about a disturbed man who can't keep his prowler urges in check. Dealing with an array of subjects, its primary focus is on psychosis and rape, politics and policing. Everything in between concerns the love lives of a clutch of airline stewardesses leading up to their fateful run-in with the title terror. Fans of 70s and 80s television will get their money's worth in the stockpile of familiar faces. There used to be a time where there were good TV movies among us.

A California cop trying to nail an ex-con is at odds with the prowler's parole officer over putting him behind bars permanently. Alternating between stealing women's clothes and raping them, he's finally pushed over the edge by his girlfriend's constant beratement. After committing murder, the disturbed sexual predator sets his sights on five stewardesses living in an upscale apartment complex, one of which had previously tried to put him away.

TV director Krasny hits a home run with this occasionally tense thriller that expounds a number of topics, some of which had been trotted out in all your finer R rated cop thrillers since the early 70s. One of the keys to this film's success is its screenplay. Tackling multiple subjects, it comes at the viewer from more than one angle--whether in dealing with relationships between men and women; the politics of the legal system; naivety of the young vs. the enlightenment of the old.

Dallas and JoAnne Barnes wrote the exposition heavy screenplay, managing a surprising amount of depth and characterization for a 95 minute movie. Formerly an LAPD narcotics officer, Dallas Barnes got into writing novels before being hired to write for television starting with the George Kennedy cop series THE BLUE KNIGHT (1975-1976). His wife, JoAnne, eventually became his scripting partner in 1980 for TERROR AMONG US. They were the first husband and wife team in television. Both are still active today.

 
Virtually every character cliche is trotted out in their script. There's the frustrated cop whose hands are tied when it comes to nailing the bad guys; the politically opposing goody-two-shoes who thinks rehabilitation will eventually pay off; the disturbed ex-con whose crimes escalate as the film wears on; and the victims themselves are a television facsimile of the sort populating all your finer slasher pictures of the day. Both Dallas and JoAnne do an extraordinary job of balancing the screen time of a staggering amount of characters--one of the most important being the main villain.

Ted Shackelford had a very healthy career on the small screen, with only a few big screen credits on his resume. He's best known as Gary Ewing on KNOTS LANDING (1979-1993), the brother of Bobby and J.R. Ewing from the famous series DALLAS (1979-1991). In TERROR AMONG US, Shackelford plays Delbert Ramsey, a chronic liar and Peeping Tom who can barely contain his sexual impulses in the company of the fairer sex. He compensates by sneaking into women's homes and swiping their bras; or ogling them by the pool; or getting all hot and bothered at the slightest amount of exposed female flesh. 

The script tries, and moderately succeeds in creating sympathy for its rapist-murderer--blaming his actions on other factors as opposed to creating a straightforward villain. There's a feeling that Delbert is something of a societal Frankenstein Monster even though the scenarios leading up to his eventual breakdown are all initiated by his own carelessness. It's as if the writers wanted to allow the right-leaning Stockwell and left-leaning Paxton to have their cake and eat it too by feeding both their political sensibilities; or more likely, both Dallas and JoAnne wanted a three dimensional antagonist.

Texas born Don Meredith walks tall as Sergeant Stockwell, the high-falutin' cop constricted by a legal system that, at times, favors the criminals over their victims. Also constricted by standards and practices, Stockwell is far more preachy than Eastwood or Bronson would ever be. Playing a 95 minute game of political chess with Connie Paxton (Jennifer Salt)-- the naive parole officer convinced she can rehabilitate the Terror Among Us--Stockwell ultimately wins the game and they put politics aside to nab a killer. The banter between them never gets too overly heated. Both actors have a rapport together and are likable enough. The relationship is more or less the equivalent of Harry Callahan and Kate Moore (Tyne Daly) of THE ENFORCER (1976) minus any innuendo and gunplay.

The violence is mild in what television could show at that time, but still tense and riveting. The film's major set piece is the sequence where Delbert, having gone off the deep end, takes the five stewardesses captive. Bound and gagged, he then takes the women one at the time into another room where he beats and rapes them--well, rapes one of them. This sequence, as grim as it is, has an unintentional air of humor about it. Every few minutes somebody else either comes into the room or comes by and knocks on the door, pissing Delbert off even more as the number of people who can identify him continues to grow. Still, director Krasny orchestrates a harrowing sequence.

About the only place where TERROR AMONG US seriously fumbles is in its airport-set finale. You kind of expect a slightly beefier climax, but one isn't forthcoming. For a Made For TV movie, it's satisfying enough in every other department. One of these areas is in its cast. If you're a fan of 70s and 80s television programs, you'll have a field day picking out all the familiar faces.

If Spencer Milligan looks familiar, you'll recognize him as Rick Marshall, the father trapped in a prehistoric land with his two kids in the classic Sid & Marty Krofft series, LAND OF THE LOST (1974-1977). Milligan only appeared in the first two seasons. Stepping off the show over reasons of pay, Ron Harper (PLANET OF THE APES TV series) took his place on the third season. In TERROR AMONG US, Milligan is Vickie's tough guy boyfriend.

Any SciFi fan worth their salt will know the name Jane Badler (see insert; middle). A couple years before playing the lead lizard bitch from another galaxy who harvests humans for food on the original V (1983), she was a snotty stewardess named Pam in TERROR AMONG US. Onscreen for approximately 60 seconds, it would be a couple more years before the stunning actress would cement her fame as the literal man-eating alien Diana on the aforementioned V mini-series, its subsequent sequel mini-series in 1984, and the single season television show (1984-1985).

Austin Stoker starred in a handful of exploitation features in the 70s including the likes of ABBY (1974) and HORROR HIGH (1974). He had a significant role in BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (1973) taking over the role played by Hari Rhodes in CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (1972). Probably his most significant part was in John Carpenter's cult favorite ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1977). For TERROR AMONG US, Stoker has a cameo as the District Attorney.

 
Forever famous as Peter in George Romero's DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978), Ken Foree cameo's as an unnamed inmate who first asks Delbert for a cigarette then tries to push him off the phone. A fine actor, Foree cropped up frequently on television and in movies like FROM BEYOND (1986) and LEATHERFACE: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 3 (1990). His work has been primarily in film the last ten years.

TERROR AMONG US debuted as the CBS Wednesday night movie on January 14th, 1981. A product of its time, it's a sturdy character ensemble, if watered down crime thriller that fans of grittier fare will still find of interest. It's a topical picture that juggles everything from the criminal justice system to infidelity to rape. There's even some campiness that creeps into the narrative at times. Film fans with an appreciation for vintage TV movies and forgotten and obscure productions from the 1980s will find this TERROR AMONG that league.

Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things (1971) review

SOMETIMES AUNT MARTHA DOES DREADFUL THINGS 1971

Abe Zwick (Paul Sutton), Wayne Crawford (Stanley; as Scott Lawrence), Don Craig (Hubert), Robin Hughes (Vickie), Yanka Mann (Mrs. Adams), Marty Cordova (Alma)

Directed by Thomas Casey

The Short Version: Little seen Hippies, drugs, and psycho cross-dresser shocker about jewel thieves, Paul and Stanley (not to be confused with the KISS frontman), who share more than just their loot. Less a horror movie than a psychological thriller with a touch of black comedy, Casey's flick is a fascinating nosedive into the lives of two criminals with serious mental issues. A truly bizarre film, its mixture of genre styles strikes a wildly erratic tone, but this only adds to the quirkiness of the storyline. Serious Drive-in and exploitation buffs should see this one at least once; those seeking blood and gore might want to pass it by. Despite budgetary shortcomings, Sometimes Filmmakers Make Memorable Things.

Two mentally disturbed jewel thieves hide out in Florida after committing a murder in Baltimore, Maryland. Disguised as "Aunt Martha", Paul Sutton keeps house with Stanley, his drug-addicted, mental midget of a partner. To protect their cover from prying eyes, a junkie strung out on Astrology, and Stanley from the lascivious allure of sex, drugs and rock and roll hippies, Paul kills anyone who comes in the house. As bodies continue to pile up, Paul and Stanley can't keep their twisted actions hidden for long.

Nearly unclassifiable, director Casey (who directed nothing else) wrote the unconventional script to this minor gem that, up to now, was mired in perpetual obscurity; its VHS availability in the 1980s possibly got the film more exposure than its theatrical run ever did back in the 70s. Marketed as horror, the picture is crowded with other genre styles and some fascinating characterizations.

 
At times Casey's celluloid conundrum feels like a comedy; at others it takes on the guise of a crime thriller; then it segues into a horror film before starting the whole cycle over again. Aside from the omnipresent hippie and drug culture, one theme is constant, though: the mania of its primary antagonists. Casey doesn't go to great lengths to divulge the backgrounds of either of them, but drops just enough information for the viewer to draw their own conclusions. It's the kooky relationship, the exposition between the two main characters that keeps AUNT MARTHA from being a dreadful movie.

We learn early on that cross-dressing Paul (Abe Zwick, who acted in nothing else) is only wearing women's clothes as a cover after an incident in Baltimore that ended in an old woman's death. He's not a very convincing woman, either, yet effortlessly fools nosy neighbors and anyone else who happens by. As screen time passes, it becomes apparent that Paul is very comfortable emulating the female form. At times Paul seems to get lost in his "Aunt Martha" guise--posing and admiring his legs in pantyhose, or addressing and castigating Stanley like a mother would a child.

The implication of a sexual relationship between the two is obvious in a few scenes. This is hinted at in the first ten minutes when Paul becomes highly irritated Stanley isn't where he's supposed to be; another example occurs a short time later when Stanley latches onto Paul's arm proclaiming he "needs him" after spurning the forceful sexual advances of the blonde waitress Alma.

Wayne Crawford (GOD'S BLOODY ACRE, BARRACUDA) plays the drug-addicted Stanley as an easily manipulated, yet irresponsible teenager who, at times shows interest in girls--but once their pants come off (or try to remove his), he turns into a preadolescent who's fearful (maybe even disgusted) of a woman's advances. That he's heavy into drugs only reinforces the ease with which Paul controls his partner in crime. The few times Paul feels he's losing his grasp on his petulant paramour, his demeanor is overtaken by a jealous rage that leads to murder.

Aside from that, the most intriguing facet of Paul and Stanley are their dual personalities. Both men are seemingly conflicted as to who they really are--the demented Paul to his dominant role as both male and female. Interestingly, we only see him murder when he's dressed as Aunt Martha (save for one crucial moment). As Paul states at the beginning, the disguise is supposed to allay suspicion yet it's the "skin" he wears when he kills people. It recalls the disturbing mother fixation of Norman Bates.

Stanley is the bigger societal outcast of the two. One sequence of a bare-chested Paul wearing a bra, admiring himself is juxtaposed with a girl disrobing in front of Stanley. He couldn't be less interested. He's not even looking at her. Towards the end, though, Stanley seems to detach from Paul, if momentarily, by becoming interested in Vickie, the shy, innocent daughter to the nosy Mrs. Adams who lives across the street. It would appear Stanley might actually be drawn to Vickie, a woman of purity who is the polar opposite of the drug-loving hippies he normally hangs with; but then Paul uses his power of persuasion to reel Stanley back in--leading to the film's sole gruesome moment involving the removal of a baby from a dying pregnant woman. There's also a big reveal during the finale you'll probably already guess well before then.

With all of AUNT MARTHA's substance out of the way, Thomas Casey's movie is a monetarily bare bones affair. The music score is made up of library tracks, some of which will be recognizable to fans of Shaw Brothers kung fu movies. Just the same, director Casey does wonders with limited resources. Shot in Florida, it has that unique Floridian pallor of other films shot there by directors like William Grefe and Herschell Gordon Lewis-- but lacks the sleazy punch found in Lewis's BLOOD FEAST (1964) and Grefe's STANLEY (1972), to name two examples. Aside from its strengths in its subtext and performances of its main participants, AUNT MARTHA is weak in the horror and gore department. 

The kill scenes themselves aren't that bloody, and the editing of them reveals some graphic material may have been scissored out at some point; this is unfortunate as had the brutality been more pronounced, Casey's film would be palatable for a wider contingent of the trash film spectrum. Even without splatter, SOMETIMES AUNT MARTHA DOES DREADFUL THINGS is worth checking out for its bizarre, blackly comedic qualities. A shame Christopher Casey didn't direct more features; his sole directorial excursion into celluloid weirdness is an overlooked anomaly in the field of 70s exploitation cinema.

This review is representative of the Vinegar Syndrome DVD. Extras and Specs: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen; audio commentary by filmmaker David DeCoteau and film historian Nathaniel Thompson.