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On the TV-movie side of the 1970s disaster film craze came this one about a runaway train, appropriately titled, Runaway! (1973.) The title comes with the exclamation point; I didn’t add it. It’s typical in every way, although its obligatory character drama is a little lighter than usual, focusing on fewer characters. Somehow, though, it…
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One of the cost-cutting measures Daiei implemented in the third Gamera film, Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967), was giving Noriaki Yuasa double duty as both Director and Director of Special Effects. Whether it’s this, or the fact that writer Niisan Takahashi felt the previous film, Gamera vs. Barugon (1966), “failed as children’s entertainment,” Gamera vs. Gyaos…
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She Cried Murder (1973) has a simple plot, but its surprises all happen up front, leaving nothing for the rest of the film except an extended game of cat and mouse. This gives the illusion that it’s either action-packed or suspenseful, but it’s neither. It is fast-moving, though, which means it isn’t boring. Depending on…
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Following the surprise box office success of Gamera: The Giant Monster, Daiei Studios put more money, but not more time, into producing a sequel. A mere six months after the original film was released, Gamera vs. Barugon (1966) opened in Japanese theaters. Based on what everyone learned during the low-budget process of making the first…
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Satan’s School for Girls (1973) is probably a 1970s TV movie that people remember fondly. However, I’m willing to bet that a modern-day viewing will leave you at least a little disappointed. It’s such a product of its time and, while it does have some spooky moments, it doesn’t hold up very well overall. The…
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Welcome to the five-week series I’m calling, “GaMAYra.” I have to start by saying that I’ve never (until now) seen a Gamera movie (that I can remember.) However, I was compelled to purchase Arrow Video’s spectacular box set of twelve uncut original Japanese versions of the films, spanning the years 1965-2006. This will be a…
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Warning! This review contains spoilers! If not for its disappointing letdown of an ending, Dying Room Only (1973) would undoubtedly be one of the best 1970s TV movies I’ve watched during the series so far. It’s The Twilight Zone feel for 99% of the running time is not surprising considered it was written by Richard…
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With Terror on the Beach (1973), we’ve arrived at a point where one of these 1970s TV movies feels like a compilation of several others. I’d call it a sort of “greatest hits,” but that’s the wrong term for this particular movie, which isn’t really very good. With both its cast and storylines, it borrows…
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Watching The Devils (1971) is an experience not unlike riding a roller coaster. The film has a slow climb at the beginning and you’re not sure what lies ahead. It reaches a peak where you probably figure out what’s happening and decide if you like it or not. It then speeds to the end and…
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As a special treat this week, I present another excerpt from a feature I wrote for the upcoming We Belong Dead publication, Masters of Terror. In it, I discuss the influence of gothic literature on Dan Curtis and how it was reflected in a number of 1970s TV horror films that he produced, as well…
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Classic Horrors Club 