Review of The Night Strangler (1973) by Bill S — 11 May 2012

After being chased out of Las Vegas as part of covering up their vampire problem, sequel to the classic Night Stalker has Carl Kolchak now in Seattle and coming up against a serial killer who is part Jekyll/ Hyde and part Dorian Gray.

Kolchak's investigation leads him to a doctor (The Six Million Dollar Man's boss, Richard Anderson) who resurfaces every 21 years to murder victims for a serum that keeps him alive and young. As with the previous entry, Kolchak is the only one who believes there is something supernatural going on and the only one who figures out how to stop it.

For a sequel, it's not bad and pretty entertaining in it's own right. Directed by Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows,Trilogy Of Terror) and again written by legendary genre writer Richard Matheson (Twilight Zone, The Night Stalker and Spielberg's Duel), the film has it's share of spooky moments and suspenseful chases as Kolchak once again finds himself alone and trying to stop the fiend before his serum is complete and he goes back into hiding.

The formula didn't start to wear thin till the often silly weekly series that struggled to keep coming up with supernatural opponents for the intrepid reporter. They probably should have stuck with an annual TV movie instead.

Strangler also features Simon Oakland returning as Venchenzo and an adorable and fiesty Jo Ann Pflug as a belly dancer with a soft spot for McGavin's hard nosed reporter. Also stars legendary actors, John Carradine, Margaret Hamilton and "Grandpa" AL Lewis.

6.5/10.