The Night Strangler

I like Kolchak but this one just isn't too inspired

More of a remake than a sequel to the original Night Stalker. McGavin shines as always but the script screams "cash-in on the success of the original without adding anything new". Still fun viewing though.

Starts off really well, re-introducing Kolchak & his ex-editor in an amusing way & maintains a brisk pace as it builds a compelling mystery. The problem is that once Kolchak figures things out, it starts to feel like scripter Matheson was told to just re-do the same thing he did last time & he came up with what, for all intents & purposes, might as well be another vampire. It also pads its running time w/ too many scenes of McGavin & authorities yelling at one other to decreasing comic effect.

With a less predictable and therefore more mysterious plot than Stalker this story is easier to get wrapped up in. Kolchak was able to unravel a true mystery here as devised by Richard Matheson. They were also able to carry over what made the original so great and fix a lot of what made the original cliche and stereotypical. However Dan Curtis is not quite up to the task as director and the casting is not as good as Stalker. But with the better narrative this is an underrated followup.

Scott Brady was actually quite impressive in this one ("Who IS this clown?!" lol). And Pflug was certainly hot!

The current DVD release features restored footage that was cut from the original TV airing, and this goes a long way towards deepening the impact of this, the second of Carl Kolchak's tangles with supernatural creatures. As always, Darren McGavin carries the lion's share of the load, and his characterization of Kolchack is the main reason to watch the movie. Nowhere near as good as the original NIGHT STALKER, but still quite a bit of fun if you meet it halfway.

one of my fave characters...Darren Mc Gavin is the man...Best TV show ever on.....

McGavin is still fun as Kolchak but it's a diminishing return that sticks way to close to the first one.

Love me some Kolchak.