TheNightStrangler

The Night Strangler (1973)

Kolchak is back in action in this follow up to the Night Stalker movie. Sometime after being run out of Las Vegas, after the events of the first movie, Kolchak finds himself in Seattle. His old editor, Vincenzo, finds him in a bar trying to convince anyone that will listen about the vampire that terrorized Vegas. Vincenzo offers Kolchak a job at a paper in Seattle, and a juicy story to track down. Seattle is being terrorized by a series of murders that seem to have a sort of supernatural component to them. Especially after Kolchak tracks a similar set of murders back over 84 years, with a series of killings every 21 years. Eventually Kolchak realizes that an alchemist is on the loose and killing girls for a formula that grants him immortality. But as in Vegas the authorities refuse to believe him and shut his story down. The end of the movie finds Kolchak leaving town again, except this time he has friends.

It isn’t often that a sequel lives up to a movie that I enjoyed as much as I enjoyed the first Kolchak movie. This is one of those movies. Richard Matheson is again back as the scriptwriter, except this time instead of adapting another author’s book he is writing his own story. If anything Matheson’s story is an even more entertaining than the original, while keeping to the basics of humor and character that made the first so entertaining. Moving on from the classic horror character of the vampire this film has Kolchak pitted up against a mad alchemist that has discovered the secret of eternal life. Unfortunately one of the main ingredients for the formula is the blood of a recently dead young girl! This story also again makes wonderful use of a setting. In the first film it was the Las Vegas strip, this time the story makes use of Seattle and it’s forgotten underground city. If you don’t know what this is I suggest you check it out on the net, because it is fascinating. The cast is again spectacular with McGavin again carrying the movie in the role of Kolchak. Simon Oakland returns as his put upon editor Vincenzo, with John Carradine and “Grandpa” Al Lewis joining the cast in supporting roles.

If you are expecting a gore fest then this isn’t the movie for you. But for a TV movie from the early 70s you do get to see some dead bodies and a funny sequence with a bottle of scotch in the morgue that is gross if you pay attention. As with the first the movie is shot very well, capturing both the city of Seattle as well as it’s creepy dark corners on film with equal skill. This is helped by the fact that these network TV movies were shot much like small independent projects with real film being used.

So I’m a huge mark for anything Kolchak, well except that soulless remake. But seriously how can anyone not love these movies? They are a perfect blend of humor and horror. I highly recommend checking this movie out. It is available on a double feature DVD with The Night Stalker, which is the first of the series. Also available is the weekly series, which these two movies spawned. They may be dated, but the hold up well and are a blast.

4 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer