Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Night Strangler Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 11, 2018

There wasn’t a person around who expected the January, 1972 airing of “The Night Stalker” on ABC to produce record ratings, but when the movie collected a massive audience to watch a newspaper reporter take on the creatures of the night, the money men wanted another instalment. A quickie production, airing a year later, “The Night Strangler” returns to the world of Carl Kolchak and his uncanny ability to be present when supernatural evil rises up to claim lives. For the first installment of the series, a vampire was up to no good, but for “The Night Strangler,” the perpetrator is something a bit more complicated, with writer Richard Matheson making some attempt to shake up expectations for the second go-around. Originality isn’t big with the sequel, but it retains McGavin and his ability to huff and mug his way through the dullest of scenes, giving his second time with Kolchak needed agitation for a production that’s stuck in full rehash mode.

Forced to leave Las Vegas after his reporting on a vampire serial killer caused too many problems in town, Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) relocates to Seattle, soon reunited with his former editor, Vincenzo (Simon Oakland), who decides to give the writer another shot at the Daily Chronicle. When a serial strangler begins taking the lives of young women in town, Kolchak pays careful attention to the details of the crime, which suggest something darker and weirder is roaming around the city, with the possibility that the perpetrator has been alive for over a century. Proving his theories with help from researcher Titus (Wally Cox), Kolchak rubs city leaders the wrong way, with Captain Schubert (Scott Brady) irate with the new man in town, threatening to silence the reporter as he seeks answers in the vast subterranean kingdom of “Old Seattle.”

Being a sequel to an immensely popular television movie, there’s little expectation for “The Night Strangler” is alter its creative course for the second chapter. However, beyond a change in location and the make-up of the main monster, there’s very little that separates the two films, with new adventure making sure to resemble the old one in every way possible. There’s Kolchak’s combative relationship with Vincenzo, with the pair merely increasing the decibel level on their arguments as the editor habitually denies his top reporter a chance to sell the story of a possibly undead ghoul picking off ladies on the streets of Seattle. There’s considerable pushback from city leaders, who are publically humiliated by Kolchak’s sharp reporting, worried that panic will bring down tourism. And the rest of the feature is devoted to Kolchak’s sleuthing, which, once again, is mostly contained to McGavin stepping around dark sets for long enough to bring the effort up to a sellable 90 minute run time.

“The Night Stalker” had spunk, a lively location, and the freshness of a production that really had no idea what it was doing, or how it was going to be received. Hindsight keeps Curtis’s direction simple, with the helmer unwilling to push the material into new avenues of sleuthing or horror. In fact, the sequel is actually more comedic, watching Kolchak boil over when challenged, or live to prove others wrong. Not every idea is a bust. Matheson could’ve made an entire feature with just Kolchak and Titus researching their hunches, finding their wonderful interplay and library discoveries a highlight of “The Night Strangler.” The rest of the picture isn’t as inspired, carefully following a storytelling template to ensure another Kolchak success. Repetition doesn’t help any surprise factor, though the endeavor does manage to secure a fascinating battle ground between middle-aged man and beast when the action heads into the Seattle Underground, adding a bit of local history to the sameness of conflict.

The Night Strangler Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Joining "The Night Stalker" on Blu-ray is "The Night Strangler," which also boasts the claim of a "Brand new 4K restoration!" The AVC encoded image (1.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation does well with the feature's limited cinematic look, capturing a good sense of facial particulars with close-ups, including tiny beads of sweat on actor Scott Brady, who probably suffered greatly, forced to scream at the top of his lungs while standing under hot lights and wearing a tight police uniform. Costuming retain fibrous qualities, and distances maintain detail, delivering a full feel for scattered Seattle exteriors and studio sets. Colors are satisfactory, leading with a more blazing sense of red emerging from exotic dancer outfits and nightclub lighting. Buildings are also varied, with bright signage. Skintones are appealing, perhaps pushing a little too red at times. Delineation is tested in full, with large sections of "The Night Strangler" taking place in the shadows, but solidification isn't encountered. Grain is fine and filmic. Source has some bursts of speckling.

The Night Strangler Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Much like "The Night Stalker," "The Night Strangler" offers a 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix that's not meant to be much more than functional, offering a basic listening experience for the television production. Threatening clarity is hiss, which is pronounced throughout, intruding on scenes of suspenseful silence. However, dialogue exchanges retain adequate clarity, following line readings that often run hot, with argumentative behavior common during the film. Some reactions on the higher end are a tad blown out, but it's relatively stable track. Scoring maintains compelling instrumentation, with jazzy mood preserved and propulsive. Sound effects are acceptable, communicating violent encounters and snapping newsroom bustle. A few second- long audio dropouts are encountered.

The Night Strangler Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (six pages) includes an essay by Simon Abrams.

• Commentary features film historian Tim Lucas.

• Interview (10:01, HD) with Bob Cobert begins with a plea for patience from the 94-year-old composer, who isn't sure he'll be able to recall every detail about his participation in "The Night Stalker." Cobert does describe his initial viewing of the film, demanding the main titles remain silent for maximum network television impact, while the score itself was created on the spot, with Cobert singing themes to Curtis, who loved what he was hearing. Cobert explains his creative process, and talks about his friendship with Darren McGavin. There's some information shared about "The Night Strangler," and Cobert is eager to share his respect for other movie music professionals, fully aware he's living the dream.

• Interview (7:29, SD) with Dan Curtis briefly recounts his rise in the industry, detailing early career pursuits and creative gambles before taking a last chance on a golf show for CBS that managed to succeed, remaining on the air for a decade. From there, Curtis created "Dark Shadows," which solidified his status as a notable producer, but he held a desire to "cut out the middleman," inspiring him to take on directorial duties for "The Night Strangler." Interestingly, Curtis admits there was no ambition to do something different for "The Night Stalker" sequel, ordering writer Richard Matheson to make the "same movie." There's no mention of technique or BTS tales, with Curtis focusing on the cameos he wanted to help out favorite actors from his childhood, and there's a strangely short recap of scrapped plans for a third Kolchak picture, with ABC pushing Curtis out to make a television show. The helmer eventually offers a summation of storytelling as the key to the cult longevity of "The Night Stalker," "The Night Strangler," and "Trilogy of Terror."

The Night Strangler Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

McGavin's wily performance is always charming, with the early formation of arguably his greatest turn, as the Old Man in "A Christmas Story," taking shape here, giving Kolchak more unhinged qualities that spice up the detective story. Unfortunately, there's not enough idiosyncrasy or originality to really get the juices flowing here, with Curtis basically reheating many elements that worked the first time around, only with less directorial flair and snappy violence. It's still entertaining to watch Kolchak challenge men in charge, work out evidence, and wrestle with monsters, but the character deserved more variation for his second at bat.