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Al Lewis, Darren McGavin, Jo Ann Pflug, John Carradine, Margaret Hamilton, Nina Wayne, Scott Brady, Simon Oakland, Virginia Peters, Wally Cox
When last we left our anti-hero Mr. Kolchak, he was fleeing Las Vegas in disgrace. Coincidentally, at the beginning of The Night Strangler, he finds himself in the same Seattle bar as his former boss, Tony Vincenzo, and Vincenzo for some reason gives him a job. Right away, Kolchak is on the trail of another weirdo; this time it’s another immortal, but not a vampire. This new guy kills a series of women every 21 years in order to make an elixir that keeps him permanently in his forties. Only a man would want to be permanently as old as forty, but I guess he fares better than his victims, who don’t get a chance to get old.
While not as creepy as The Night Stalker, The Night Strangler makes a worthy bridge between Stalker and the TV series. Kolchak is even more of an ass here, but doesn’t end up as humiliated, the writers having decided instead to run him and two of his accomplices/friends comedically out of town after burying the story that Kolchak solves. The police chief and the big boss at the paper just aren’t as mad at him as the powers that be in Vegas were. Of course, it helps that the big boss is played by John Carradine; if I was John Carradine I wouldn’t consider a reporter in a seersucker suit that much of a threat either.
Besides Carradine, there’s a nice cameo by Grandpa Munster as a drunk in the underground part of Seattle, and another by the Wicked Witch of the West as the intimidating college professor who knows what kind of creature the killer is. Also, the killer’s lair reveals a true horror shocker, even though the killer himself isn’t that scary. The Night Strangler is a fun watch, and I wish they had made a third movie as I believe was planned. My only complaint is the way that the butch lesbian lover of one of the victims is played for laughs as a big, scowling, unattractive, and possessive person. Not cool. Not cool at all, 70s TV.
I have to remind you now of a horror movie rule I’m not sure I covered already. If you are the villain, and you are about to kill the only person who knows the secret or can destroy you, go ahead and kill them. Don’t waste time explaining yourself, even if the screenwriter insists on placing the burden of wrapping up the story on you. I know that as an awesome villain it’s difficult to keep your ego in check, but try. It could mean the difference between getting away with it and giving the meddling reporter enough time to finish you.
Artamus said:
GREAT sequel, and great movie in it’s own right – I like it just as much as “Stalker”. I also like that Richard Malcolm/Malcolm Richards had some good dialogue, interesting back story, and great chemistry with Kolchack, instead of just being a rampaging Monster(no offense to rampaging Monsters, I love ‘em!) I always wondered if Dan Curtis was a fan of “The Wild, Wild, West”, because the 1966 episode “The Night of the Undead”, has some noticeable similarities to “Strangler”. Man, just thinking of how awesome “Stalker”, and “Strangler” are, I’m really wanting to find some extra rusty pins for my Johnny Depp Voodoo Doll – Grrrrr! Yea, I know, the movie hasn’t even started filming, but I think we already know how it’s going to turn out.(Please Depp, prove me wrong!)
Wednesday's Child said:
That’s a very good point about the killer having more of a personality in the sequel. When you poke Johnny Depp with your pin be sure to deflate those ridiculous cheek implants or whatever is going on with his face these days.
theipc said:
The rules continue to grow! Soon, we’ll have everyone in the world safe and sound…
Wednesday's Child said:
Oops, don’t want to end the horror genre, though.
E.F. Contentment (@EFContentment) said:
“Only a man would want to be permanently as old as forty…”
Damn right. But if anyone can point me towards an Always 30 solution, whether I have to night strangle or day strangle to do it, please let me know. Otherwise permanently 40 is acceptable.
The 70′s might be the last period when a film can throw in a badly-drawn stereotypical character and mix him-or-her with the rest of the relatively “normal” characters, all like “Look at the freak HAW HAW HAW!”. I’m all for un-P.C. humor; it’s when they pinpoint it to one specific type of person and leave everyone else alone that kinda rubs me the wrong way. Anyway, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to fit 15 of my relatives and their kids in my Impala with no muffler, on our way to the taco shop.
Wednesday's Child said:
You’ll no doubt have a better evening than Uncle Dad and I will have at the snake-handling Baptist revival and quilting bee.
mistylayne said:
I’d watch this just for the cameos!