"The Night Stalker" and "The Night Strangler" on Blu-ray from Kino

Two of my favorite telefilms finally got a Blu-ray release (and nicely restored with special features, too!) from Kino.

Both look quite nice.

Darren McGavin in top form and with Simon Oakland, a perfect horror/comedy/argumentative duo.

It came out a couple of weeks ago pick it up!

 

I've got Night Stalker but am waiting for it to get closer to Halloween before watching.
It was the audio commentary from Tim Lucas that made me cave and get the upgrade.

 

The Dan Curtis interview is recycled from the old DVD. The commentary tracks are pretty good. Amazing how much story they could squeeze into a 74 minute TV movie. I do wish they had included both cuts of "The Night Strangler" for the Blu-ray (the European and American TV version).

 

Two GREAT made-for-TV movies! Going to have to get me this set!

 

I bought and watched both already. Probably watch them again closer to Halloween. They both look and sound great. Now for the TV series to be released on BD.

 

I had no idea there was a European cut of Night Strangler. Are there substantial differences?

 

Don't forget Trilogy of Terror, also from Dan Curtis. Blu-ray release by Kino with this batch too.

 

I am confused here.
I seem to remember Darrin McGavin as an investigative reporter in The Night Stalker TV series...Not a TV movie.
Where did I go wrong?
I liked the TV series.

 

I have to get The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler, but I did get Trilogy of Terror. Kino has been doing a great job lately. All of these come with nice slipcases.

 

Some additional footage involving another reporter who investigated the murders before Kolchak. It was added for the theatrical release of the film. It's about 16 minutes of footage as I recall.

 

There were two TV movies before the TV series. Their popularity convinced ABC to order a series. They approached Dan Curtis (producer of the first film and director/producer of the second), writer Richard Matheson (who wrote the scripts for both films) and both declined to become involved for a variety of reasons. They convinced Darren McGavin to come back offering him the option as producer (which they never gave him credit for).

The series later came to be known as Kolchak: The Night Stalker although initially it was named after the first TV movie.

The two TV movies were better than the series IMHO but there were some episodes that were pretty good including the vampire one where the killer was one of the victims from the vampire in The Night Stalker.

The series could have been much better. Darren McGavin was exhausted and asked to be released from Kolchak: The Night Stalker even though more episodes were due for season one. When they cancelled it, he was exhausted working on trying to improve the scripts and constantly butting heads with Cy Chernik the guy that supervised the series when Dan Curtis declined.

 

I watched the show as a kid and loved the movies. I thought it was funny/unique that the vampire kept the one girl alive so he could have her as like a 'reserve/snack' if he came home thirsty.

And yea, I was so disenchanted by the series. Some were just stupid, like a monster that wasn't scary.

 

Loved both these movies. McGavin was great, but the scripts by Richard Matheson explain it all...

 

I really wish more of these ABC movie of the week films would be released. I loved the film Night Slaves with James Francsicous. A terrific movie with great performances.