Celluloid Trails: When Hammer Met Shaw; Or Making The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires Part 1

"... East did not meet West. I have a tremendous admiration for Shaw and his operation and the relationship between him and us should have been very successful but unfortunately it wasn't, and nobody's blaming anybody. We just had two different points of view."--Michael Carreras interview, The House of Hammer #17, February 1978

This two-part entry of Celluloid Trails is as much about the making of the Hammer-Shaw co-production THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES (1974) as it is the undoing of the two companies that produced it. Much has already been written about the film in various books on Hammer, including most recently the film's production as detailed in the Hammer magazine 'Little Shoppe of Horrors' #32. Still, while virtually every aspect of the British side of the production has been covered, little has been specified on the Hong Kong side to put the film into better context; nor has anything been written about the two companies status at that time and how both Hammer and Shaw were strikingly similar in their eventual decline.

Accompanying this article are nearly five dozen images from Shaw's Southern Screen and Hong Kong Movie News magazines, many of which that have never been seen before. Additionally, many of the errors in the LSOH issue and on the new Scream Factory bluray commentary track regarding the HK portions of the production are corrected HERE.

PRELUDE TO KUNG FU BROTHERS & BLOODSUCKERS

Hammer Films of Great Britain was famous for bringing the classic B/W Universal Monsters back to life in bloodcurdling color in the late 1950s. The popularity of THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957), THE HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) and THE MUMMY (1959) exploded around the world--leading to several sequels for all three. More horror was to come as Hammer enjoyed good box office for the next decade with atypically scathing critical notices. Mixing blood, nudity, and boundary pushing scenes for their time, Hammer paved the way for more gruesome horrors that emerged in the 1970s.

Over in Hong Kong, Shaw Brothers Studio--at one time the largest privately owned film production facility in the world--had been making a lot of noise after reinventing the swordplay movie in the late 1960s. Chang Cheh (see insert), the preeminent action filmmaker in HK at that time, had brought masculinity to the forefront of Asian cinema in the most violent, gory ways imaginable. In the early 1970s, Shaw's bloody style of Kung Fu movies became all the rage around the world--opening the door for Bruce Lee and countless others vying for martial dominance at the international box office.

When Kung Fu movies were exploding in popularity globally, and Hammer's style of Gothic horror was dimming, it seemed like a perfect match that these two companies would join forces to produce the first entertainment of Hammer Horror and Kung Fu Thrills. Combining the two genre styles had never been done before; nor had their ever been a teaming of a British and a Chinese film company. Unfortunately, there was no forethought as to the cultural and creative differences that was to arise between two diametrically opposite filmmaking forces.

A few factors led to this unusual partnership. On the British side, Hammer wasn't in a financially stable place in the early 1970s. With financing from US companies evaporating amid a changing marketplace, the company was finding it increasingly difficult to make a profit backing their own projects in addition to the poor distributorship of their films elsewhere; only Warner Brothers was sticking around and that was about to change.

Hammer head Sir James Carreras wanted to sell the company and began negotiations with Laurie Marsh of Hemdale--an entrepreneur and philanthropist who had recently merged with Tigon, one of Hammer's rivals responsible for pictures like THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR (1968), WITCHFINDER GENERAL (1968) and BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW (1971). The possibility of a competitor being a potential buyer didn't sit well with James's son Michael Carreras; so he made a deal to buy out his father's stake in the company making him sole owner. In early 1973, Michael Carreras became President of Hammer and the new owner of a host of problems that came with it. Blindsided by a handful of crippling blows damaging Hammer's foundation, Carreras was faced with the reality that his company was no longer the powerhouse of the previous 15 years.

Meanwhile, back in Hong Kong...

"We've discovered happily that the Americans and Europeans shared our taste for action films. The reason I think we've been so successful in the western world is because we offer more action than any other producer."--Sir Run Run Shaw, Women's Wear Daily, August 1st, 1973

1973 was not good for Hammer, but was arguably the most crucial year for Hong Kong cinema. Run Run Shaw was in the spotlight at the center of a wave of international interest in Chinese martial arts. Warner Brothers, seeking something new and different, found it in Hong Kong. Gambling on the Oriental mystique of Kung Fu movies, Warner reps selected a little film titled KING BOXER (1972) to test in western markets. Interestingly, the chosen film was not a huge success in Hong Kong, but went on to smash the competition everywhere else in the world, including America where it grossed nearly $8 million in four months of release in 500 cities. With the global success of KING BOXER (famously re-titled FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH in the US), everybody--like the hit 1974 Carl Douglas song--was Kung Fu Fighting; and if they weren't, they wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Both before and after Kung Fu became all the rage, Shaw Brothers Studio was featured in major publications like Time and Life magazines, Newsweek and others like Oui Magazine. In another instance, an ABC film crew spent two days (July 3rd-5th) with Run Run Shaw filming a documentary on his empire in 1973 titled 'The World of Run Run Shaw'. In November of that year, a BBC crew went to Shaw Studio to film FISTS OF FIRE, a documentary on Movie Town and the Kung Fu craze that aired in 1975. The crew visited the sets of both THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES (see insert) and the Italy-HK co-pro, THIS TIME I'LL MAKE YOU RICH. 

Chinese martial arts movies were unlike anything that had been seen before. It wasn't long till foreign studios wanted to partner with the Shaw Brothers to get a piece of the Kung Fu action. Shaw's had previously aligned with Japanese, Korean, and other Asian companies, but now they would be working with European and American producers. Between 1973 and 1975, some ten co-productions were slated for filming at the renowned HK studio. Unfortunately, the quality varied wildly on many of them--emphasizing heavy doses of exploitation that held appeal with the rabid Drive-in and trash crowds. Before sinking our teeth into the tale of the LEGEND, it's necessary to cover some of those collaborative efforts for context.

SHAW & ITALY

The first of these co-pro's was with Italy's INDIEF (International Nembo Distribution Import Export Film) company; that picture being SUPERMEN AGAINST THE ORIENT--the last film in the goofy THREE SUPERMEN series. After Lo Lieh's KING BOXER reigned mightily in foreign theaters, SUPERMEN was his first of two chances to shine on the international scene. Directed by Bitto Albertini and an uncredited Kuei Chi Hung, the picture barely made a dent at the HK box office despite an enormous amount of promotion from Shaw's publicity department. Aside from being quirky fun, it is mostly notable for being an early credit for Jackie Chan as an action choreographer.

A second Italian team-up bearing the title THIS TIME I'LL MAKE YOU RICH began filming in Hong Kong in November of 1974 and was released there in 1975 to even less interest from audiences. A Bud Spencer & Terence Hill type action comedy directed by SABATA's Gianfranco Parolini (Frank Kramer), the Hong Kong actors--like Danny Lee (Li Hsiu Hsien)--were basically supporting players next to the silly antics of Italian Antonio Sabato and American bodybuilder Brad Harris.

Yueh Hua got more screen time, but fared worse in Alfonso Brescia's (under his pseudonym as Al Bradley) oppressively atrocious AMAZONS AGAINST SUPERMEN--shot entirely in Italy and released under various titles in 1975. In America AIP released it as SUPER STOOGES VS. THE WONDER WOMEN. If only the movie was as interesting as that overly ridiculous title.

Another joint effort between Shaw and Italy, a comedy tentatively titled 'The Assassin', never got made.

The last partnering of HK and Italy was the most prestigious of their co-productions. Big time producer Carlo Ponti teamed with the Shaw Brothers (along with a US company, Harbor Productions) to produce 1975s uneven, but relentlessly fun THE STRANGER AND THE GUNFIGHTER (known in Hong Kong as BLOOD MONEY), starring Lee Van Cleef, Lo Lieh and directed by Antonio Margheriti. Filming began in June of 1974 with some shooting in Hong Kong but the bulk of it in Spain.

SHAW & GERMANY

German producer Wolf C.Hartwig (the SCHOOLGIRL REPORT series) joined forces with Run Run Shaw to co-produce VIRGINS OF THE 7 SEAS (1974), the trashiest and most outrageous of all the Shaw Brothers collaborative pictures. Ernst Hofbauer co-directed with Kuei Chi Hung; and really, you couldn't of gotten two more flamboyant exploitation filmmakers working on the same film. Production began February 11th, 1974. Utilizing an international cast, and despite an abrupt change in casting, VIRGINS did decent business in HK and is a highly entertaining, if virtually plotless affair.

SHAW & USA

The most extravagantly budgeted of the Shaw Brothers co-productions was their first team-up with Warner Brothers in CLEOPATRA JONES AND THE CASINO OF GOLD (1975); a Bondian style sequel to Warner's black action favorite CLEOPATRA JONES (1973) directed by Jack Starrett. Tamara Dobson (see insert) played Cleo in both pictures. Shot entirely in Hong Kong, CASINO featured a slew of familiar Shaw faces and a stellar cast that included Stella Stevens and Norman Fell. It was a suitably high-end finale to the Black Action genre that exploded with the release of SHAFT in 1971.

SHAW & GREAT BRITAIN

THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES was the first time a British and Chinese company worked side by side; and also the second co-production (following SUPERMEN AGAINST THE ORIENT) between Shaw Brothers and a foreign company. This production was among the most heavily promoted of these alliances with foreign companies. Hammer Films were a well known commodity around the world, and popular in Hong Kong as well. Naturally, the prospect of the first Kung Fu-Horror production gathered a lot of attention. Needless to say, it was a famously chaotic collaboration. The tension began virtually from the first day of filming on October 22nd, 1973, lasting up to the end of filming on December 11th of that year. 

Problems were exacerbated when the action-adventure SHATTER, the second Hammer-Shaw co-production, began shooting December 7th, 1973... but that is another story.

THE FAR WEST IN THE WILD EAST

The two-picture deal between Hammer Films and Shaw Brothers was sealed on September 29th, 1973. On Run Run's behalf, Shaw's son, Harold Shaw, signed the contract with Hammer's head of production Michael Carreras in London (see insert). His father was unable to attend as he was involved in wedding preparations for one of his famous actresses, Lily Ho, on October 4th, 1973 to businessman George Chao.

Shaw publications stated the budget for LEGEND was US$2 million. As much as this co-production was ballyhooed, there was a certain amount of public curiosity surrounding what the end result of such a groundbreaking team-up would look like. There was an enormous potential in this partnership in all aspects of its production. One of the key proponents was in the casting.

You had Hammer's resident vampire slayer and frequent Mad Scientist, Peter Cushing doing battle not just against Count Dracula, but against the Chinese undead in a far more energetic capacity than his previous Van Helsing portrayals. 

In her second Hammer movie, Norwegian beauty Julie Ege stars as the headstrong, wealthy financier of the expedition to find the lair of the Golden Vampires; a role unlike some of her others, this one requiring her to keep her top on. 

On the Shaw side you had two of the biggest HK stars in David Chiang and Shih Szu (more on them later). Up and coming Shaw actor Wang Chung (see above at left next to David Chiang) was initially cast but removed possibly because of at least four other projects he was working on including two lead roles in THE DELINQUENT (1973) and POLICE FORCE (1973). The stars were literally aligned for a powerhouse production.

Peter Cushing's participation is notable for more reasons than just acting in the movie. Always an amicable man, his presence was felt in ways not exclusive to appearing in front of the camera. He'd designed models of the vampires lair that were remarkably detailed (see insert). The actor also contributed his narration, accompanied by music and sound effects, to the LP release of the movie coinciding with its theatrical unveiling. With his wife Helen having been dead for two years, Cushing kept himself occupied and busy; performing in his usual stellar capacity and remaining a source of contentment for those around him despite the grief he carried with him till his passing in 1994.

As for the exciting prospects of East marrying with Western cinema styles, in approximately two weeks, the British cast and crew would make the journey to Hong Kong where this newfound couple would discover just how incompatible they were.

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Despite the fact that screenwriter Don Houghton had scouted Shaw's Studio operations prior to the arrival of the Hammer cast and crew, there seemed to be some surprise as to how the Chinese did things versus what the British were accustomed to. For example, Director Roy Ward Baker was very vocal about what he felt was less than adequate conditions; and particularly the Chinese filming without sync sound. He understood the reasoning behind it, but to him, it was an annoyance in trying to shoot while an assortment of distractions occurred around him--with or without live recording.

Actually, when Shaw's was building Movie Town, the plan was to install soundproof stages although some were resistant to the idea. According to Chang Cheh, he had convinced the Shaw's it would be more economical for them to film without sync sound since, among other reasons, they would be dubbing their movies into a variety of dialects and languages anyway. The Italians shot without live sound as well, but this practice was alien to the incoming Brits from the Hammer camp.

Another problem that Baker and some others had was they felt the Shaw Studio was not up to their standards. At that time with 1.4 million square feet of land; 1,500 employees on staff and 38 various departments including prop houses, horse stables, costuming, and makeup facilities. Dormitories housed actors and technicians; and at that time (see above photo;Shaw Studio, December 1973), there were 10 indoor sets and several massive outdoor sets. 

One minor issue that seemed to somewhat hinder the British crew was the horses used in the movie. Claiming they were taken straight from the horse races, the Shaw's most certainly had stables with 15 steeds occupying them. It's possible they were being allocated elsewhere, but they most certainly had them on-site.

Don Houghton (see insert; pictured with his wife) was asked by one of Shaw's journalists if Chinese filmmaking technology was behind the British methods and he remarked, "It can't be considered backward, it can only be said that the method is different. For example, Shaw's record their sound after filming is complete. We record ours on-set. This is the most significant difference." Houghton was married to a Chinese woman so he already had some knowledge of Chinese mythology while writing the script; although she didn't contribute to its content. He apparently was a fan of Kung Fu/Swordplay pictures as he enjoyed Chang Cheh's NEW ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN (1971), having saw the film back home in the UK. He liked David Chiang so this gave an opportunity for Houghton to work with one of Hong Kong's biggest movie stars of the time.

Houghton's script apparently went through some changes as Chinese materials mention the film takes place in 1880 while the finished picture spans a 100 year time frame between 1804 and 1904. Elsewhere, the location of the lair of the vampires isn't given in the movie, but Chinese articles state it takes place in Taoyuan County in Hunan Province. Shaw's periodicals feature several scenes and images that are either alternate shots, or exclusive to their version, or removed altogether. Images for some of these are seen and specified throughout this two-part article.

HORROR AND KUNG FU CLASH

There were many differences between the two cultures that foreshadowed the two studios would be destined to failure. Shaw Studios was so big, they could film a multitude of movies at once without interruption. It wasn't uncommon for stars to shoot a few different pictures at the same time; working a few hours on one set, then move on to another for an entirely different production. Hammer, on the other hand, had done back-to-back movies before but nothing at the breakneck pace of Hong Kong cinema. What was seen as chaotic and disorganized by the Brits was a typical day at the office for the Chinese crew.

Another point of contention was that the Shaw's were making changes and, as was felt by some on the British side, attempting to take over the production.

Run Run Shaw had a hand's on approach to his empire. He would tour the sets of the films he was producing; watch the footage or rough cuts in his private theater and give pointers on whether the picture was going well. If it wasn't, he'd shelve it for possible future use, or simply trash the footage altogether. In the case of GOLDEN VAMPIRES, the shooting of the action sequences wasn't to his liking. 

Baker, on the other hand, thought he knew how to shoot Kung Fu fights better than the Chinese despite the fact he'd never shot a martial arts sequence in his career. The distinguished Liu Chia Liang (Lau Kar Leung), who was the film's fight choreographer along with the equally qualified Tang Chia, was obviously insulted. Liu had been Chang Cheh's action designer since 1966. He, like Chang Cheh, was very busy at this time trekking between HK and Taiwan working on an innovative series of Kung Fu films based on the Shaolin Temple and the styles of martial arts that originated there. Prior to GOLDEN VAMPIRES scheduled start date, Chang Cheh had returned to Shaw Studios in September '73 to resume filming on THE SAVAGE 5 (1974), a Chinese take on THE SEVEN SAMURAI (1954)--a film that likewise served as inspiration for Don Houghton's GOLDEN VAMPIRES script.

It's unclear at what point Chang Cheh was instructed to oversee the action direction as a co-director of LEGEND, but the first major fight sequence is clearly all Roy Ward Baker's guidance. Reportedly, Liu Chia Liang (see insert; Liu at far left) was initially going to fill this position since he was the assigned action director anyway. This ruffled Baker's feathers as he felt like there wasn't much point in him being there if somebody else would be giving direction alongside of him. Master Liu was actually anxious to direct his own movies. In 1975, he would break from Chang Cheh's camp in Taiwan and return to Hong Kong where he'd embark on a very successful directorial career beginning with that year's comedic Kung Fu hit, THE SPIRITUAL BOXER (1975).

There are no photos of Chang Cheh on the LEGEND sets, but apparently he ensured the action would flow in the Chinese style while Baker would shoot everything how he saw fit. It's also possible some additional scenes were filmed exclusively for the HK theatrical version after the British crew went home; although no one has seen it since its July 1974 release. There are photos, however, of Chang Cheh on the set of SHATTER directing the fights (see insert) while director Monte Hellman was eventually replaced by Michael Carreras. Unlike Hellman, Baker, having a lengthy resume prior to this feature, had a much bigger ego to bruise.

Makeup Effects Artist Les Bowie had nothing but good things to say about Run Run Shaw, but was apparently frustrated by the lack of resources in Hong Kong to devise the film's many special effects that reportedly was constantly changing as to the look of the creatures. Makeup effects in HK were rudimentary in comparison to the Anglo filmmaking world, although breakthroughs for Asian pictures were evident in such works as the Shaw's colorful JOURNEY TO THE WEST series that began in 1966 with THE MONKEY GOES WEST directed by Ho Meng Hua. The market for FX-heavy pictures in Hong Kong wasn't there, but moguls like Shaw, who literally lived and breathed cinema, sought to change that.

Bowie, who began his career as a matte artist before entering into special effects, worked on many of Hammer's horror output and some Ray Harryhausen pictures. SUPERMAN (1978) was Bowie's last credit before his death in 1979. With so many bloodsuckers on screen (8 including Dracula), GOLDEN VAMPIRES required a number of vampire makeups and dissolves. Surely it must hold a record for most vampires turned to dust on camera. A crew of 45 assisted Bowie in creating the vampires and the dozens of skull-faced, long-haired, living dead minions adapted from Chinese folklore. Nothing like this had ever been seen in a Hammer picture, so being in an entirely new environment under conditions you're unaccustomed to, it couldn't be anything other than a challenge.

For years rumors persisted that LEGEND originally never had Dracula in the script at all; that the Shaw's insisted at the last minute to include the character. Other stories have claimed that Warner's insisted on Dracula being included and revisions were made to compensate. But according to Michael Carreras himself, Dracula was always a part of the story. Don Houghton had written it so that Dracula would appear at the opening and ending, and make an appearance somewhere in the middle.

As Carreras put it in an interview with 'The House of Hammer' magazine, "What happened when we saw the finished picture was that we thought the Kung Fu parts of the film were much more exciting than the Dracula sequences so we cut a version without Dracula at all, and what we had was a very good Chinese action-adventure/Kung Fu frolic but unfortunately in that form it was too short so we had to put Dracula back in."

Easily one of the most ambitious of Hammer's catalog, the higher production values outshine other, more quaint pictures they were making during this time period. A few stumbles aside, there's a sense of adventure that's missing from Hammer's other horror output. The only thing that could've made LEGEND even better would've been the return of Christopher Lee to the role. Lee had previously turned down other Dracula roles but was always lured back into donning the fangs and cape. By this point, he meant it. John Forbes Robertson (1970s THE VAMPIRE LOVERS) played Dracula in an admirable approximation even if his voice was dubbed (see insert image of an alternate shot not in the movie). 

Incidentally, Lee had starred in a movie filmed at the Shaw Studios several years earlier playing the "yellow peril incarnate" in THE VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU (1967).

As for the Chinese cast of 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES, the Shaw's, like Hammer, were meticulous in their selection in the hopes that both their actors and exotic nature of the film would attract the maximum amount of audience interest.

THE CONCLUSION IN PART 2 HERE.

20 of the Best Made For Television Horror/Thriller Films of the 70s and 80s

After constantly coming in well behind CBS and NBC in the ratings, the ABC Network gambled on a weekly anthology series of Made For Television productions in the hopes they could offer some legitimate competition to the two other major Networks. Initially designed as low budget pictures to fit a 90 minute time slot (sometimes a 2 hour slot), the Movie of the Week concept occasionally acted as a testing ground for potential television programs like STARSKY AND HUTCH and the first attempt at launching WONDER WOMAN as a series with Cathy Lee Crosby. Lasting six seasons between 1969 and 1975, some genuine classics (like DUEL and BRIAN'S SONG) were sprinkled among a slew of cult items. After the Movie of the Week finished its lengthy run, ABC continued to produce TV pictures as well as airing theatrical movies or even movies designed for theatrical release but made their world premieres on the small screen. The following list is a selection of some of the best Made For Television productions offered by 'The Big Three' between the years of 1970 through 1985. All films are accompanied by their original TV Guide premiere advertisement where applicable.

1. CROWHAVEN FARM 1970

Debuted November 24th, 1970 as the ABC Movie of the Week from 8:30pm-10:00pm

TV Guide description: "Crowhaven Farm (1970), a Made For TV chiller about witches, death and reincarnation. The drama centers on Maggie Porter, new owner of the farm, who's being tormented by eerie dreams."

After the theatrical success of ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968), the subject of witchcraft and satanism was transferred to the television medium in the form of the Aaron Spelling produced chiller, CROWHAVEN FARM; a sinister tale of revenge and reincarnation that, due to its own unexpectedly huge success, inspired imitations of its own such as the ominous Made For TV two-parter THE DARK SECRET OF HARVEST HOME (1978). A benchmark of TV Movie Terror, the majority of the FARM and the surrounding rural community differs from ROSEMARY'S cityscape coven. Incidentally, the popularity, and also the safety net of the TV movie format gave Polanski's classic horror film a Made For TV sequel in 1976 with LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ROSEMARY'S BABY. CROWHAVEN FARM's cast is crammed full of familiar faces like John Carradine; and even the ultimate Tough Guy William Smith appears in the very last scene to deliver a vaguely menacing message following a twist ending key to why CROWHAVEN is so well remembered. FARM's competition was NBC's fascinating SciFi-Horror-Thriller, HAUSER'S MEMORY about a scientist working for the CIA injecting himself with the cerebrospinal fluid of a dead scientist to preserve his memories on military secrets; only insidious figures wish to have that information. It aired from 9pm-11pm and starred David McCallum, Susan Strasberg and Leslie Nielsen.

2. DUEL 1971

Debuted Saturday, November 13th, 1971 as the ABC Movie of the Weekend from 7:30pm-9:00pm

TV Guide description:"'Duel', a nightmare on a deserted highway. You're doing 55. You floor it to pass a gas truck and it's cler driving ahead. Not quite... minutes later the truck is back, a hulking mass of metal that looms up from behind, shoots around you a missile and cuts you off. The deadly game begins. Dennis Weaver plays the prey in the TV-movie, filmed on location in the rugged Soledad Canyon area of Southern California. The story, published last march in Playboy, was written by horror film veteran Richard Matheson after an encounter with a reckless truck driver. Directed by Steven Spielberg."

Early in his career, Steven Spielberg directed one of the most famous Made For Television thrillers ever produced. Essentially a cat and mouse plot between a guy in a red car and an unseen lunatic in a very big truck, Spielberg extracts the maximum amount of suspense from a simplistic premise. DUEL was so good, additional scenes were shot for overseas theatrical play. Slickly made and bordering on horror, DUEL never feels like a TV production. DUELing for network ratings opposite ABC was NBCs rerun of THE WAR WAGON (1967) starring John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. Popular TV actor Dennis Weaver delivers a nerve-jangling performance that, while initially coming off as unlikable, eventually wins over audience sympathy. Weaver starred in two other Tele-Terror productions, the STRAW DOGS inspired TERROR ON THE BEACH (1973) and the ghost revenge horror of DON'T GO TO SLEEP (1982). DUEL's popularity ensured many repeat airings over the course of the next two decades. Spielberg's career would quickly skyrocket after directing JAWS (1975); a directing gig he got because of his phenomenally taut work on this little suspenser shot in Southern California. At the time of its debut, DUEL was not previewed by critics.

3. THE NIGHT STALKER 1972

Debuted January 11th, 1972 as the ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week from 7:30pm-9:00pm.

TV Guide description: "A modern monster story: Darren McGavin stars as a Las Vegas reporter on the trail of a maniac who thinks he's a vampire. This TV-movie was filmed on location."

THE NIGHT STALKER, a ghoulishly stylish horror movie, was at one time the highest rated film made for television. It beget a TV-movie sequel, THE NIGHT STRANGLER (1973), that debuted nearly a year to the day in January of the following year. Surprised and impressed by the ratings bonanzas of the two films, ABC bankrolled a TV series titled KOLCHAK, THE NIGHT STALKER (1974) which, unfortunately, survived for only a single season. The same fate awaited a 2005 reboot series. Dan Curtis, fresh off DARK SHADOWS (1966-1971) and two theatrical films based on that popular soap opera (1970s HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS and 1971s NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS), produced and John Llewellyn Moxey (CITY OF THE DEAD) directed. Dan Curtis would quickly become synonymous with small screen horror as well as its master.

Aside from Darren McGavin's infectious Carl Kolchak, who always seems to rub everyone the wrong way, the movie benefits from a ravenously energetic vampire villain played by Barry Atwater. An abundance of action and stunts elevate the film above the usual TV standards. THE NIGHT STALKER was released to theaters overseas and, in traditional fashion, was spared Judith Crist's critical wrath prior to its debut. Other than a 60 minute special on NBC titled SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN about the effects of violence on the youngsters in war-ravaged Northern Ireland, THE NIGHT STALKER dominated prime time.

4. GARGOYLES 1972

Debuted November 21st, 1972 as the CBS Tuesday Night Movie from 9:30pm-11:00pm

TV Guide description: "Special effects such as flying monsters steal the show in 'Gargoyles', a horror fantasy about half-man, half-reptile creatures planning to wipe out the human race. Cornel Wilde is the anthropologist out to stop them. This TV movie was filmed in Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico."

Thoroughly entertaining and showcasing impressive monster suits that belies its television production origins, GARGOYLES is fun stuff for the Drive-in crowd and still holds up today. Another plus is the aura of cross-country Americana with its roadside attractions that's all but extinct today. Future Oscar winning FX master Stan Winston did the monster makeups. Bernie Casey (HITMAN; DR. BLACK AND MR. HYDE) plays the leader of the cave-dwelling creatures. Giving GARGOYLES a run for its ratings was a repeat of the Made For Television Emmy winning drama BRIAN'S SONG (1971) from 8:30pm-10:00pm; while NBC countered with a repeat of 1961s award-winning WEST SIDE STORY from 8pm-11pm. As was often the case, GARGOYLES was unseen by critics prior to airing. Additionally, there was no advertisement for the picture's premiere.

5. A COLD NIGHT'S DEATH 1973

Debuted January 30th, 1973 as the ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week from 8:30pm-10:00pm.

TV Guide description: "A Cold Night's Death, starring Robert Culp and Eli Wallach as scientists trapped in a snow-bound research station. Worse: they're under attack by some unknown force terrorizing them to the brink of insanity. The electronic background score was composed by Gil Melle who scored Andromeda Strain."

One of the most chillingly creepy films you're likely to see, television director Jerrold Freedman (1972s KANSAS CITY BOMBER) and writer Christopher Knopf (1957s 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH) utilized the budgetary limitations of network productions to their advantage with a single locale and a limited cast. The arctic isolation is frightening and the mesmerizing performances of Robert Culp and Eli Wallach hold your attention till the final, terrifying reveal. Competition for this Cold Night came in the form of BAFFLED, an occult-themed thriller on NBC starring Leonard Nimoy; and over on CBS was the crime drama BIRDS OF PREY starring David Janssen. As was often the case with most TV movies with creepy subject matter, A COLD NIGHT'S DEATH was unavailable for preview to critics; nor did TV Guide feature an advertisement for the film's debut. Like a lot of quality TV pictures, this one played theaters overseas. Ice-cold horror in the vein of Campbell's 'Who Goes There?', Freedman's blood-freezing slow burn is small-screen horror at its finest.

6. THE NORLISS TAPES 1973

Debuted February 21st, 1973 as the NBC Wednesday Night Movie from 7:30pm-9:00pm

TV Guide description: "'The Norliss Tapes', a pilot for a possible series, stars Roy Thinnes a a writer investigating the supernatural. First up: the case of a walking dead man. Filmed in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Carmel, CA."

Dan Curtis's underrated spooker was his second TV Movie directing gig after THE NIGHT STRANGLER (1973), which debuted a little over a month earlier. Designed as a potential weekly series about the search for an occult investigator who left behind a box of tapes of his paranormal explorations, it never made it past the pilot stage; so what became of David Norliss remains a mystery. Had the film rivaled the wild success of THE NIGHT STALKER (1972), then likely we'd of gotten at least a seasons worth of the supernatural. ABC's 7:30pm competition was in a similar vein with AND NO ONE COULD SAVE HER (1973), about Lee Remick's search for her husband who boarded a plane for Ireland and never got off. Unlike ABC's offering, NBC's THE NORLISS TAPES was kept from critical nitpicking prior to its premiere.

7. DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK 1973

Debuted October 10th, 1973 as the ABC Wednesday Night Movie from 8:30pm-10:00pm

TV Guide description: "Mysterious, demon-like creatures are the chilling forces in 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.' For some unknown reason, the evil urchins are trying to terrorize a woman to death. John Newland ('One Step Beyond') directed this 1973 TV movie."

One of the most famous TV Terror's, DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK wrangles some genuine, if minor, chills in its 74 minute running time. This was also the week Dan Curtis's DRACULA was to have debuted (more on that elsewhere in this article). Judith Crist showed anticipation for that one due to her love of Jack Palance but spared DARK, which was not available for review, any scathing remarks. Many who saw the film as kids upon its TV debut vividly remember the whispering little monsters scaring the hell out of them. Like some other titles on this list, DARK is one of those film's that stays with you. The forgettable 2010 remake from Guillermo Del Toro (a huge fan of the original) pales in comparison with its dull narrative and plodding pacing. The short-lived (only 4 episodes) cop drama, TENAFLY (1973-1974) starring James McEachin, had its debut pilot episode in the same time-slot. A big spooky mansion, hidden passageways, and minuscule, murderous monsters backed by a nicely eerie score by Billy Goldenberg (DUEL) make for a tasty Halloween treat for nostalgia lovers.

8. FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY 1973

Debuted November 30th, 1973 as the NBC Friday Night Movie from 9:00pm-11:00pm. Part 2 debuted the following night in the same time-slot.

TV Guide description:"Frankenstein--without a monster. This two-part adaptation has all of the Gothic trappings of Mary Shelley's novel, but the creature who comes off the doctor's table tonight is a handsome youth with an inquisitive mind. With an accent more on characterization than terror, the drama revolves around the 'father-son' rapport between Dr. Frankenstein and his creation, a relationship that takes a dark turn when the creature's body mysteriously begins to deteriorate. Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy wrote the literate script. John Geilgud, Margaret Leighton, and Ralph Richardson have brief roles in the work. Part 2 is telecast tomorrow night at this time."

TV Guide lavished quite a bit of praise for this epic, surprisingly gory production even though the finished film was not made available to resident stuffy critic, Judith Crist. A five page color article covering the novel and the new film was featured along with several photos from the movie. The usually condescending Crist had this to say: "And for something less contemporary, there's the first two-hour installment of a two-part Frankenstein: The True Story, so termed, we're told, because adapters Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy have returned to the Mary Shelley original that got lost along the Karloff-monster-movie way. Leonard Whiting is the doctor, Michael Sarrazin the 'creature' in this one. Another network tried some of the same in January, you may recall. It's not so much a matter of getting the real Frankenstein to stand up, it seems, as getting all the others to lie down."

The other Frankenstein picture she references was another two-parter that debuted Tuesday January 16th and concluded Wednesday the 17th. Simply titled FRANKENSTEIN, this was a shot on video production penned by Dan Curtis with the first part airing as the ABC Late Movie (ABC Wide World of Entertainment) from 11:30pm-1:00am, the same night as Curtis's THE NIGHT STRANGLER (1973) made its debut. Starring Robert Foxworth, Susan Strasberg and Bo Svenson as the Monster, is not as well remembered. THE TRUE STORY, which had the night to itself, is easily among the best adaptations of the classic novel of science gone awry.

9. THE CAT CREATURE 1973

Debuted December 11th, 1973 as the ABC Tuesday Night Movie from 7:30pm-9:00pm.

TV Guide description: "Murder and witchcraft make for eerie moments in 'The Cat Creature', about a series of mysterious deaths somehow linked to an ancient order of Egyptian priests. Veteran actor John Carradine appears in a cameo role as a skid-row hotel clerk."

One of the better cat-creature features, Curtis Harrington's curse-filled spooker finds Meredith Baxter (later the mother on FAMILY TIES [1982-1989]) embroiled in an ancient Egyptian curse involving mummies and vampiric creatures. Harrington also helmed QUEEN OF BLOOD (1966), THE KILLING KIND (1973), and RUBY (1977). THE CAT CREATURE was not previewed for critics. Three days earlier at 7:30pm on Saturday night, ABC debuted another feline fear flick titled MANEATER, about a madman setting two Bengal tigers loose on four vacationers; directed by Vince Edwards (BEN CASEY [1961-1966])! As for THE CAT CREATURE, the cast is a good one--including David Hedison, Keye Luke, and Special Guest Star, Stuart Whitman. TV Guide's notoriously picky critic Judith Crist said, "described as 'an old fashioned horror film' that might well be one since it's written by Robert Bloch, one of the best in the business--all the evil emanates from an ancient cat-shaped amulet." And old-fashioned is exactly how it feels--in the vein of a Universal Horror picture from their more escapist, if less classy, 1940s era. THE CAT CREATURE marked its territory unopposed that night. TV Guide offered no advertisement for the film's premiere.

10. DRACULA 1973

Debuted February 8th, 1974 as the CBS Friday Night Movie from 9:00pm-11:00pm.

TV Guide description (from official debut): "Jack Palance as 'Dracula', in this 1973 TV movie, Palance plays the vampire king as a slightly pathetic figure, a victim of twisted fate--but the actor still summons up the evil of the bloodthirsty Count."

Initially set to premiere Friday night October 12th, 1973, the film (unpreviewed for critics at the time) was postponed due to the announcement of Gerald Ford's nomination for Vice President. DRACULA rose from his small-screen respite four months later to take a bite out of the ratings on February 8th, 1974. Unlike the original, intended airdate, there was no advertisement for the film's official premiere. Palance isn't as over the top as you'd expect, and is unusually good in the role, imbuing his Dracula with animalistic, sinister, and even sympathetic qualities. He's comparable to Christopher Lee, bur more intense and with more dialog. Curtis's DRACULA is simply one of the best adaptations of Stoker's novel and among the most accomplished of television productions. Judith Crist must've gotten a gander at it during the delay because her summation is unusually kind considering her typical damnation of such films: "richly produced and elegantly cast, with Jack Palance excellent and somehow touching as the bloodthirsty Count." ABC had two other premieres critics never saw of the SciFi and Thriller variety with KILLDOZER on Saturday, February 2nd; and CRY PANIC on Wednesday, February 6th.

11. TRILOGY OF TERROR 1975

Debuted March 4th, 1975 as the ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week

TV Guide description: "Trilogy of Terror, a 1975 TV-movie, features Karen Black in a trio of horror stories. In the first, she plays a single woman stalked by a doll that comes to life; in the second, she portrays both a promiscuous beauty and her prim, plain sister; the third story follows a teacher who becomes involved sexually with one of her students... ABC plans to make an announcement warning that the movie may not be suitable for all members of the family."

A fan favorite and a high point in the annals of TV terror, Karen Black (THE GREAT GATSBY; AIRPORT 1975) runs the whole show starring in three suspense/horror stories. Dan Curtis's 90 minute nail-biter has remained a cult favorite due solely to its third tale, 'Amelia'; wherein Karen Black is terrorized by a Zuni Fetish Doll accidentally brought to life. This third segment was so popular, it was released on VHS as a stand-alone short. The first two stories--one about a student who's hot for teacher and lives to regret it; and the second deals with sibling rivalry that ends in tragedy. The first two are psychological in nature while the third is full-bore horror. Competition that night was NBCs TV Movie premiere of THE LAST SURVIVORS starring Martin Sheen. TRILOGY OF TERROR was not made available for review prior to its airing. Curtis returned to the anthology format with 1977s DEAD OF NIGHT that mirrors TRILOGY's narrative flow in that the last story is a stand-out while the other two feel like filler. Curtis later directed a Made For Cable sequel, TRILOGY OF TERROR II (1996) starring Lysette Anthony in three tales of horror--one of which is a sequel to the famous killer doll story.

12. THE SAVAGE BEES 1976

Debuted November 22nd, 1976 as the NBC Monday Night Movie from 9:00pm-11:00pm.

TV Guide description: "The Savage Bees, a 1976 TV-movie, deals with a swarm of killer bees hovering over New Orleans only days before Mardi Gras."

Arguably the best of the "Bee" movies, and produced to capitalize on the African Killer Bee craze, this 1976 TV movie benefits from some taut scenes of suspense and palpable horror that belies its low budget network origins. It isn't surprising then, that Bruce Geller's tele-film made its way to theaters overseas. Unpreviewed for critics prior to its premiere, a repeat airing the following year on April 27th, 1977 yielded some surprising praise from the usual sting of Judith Crist; noting the finale as "a smashing climax worth re-seeing." Two years later, these Bees were sequelized in Lee H. Katzin's TERROR OUT OF THE SKY (1978) wherein Dan Haggerty and other cast members confront a new breed of bee that ultimately traps them and a bunch of Boy Scouts on a bus. The sequel, however, was a Tuesday Night premiere produced for CBS. Geller was famous for creating the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1966-1973) series. He died in a plane crash along with another TV producer in 1978.

13. CURSE OF THE BLACK WIDOW 1977

Debuted September 16th, 1977 as the ABC Friday Night Movie from 9:00pm-11:00pm.

TV Guide description: "A deadly metamorphosis is part of the 'Curse of the Black Widow', a 1977 TV-movie that recalls the horror flicks of the 50s."

While the identity and creepy-crawly nature of the title arachno-lady is kept under wraps till the last few minutes, TV Guide's advertisement isn't shy about revealing that you're getting a cop thriller cum monster movie. The low key comedy bits are a curious inclusion for the usual serious business Dan Curtis indulged in. Some unintentional humor surfaces when the giant spider roars like Rodan! Unavailable for critical review (or drubbing as was almost always the case), Crist had this to say: "CURSE takes a negative approach to spiders, with a woman undergoing a sort of Jekyll-Hyde transformation, we're told, and becoming 'uncontrollably drawn to luring men and trapping them in her web'." Two days earlier on Wednesday saw the CBS premiere of SPIDERMAN, a 90 minute television movie that went to series the following year for a season. At 9:00pm on NBC was the fourth season debut of THE ROCKFORD FILES wherein Jim Rockford investigating a mystery man who has assumed his identity. And at 9:30pm on CBS saw the 90 minute premiere of the LOGAN'S RUN television series starring Gregory Harrison and Heather Menzies. CURSE was the small screen horror king's last TV-movie terror till 1996s TRILOGY OF TERROR 2. CURSE had a surefire ratings bonanza as a lead-in with the 60 minute documentary, THE MAKING OF STAR WARS. Arachno-mania continued three months later in December when CBS assaulted viewers with TARANTULAS: THE DEADLY CARGO.

14. THE BERMUDA DEPTHS 1978

Debuted January 27th, 1978 as the ABC Friday Night Movie from 9:00pm-11:00pm.

TV Guide description: "Marine biologists pursue a mysterious creature that haunts 'The Bermuda Depths' in this eerie 1977 romantic drama."

Arguably the most esoteric movie ever made, DEPTHS has one of the most devoted fan followings of any movie regardless of the size of the screen it was made for. The second, and most intriguing, of three Rankin-Bass co-productions with Japan's Tsuburaya Production company (famous for the vast ULTRAMAN series'), with the first being 1977's THE LAST DINOSAUR and the third 1980's THE IVORY APE. Judith Crist had this to say: "The week's one theatrical newcomer, 'The Bermuda Depths', was made for theaters but never released therein and is unavailable for preview. The plot line offered me defies description or capsulizing. Suffice it to say that with a cast headed by Burl Ives, we are promised 'an adventure, a supernatural thriller, unearthly romance and a riddle' set in the Bermuda Triangle." When it aired again as the ABC Friday Night Movie on August 29th, 1980, Crist's critical summation upon viewing the film was her usual style of derision: "Equally worthless is 1978's 'The Bermuda Depths', a mix of fantasy, science fiction, satanism, incoherent plotting and bad acting through which Burl Ives wanders." Competing for viewership on the night of DEPTH's premiere was an episode of THE ROCKFORD FILES on NBC; and a pilot for a potential, if unscheduled, horror series titled THE WORLD BEYOND aired on CBS. Straight to television in America, other movies bypassed theaters in the US making their debuts on TV such as the 1979 Italian horror film THE GREAT ALLIGATOR directed by Sergio Martino.

15. THE INITIATION OF SARAH 1978

Debuted February 6, 1978 as the ABC Monday Night Movie from 9:00pm-11:00pm.

TV Guide description: "Supernatural happenings surround 'The Initiation of Sarah' in this 1978 TV-movie about a psychic coed (Kay Lenz) and an evil sorority housemother (Shelley Winters)."

It's cute Kay Lenz versus mega-bitch Morgan Fairchild in THE INITIATION OF SARAH, a curious mix of telekinetic powers and witchcraft. Shelley Winters is basically reprising her Ma Barker BLOODY MAMA (1970) role if she were a satanist. Unavailable for critic review, Judith Crist accurately summed it up as 'Carrie goes to college'. There's some mild titillation and a few cool shock moments that have made this INITIATION a minor cult item. Kay Lenz was fresh off the wild ratings success of RICH MAN, POOR MAN (1976), and its lengthier sequel RICH MAN, POOR MAN BOOK 2 (1976-1977). Director Robert Day directed Drive-in fare like the gooey FIRST MAN INTO SPACE (1958); one of Gordon Scott's best Tarzan's in TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT (1960); and Hammer's respectable version of SHE (1965) starring Ursula Andress, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Other than the conclusion of 1976s MIDWAY (making its TV premiere and with unused footage to supplement two 2 hour time slots), SARAH was virtually competition-free. The film was remade in 2006 for the ABC Family channel.

16. SALEM'S LOT 1979

Debuted November 17th, 1979 as the CBS Saturday Night Movie from 9:00pm-11:00pm. Shown in two parts, the movie concluded the following Saturday in the same time-slot.

TV Guide description:"'Salem's Lot' spells terror in this 1979 TV adaptation of Stephen King's supernatural thriller set in a mall Maine community."

There's some genuine spookers on this list, but without question the scariest of them all is Tobe Hooper's SALEM'S LOT. Forty years after its original airing, the vampires of Salem's Lot remain the most terrifying ever put to screen... big or small--with their undead pallor, yellow eyes, and blood-stained teeth. Whether it's the floating vampire kid scratching at the window begging to be let in; Geoffrey Lewis slowly rocking back and forth in a rocking chair staring with his yellow eyes; or any scene with the feral Barlow, there's many a memorably bone-chilling moment in the tiny hamlet of SALEM'S LOT. Other than the LOVE BOAT on ABC and BJ AND THE BEAR on NBC, SALEM'S LOT was unopposed on the film front. The smash hit TV-film got its first repeat on May 23rd, 1981. Again airing on a Saturday night, it was bumped up to the 8 o'clock hour and edited down from its two part airings at 2 hours each to a single 3-hour slot. With 45 minutes shaved off, producer Richard Kobritz stated, "For me, it's the best version." TV Guide afforded SALEM'S LOT an entirely different ad for its first replay, making it seem more like a dark romance than the full-fledged horror it is. A trimmed down version with some additional, more intense scenes played American cable and was released on VHS tape and to theaters overseas. As good as the original TV version is, the international cut is scary as all hell, unnerving, and highly recommended.

17. DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW 1981

Debuted October 24th, 1981 as the CBS Saturday Night Movie from 9:00pm-11:00pm.

TV Guide description: "In 'Dark Night of the Scarecrow', a 1981 TV-movie, four men face chilling retribution for the vigilante slaying of a retarded man."

A prime example of small screen horror that plays like a theatrical feature, novelist and screenwriter Frank De Felitta gave genre fans a Trick r' Treat favorite for Halloween back in 1981. Genuinely scary with a spooktacular score and death scenes, despite implied, that are quite gruesome for television, it's somewhat of a horror take on John Steinbeck's famous novella 'Of Mice and Men'. In fact, Larry Drake, the kindly retarded man blamed for a murder he didn't commit, played Lennie in a Broadway version of 'Of Mice and Men' in 1985. Judith Crist and her typewriter wrote: "Charles Durning, as the local postman, heads a quartet of vigilantes who shoot down the town's simpleton, who's wrongly suspected of killing a child. When justice fails to punish the baddies, mysterious 'accidents' take place. Who's responsible? Who knows? Who cares?" Competition from the other major Networks was a LOVE BOAT with passengers Joan Van Ark, Brian Kerwin, Christopher Norris, and Flip Wilson setting sail on ABC; while over on NBC was NASHVILLE PALACE, a country and comedy variety special series premiere hosted by Roy Clark and guests including Slim Pickens, Tanya Tucker and Jerry Reed. DARK NIGHT endures as a shining example of Television Terror. Like some of the other fear flicks on this list, SCARECROW is perfect Halloween viewing.

18. DON'T GO TO SLEEP 1982

Debuted December 10th, 1982 as the ABC Friday Night Movie from 9:00pm-11:00pm.

TV Guide description: "'Don't Go To Sleep', a 1982 TV-movie, casts Valerie Harper and Dennis Weaver as the parents of a disturbed girl who believes she's being visited by a sister who died in a violent auto accident."

Arguably one of the most intense Made For Television pictures, Aaron Spelling produced this TV clone of POLTERGEIST (1982) that haunted theaters a few months earlier. Richard Lang's small-screen tale of ghostly vengeance and psychological horror is unsettling enough that it likely would've done very well if it had been released to theaters domestically; great cast, too. SLEEP's competition was an episode of the CBS Network firebrand DALLAS (1978-1991); and an episode of KNIGHT RIDER (1982-1986) in its first season on NBC. If you're a fan of the Clint classics EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE (1978) and ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN (1980), you'll find Ruth Gordon acting in basically the same capacity just minus all the foul language. A prolific director of TV programs and TV movies, Lang also directed the gory theatrical western, THE MOUNTAIN MEN (1980) starring Charlton Heston. As for SLEEP, it didn't cause Judith Crist to lose any of hers as it was unavailable for preview.

19. I, DESIRE 1982

Debuted November 15th, 1982 as the ABC Monday Night Movie from 9:00pm-11:00pm.

TV Guide description: "A female vampire posing as a prostitute stalks modern-day Hollywood in 'I, Desire'. Stalking her: an increasingly obsessed coroners aid (David Naughton), who's attacked by the fiend, but can't get anyone to believe him. A 1982 TV-movie."

This underrated vampire thriller has a lot to recommend it; not the least of which is direction by John Llewellyn Moxey of THE NIGHT STALKER (1972) fame and the thickly atmospheric B/W spooker CITY OF THE DEAD (1960). In some ways, I, DESIRE is an inverted version of THE NIGHT STALKER, swapping out a male vampire for a female one. The major difference between the two is Skorzeny, pouncing on his victims, never spoke any dialog aside from animalistic hisses and growls while the sexy vamp of DESIRE growled like a panther, but manipulated men into baring their necks for her stiff nightcaps. Don Peake's (THE HILLS HAVE EYES; THE PREY) forbidding score is music to your ears; and the villainous, vampiric performance of Barbara Stock makes one wonder why she didn't do more sexy horror roles. David Naughton had previously been a singin' and dancin' spokesperson for Dr. Pepper; and later got the gig as the star of MAKIN' IT, a 1979 disco sitcom that was anything but Solid Gold. The catchy theme song was a hit, though. Movies came in the form of the Disney scavenger hunt cult comedy favorite MIDNIGHT MADNESS (1980); the teen sex comedy HOT DOG: THE MOVIE (1981); and horror-comedy classic AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981). DESIRE's competition was Brian De Palma's DRESSED TO KILL (1980), making its network television premiere on NBC at 9pm. Occasionally popping up on cable TV, it's unfortunate this tense bloodsucker hasn't been resurrected on DVD or Blu-ray.

20. THE MIDNIGHT HOUR 1985

Debuted November 1st, 1985 as the ABC Friday Night Movie from 9:00pm-11:00pm.

TV Guide description: "Teenagers in a New England town inadvertently invoke a centuries-old witch's curse in 'The Midnight Hour' in this Halloween comedy-thriller. Production design by Charles Hughes (Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video. A 1985 TV-movie."

With the success of Michael Jackson's iconic THRILLER (1983) mini-movie and video, and the box office hit THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985) putting a fresh spin on zombie lore, THE MIDNIGHT HOUR blends the two for a surprisingly entertaining, if awfully silly two hours of Halloween entertainment. Like RETURN, there's even a midget zombie. The accidental mass zombie "uprising" is a nod to the 1972 favorite CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS. Jack Bender's colorful comedic creeper is likely the only Made For TV horror movie that's built entirely around the holiday. There's some great makeup courtesy of Oscar winning makeup man Steve LaPorte and Emmy winning Rick Stratton. The cast is full of old pros and young performers--some of whom went on to great things like Peter DeLuise (5 seasons of 21 JUMP STREET) and LeVar Burton (7 seasons of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION). And it's all backed by a fabulously frightful, Halloween-centric soundtrack served up by everybody's favorite raspy-voiced DJ, the epochal Wolfman Jack, daddy. Vampires, zombies and werewolves are the life of the party that begins at THE MIDNIGHT HOUR.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN