In the movie's finale, that's exactly what viewers watched Kolchak do - in prime time, folks! This film was such a ratings success for ABC, it spun off a whole TV series that featured Kolchak going after a different deranged killer every week. As Kolchak tries to stop the killer, he learns that vampires can only be repelled by the sight of a crucifix, and the only way they can be terminated is with a wooden stake driven through the heart. This violent tale is full of truly spooky visuals that include our vampire strangling a dog, then stealthily sneaking up on his unsuspecting victims, hissing and baring his razor-sharp fangs just before going in for the kill. To prevent panic in Sin City, the police aren't talking, so Kolchak decides to do a little detective work on his own, soon finding himself on the trail of a modern-day vampire. Claustrophobes all over America had a few sleepless nights after witnessing this shocking scene.ĭarren McGavin stars as Carl Kolchak, an unkempt, unorthodox photojournalist for the Las Vegas Daily News chasing the story of a serial killer whose victims are found virtually devoid of any blood in their systems. Moments later, a woman in a white nightgown darkly discolored by the dirt emerges from underground, shrieking at the top of her lungs in between desperate gasps for air. It isn't long before a dirt-covered hand springs up from the ground and grabs De Havilland. She finally ventures out on her own in the middle of the night with a shovel and starts digging. De Havilland spends much of the film frantically running from house to house, begging for help to unearth the woman trapped beneath the surface. Since she's just gotten back from the mental hospital, however, no one is inclined to accept her outlandish story. Convinced someone has been buried alive, Laura tries in vain to get someone - anyone - to believe her. De Havilland plays Laura Wynant, a wealthy woman recovering from a recent mental breakdown who, while one day strolling the grounds of her estate, hears the muffled screams of a woman coming from under the soil. This chiller based on a short story by Ray Bradbury boasts an impressive cast of Hollywood legends, including Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten (her co-star in 1964's horror classic Hush.Hush, Sweet Charlotte), and Walter Pidgeon. Here are the ABC Movies of the Week that traumatized audiences the most as they sat on their comfy couches and clutched their throw pillows to their chests. Looking back, it's amusing to realize these creepy and sometimes grisly movies were shown during prime time, the so-called "family hour." Chances are, if you grew up in the Movie of the Week decade, many of these films had you cowering beneath the covers when you went to bed, and you likely remember them to this day. ![]() Throughout the 1970s, the network produced a series of shockers that scared the living daylights out of families as they sat in their living rooms with the lights off. But, where ABC really excelled was in the horror genre. Up-and-comers also got their feet in the door through these weekly showcases, including Steven Spielberg, who made a stunning directorial impression with the unforgettable 1971 thriller, Duel. Although most of these productions were made on shoestring budgets, they were quality films that frequently boasted big-name stars like James Caan and Billy Dee Williams, who were both featured in 1971's classic tearjerker Brian's Song. So ABC, CBS, and NBC began making full-length movies produced specifically for television.ĪBC was the clear leader when it came to making films for television, and their Movie of the Week got millions of people to gather around their TVs every Tuesday night. At the same time, there was a concerted effort to get families to stay home for entertainment instead of heading out to movie theaters. ![]() These three networks were in fierce competition with each other to get folks to sit down and watch the programs they were offering. Once upon a time in the 1970s, televisions had round dials on them that viewers had to turn to tune in to one of the only three broadcasting networks - ABC, CBS, and NBC.
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