New 'Stalker' hunts for that '70s sizzle (Kolchak Returns)

NY Daily News ^ | 9/29/05 | staff

[RightWhale]

The title shot was a wall and then a shadow moving up on it. Low budget, but fascinating to this kid.

[keithtoo]

Fright Night was kind of a teenish vampire flick that came out in about 1982-3. I liked it (I was about 22 at the time). It was genuinely scary.

I really don't care much for the older vamp flicks. The acting and the effects are a bit to clunky for me. I don't care much for any horror films made in the last 20 years though, so I guess my era is 1970-85.

[pissant]

Simon Oakland was very convincing playing a guy getting utter heartburn from Kolchak's antics!

[pissant]

Some of the early TV shows are head and antlers above the crap of today!

[pissant]

I loved all the old Universal flicks. Frankenstein, the Mummy (still seems creepy), Wolfman, etc...

[185JHP]

Remember the lovely Carol Lynley?

[RightWhale]

Many were classical. And classics. It comes with the territory--new medium.

[pissant]

YUP!

[pissant]

I agree!

[apackof2]

I loved Darren McGavin as Kolchak

New series has some big shoes to fill

[Starter]

I was a huge fan of the original, so I've been awaiting this one anxiously. So tonight, I finished watching Survivor and switched over to ABC... and saw "Alias" on there. So I thought, "Well, I must have gotten the time wrong" and switched over to watch Trump. After the dork got fired (I swear. Have some of these people not seen the show before? Trump was sending signals not to do something that were only a tad less obvious than sending a singing telegram... and the idiot did it anyway. Sigh.) I started surfing channels and discovered that yes, in fact, Night Stalker was on. Stupid ABC, starting their shows a minute after the other networks. Grrr.....


Oh, BTW. The original series will be released on DVD next Tuesday. Woot.

[skr]

Exactly!

[TheBigB]

As a HUGE Kolchak fan, I am disturbed that I was not pinged. :)P

Well, anyway. I watched last night (after the season premiere of SMALLVILLE). I wasn't expecting much, to be honest, but it was slightly better than I had hoped. The review is correct in that Stuart Townsend--although he isn't bad-- doesn't seem to really have the screen "presence" or biting wit that fans would expect for such a role. The interplay between him and Gabrielle Union was pretty good. Didn't see enough of the guy playing Tony Vincenzo to form an opinion. On opposite CSI, I'm sure it'll struggle to find an audience. But I'll keep watching.

And as someone else said...coming Tuesday...

[brwnsuga]

I remember watching repeats of the series when I was little and it was really scary. Darren McGavin made the show with his ironic/ comedic take. Stuart Townsend is cute, but he is no Darren McGavin.

[Tribune7]

Fright Night is a great movie. Check it out.

And the Night Stalker is one of the best TV movies ever.

[hlmencken3]

I liked the show, but it ran just one season (20 episodes). Hollywood's really dredging to come up with this fresh idea.

[TheBigB]

Fun facts: Two of the principal characters in "Fright Night", Stephen Geoffreys (Ed) and Amanda Bearse, were also both in a summer movie in 1985 titled "Fraternity Vacation" (along with a young Tim Robbins). SG and AB played a couple in that film, which is pretty funny considering that Bearse eventually came out as a lesbian, and Geoffreys went into gay porn.

[EveningStar]

I watched it. I too didn't expect much and got slightly more than I expected. The only actor who impressed me was the guy who played the kid photographer. Gabrielle Union is pretty, though. For me, the show has no soul. I'll keep watching, though.

For those of you who were fans of the old show, but haven't seen this one yet: this is a completely different show.

I did order the DVD set of the old series. I hope it's as good as I remember it. I already have the DVD of The Night Stalker / The Night Strangler TV movies. Those movies hold up just fine for me. :)

[EveningStar]

ping

[Simmy2.5]

I saw parts of the series opener. I thought it was pretty good. Had that film noir feel to it. Too bad it is up against one of my favorite shows though, CSI.