Gargoyles

I think I was 8 years-old when I saw Gargoyles back in 1972. It absolutely scared the pants off me. I'll never forget the sight of those clawed hands reaching over the foot of the bed. I had trouble sleeping for days and I checked and rechecked the foot of my own bed several times each night.. And while it no longer has that kind of effect on me, considering its television origins, Gargoyles still provides a few chills along the way. I admit that when I rewatched it tonight, those hands on the bed did make me jump.

To a lot of modern audiences raised on more sophisticated special effects, Gargoyles may seem silly. Sure, there are flaws with the special effects (for example, it's quite obvious that the creatures' skins are body suits), but there's something about them that makes the whole thing a lot of fun. Maybe it's the wings or maybe it's the variety of looks or maybe they just remind me of Sleestaks, but whatever it is, they work for me. The mask Bernie Casey wears is especially frightening even though it obvious he has no real movement in his face.

One thing that could have made the film better for me is if Grayson Hall had had more screen time. I always enjoy her campy, over-the-top performances. It's a shame she had so little to do and was killed off so early.

Finally, as I watched the movie earlier tonight, it dawned on me that I was not hearing Bernie Casey's voice coming from the lead gargoyle. I was probably too young to know the difference 34 years ago, but something about that voice reminded me of my childhood. And then it suddenly hit me where I had heard that voice before. After the movie was over, I checked on IMDb and, sure enough, I was right. Dr. Zin!!! That's right. The gargoyle's voice was done by the same man (Vic Perrin) who did Dr. Zin.

The original airing of this film on ABC's Movie of the Week program in the early 70s is a happy childhood memory for me. Definitely a period piece. It was made as a pilot for a series that was never optioned by the network. The movie is distinguished by some witty performances by the actors in the supporting roles. My favorite is Grayson Hall as lush on the make Mrs. Parks. Grayson is always a lot of fun to watch and she clearly had a blast with this role. Her son Matt helped paint ping pong balls which were used in making the gargoyle costumes.

This is one of my favorite Saturday afternoon Monster Movie Matinee (a Syracuse, NY show when I was a kid) staples. It would creep us out when the head gargoyle would flap his wings as he made an escape. There are so many glaring cinematic blunders, but MY favorite is when Cornel Wilde and his daughter are traveling through the desert (right after he first picks her up) there is a quick shot that includes the back seat area where suddenly a man's knee pops up in plain sight as the car is traversing the bumpy road! Obviously along for the ride but trying to stay out of sight. It's hysterical and I can't believe they left it in. You can't miss it.

When I was a kid, I remember asking my dad what movies he thought were scary. He answered Night of the Living Dead and Gargoyles, so I was always nervous to watch this movie. It just looked strange and in the late 70s, it wasn't like I could on demand find it. Even today, it's hard to find on DVD (but YouTube is a whole different story).

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Originally airing on CBS on November 21st, 1972, it was directed by Bill L. Norton (Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, More American Graffiti) and written by Steven and Elinor Karpf (Devil Dog: The Hound from Hell, The Jayne Mansfield Story), Gargoyles may be uneven, but has moments of pure joy.

It's one of the first films Stan Winston (Terminator, Aliens) worked on, providing a variety of gargoyle makeup. The look of the creatures is wonderful, as they don't all look the same. And the leader (Bernie Casey (Felix Leiter in Never Say Never Again, UN Washington in Revenge of the Nerds) has the perfect look that balances a regal bearing with an otherworldly aura. You can see why this won an Emmy. It's big budget worthy work on a shoestring budget.

Speaking of budget, the film was shot with just one camera over 18 days; a fact that chased away the original director. Temperatures at the Carlsbad, NM location baked the cast and crew, reaching 100 degrees or more the entire shoot. So it's amazing that what emerged is so interesting.

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Lots of recent big-screen horror films got their inspirations from films made in the '70s. This one helped launch special-effects wizard, Stan Winston's career, with his excellent work for the Terminator movies and all three Jurassic Parks. The flying reptile monsters in Gargoyles may remind you of the big-screen "Jeepers Creepers" (after the villain in it removes its trenchcoat and cowboy hat disguise) Jeepers' is just another version of the lizard king seen in the 1972 telefilm. The makeup and monster costumes are excellent, provided the actors don't move around too much while wearing them (they look like good effects pasted on scuba gear). This one is out on DVD.