Night of Terror

This is a 1972 ABC movie of the week and whilst not startlingly original is fairly diverting. Most interesting for the excellent performance of Eddie Egan as an ex-cop, when, of course, he was the ex-cop that inspired The French Connection, in which he also had a small part. Similarly convincing is the ever menacing Chuck Connors as chief bad man who spends the whole film trying to get at the heroine, played by Donna MIlls. Donna is excellent here in a difficult role, mostly performed in a wheelchair, and yes we do get a sequence of her travelling up one of those sinister little one man internal lifts. She would later perform equally effectively with Clint Eastwood in Play Misty For Me.

I generally love these 1970s TV movies - especially the thrillers and horrors but this one I found lame - not much of a story to keep my interest though I do believe others my like this film - give it a chance!

1/10

With your bad low reviews. This movie was not that bad and y'all know it. If you acting like it's a 1 u haven't seen movies like This or scale is outta wack

Two young women in present-day Los Angeles are menaced by syndicate hit-men after one of their couriers, a guy on the take, apparently hid a package or a safe-deposit box key in the ladies' apartment. Surprisingly engrossing TV-movie with a taut direction by Jean (Jeannot) Szwarc, solid cinematography by television mainstay Howard Schwartz, and colorful performances by Martin Balsam as a detective, Agnes Moorehead as a physical therapist and Chuck Connors as the head bruiser for the mob. Only Donna Mills disappoints in the central role (she's blandly incredulous throughout, with a whiny voice). Teleplay by Cliff Gould shamelessly apes "Wait Until Dark" in its final stretch, however the plot is satisfyingly worked through. Schwartz's work won him the Emmy, most likely for his handling of an escape sequence by car in an underground parking lot; art director William L. Campbell was also Emmy-nominated.

Look at that cover image, doesn't that look like an 80's horror movie? Well, this isn't 80's and it isn't a horror either.

Night of Terror tells the story of a woman forced into hiding after a mysterious man comes after her and those she loves hunting for something he believes she has.

It was an ABC movie of the month so for those unfamiliar with what that means it was essentially a made for television Lifetime like movie.

So minimal budget, faces you recognise but can't name and a plot so generic you couldn't pick the script out of a lineup of other similiar films.

Unoriginal tripe with little going for it.

The Good:

Martin Balsam

The Bad:

Seen it all before

Catherine Burns

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Sometimes he splurges