The Night Stalker/The Night Strangler

1971/1972

Before there was a Night Stalker show there were these two made for TV movies. The first one was…

The Night Stalker

Someone in Las Vegas is killing young women. Despite the attempts by the police to keep details of the murders quiet an overenthusiastic report named Carl Kolchak finds out the bodies have been drained of blood and begins to put together that the murders may have been done by the same person. Then someone begins stealing blood from blood banks. He, who is don this a vampire? Well, it’s beginning to look that way. Eventually the killer is not only seen while stealing blood and killing, but he is confronted by police yet they can’t stop him physically or with guns. Kolchak again brings up the idea of a vampire and the higher ups growl at him. They do identify him as a guy who is over 70. Eventually Kolchak discovers the killers lair and confronts the yes, vampire. Of course Kolchak gets his tail kicked, but he manages to stake the vampire and end this reign of terror. Kolchak then writes about the vampire was the killer and he was staked, the article was printed and everyone was happy. Oh, wait he did write that, but the higher ups tell him they will arrest him for murder if he doesn’t get out of town. They instead run a story that tells how the police killed the murderer in a shootout and they live out anything about him being a vampire. Kolchak grudgingly leaves, but swears to get his story heard one day.

 

The Night Strangler

Kolchak ends up in Seattle where someone else begins killing young girls. Much to the chagrin of the Seattle police Kolchak begins finding out details that suggest the killer has rotting flesh and has been killing a few woman over a course of a few weeks in the Spring every 21 years for over a hundred years. However the police tell him this is crazy talk and suggest a few holes in the previous killings that make it seem not as connected as Kolchak start. Still Kolchak believes the killer just has a few more killings to do and then he’ll vanish for another 21 years. With the help of a researcher Kolchak pins down the killer as a former Civil War officer who founded a medical center in Seattle and never seem to age. The police try to get the killer, but he overpowers them and then vanishes. Kolchak begins to think the killer is staying in the semi buried ruins of what was old Seattle before a fire in the late 1800’s. He gets a belly dancer friend to go with him. In the end it’s Kolchak who finds the killer and yes again gets his tail kicked. The killer tells him how he kills to make and elixir to stay young every 21 years. He know has what he needs for this batch, but Kolchak smashes it before he can take it. The bad dude instantly ages and the police arrive in time to see him in his state and then he expires. Kolchak writes about the 150 year killer who stayed young fixing a cocktail out of liquids from the bodies of the woman he murdered. Yeah, he writes it but the printing is stopped by the cops and turned into a more normal murder gets his due story. Kolchak is kicked out of Seattle as are his editor and his belly dancer friend.

Both films are strong made for TV movies. The first one has an okay story, but cast get the most of it. the second one has a better story and an even better supporting cast plus some nice visuals. I have only seen these and never seen the show, but ME-TV is getting to read put it into their new winter line-up so I cannot wait to see all the episodes.