The Victim (1972) is a slow burn that never even sparks. There’s absolutely no suspense in what should be an easy thriller. Kate Wainwright (Elizabeth Montgomery, in her first role following her eight-year run on Bewitched) finds her sister missing when she goes to visit her on a stormy night. There are two prime suspects…

For a small-screen survival drama, Family Flight (1972) really surprised me. I think that’s because it holds back on the melodrama and presents its content in as realistic a way as possible. Its familiar formula of introducing its dysfunctional characters, placing them together under strained circumstances, revealing secrets along the way, then providing a well-earned…

Perhaps testing an idea for its future big screen spectacle, Earthquake (1974), Universal made a small screen precursor called, Short Walk to Daylight (1972.) It’s built on a compelling concept: late-night passengers on a subway train are trapped underground when an earthquake hits New York City. Not only must they survive continuing aftershocks, but there’s…

In how many movies with a murder mystery do we complain that nobody really investigates? In Moon of the Wolf, that’s about all anyone does. As Sheriff Aaron Whitaker, David Janssen spends most of the movie looking for clues and interviewing suspects in the death of Ellie Burrifors. However, that’s not what you want to…

With it’s terrifying opening, The Eyes of Charles Sand (1972) unfortunately has nowhere to go but down. Flickering candles surround a coffin on which lies a black wreath. Charles Sand (Peter Haskell) approaches and opens it. The old man inside opens his eyes, which are all white, then suddenly sits up and points at Charles/us.…

In Haunts of the Very Rich (1972), the clues to what’s happening are disbursed slowly at first, then the remainder all at once. Interestingly,the movie toys with us as much as it does its characters and we’re still not sure until the very end where a mysterious airplane has taken them. Heck, I’m not even…

If The Woman Hunter (1972) succeeds in anything, it’s in reminding us that Barbara Eden is a beautiful woman. What better way to demonstrate the fact than by placing her on an Acapulco beach! However, coming from the mind of Brian Clemens (prolific writer from The Avengers television series and creator of Captain Kronos: Vampire…

If there’s one TV horror film I remember from the 1970s, it’s When Michael Calls (1972.) For some reason, it remains vivid in my mind. That reason may very well be the commercials I saw for it around the time it originally aired. (I find myself frequently remembering advertisements for movies and TV shows more…

Arriving immediately after Duel (1971), you have to be at least a little disappointed in Steven Spielberg’s next-to-last TV movie, Something Evil (1972.) However, a comparison of the two provides a good example of how a minimalist approach can work perfectly for one movie and not so perfectly for another. As you’ll read, I don’t…

When The Screaming Woman (1972) began, I immediately liked the music and therefore closely watched the credits to see the name of the composer. Either I missed it, or it was not in the opening credits. In any case, I have now learned it was none other than John Williams! This was apparently one of…