azathothpwiggins In THE NORLISS TAPES, David Norliss (Roy Thinnes) was supposed to write a book, debunking the supernatural. Instead, after a year, he hasn't written a word, and has dropped from sight. When his friend and publisher, Sanford Evans (Don Porter) goes to his home, he finds the titular tapes. These recordings chronicle the dark adventure that Norliss found himself caught up in. When a woman named Ellen Cort (Angie Dickinson) comes to him w/ a bizarre tale of undead horror, Norliss is skeptical but intrigued. It seems that Mrs. Cort had a visitation from her husband (Nick Dimitri), who was supposed to be entombed in the family crypt at the time! Meanwhile, a series of deaths take place, with the victims completely drained of blood. The local sheriff (Claude Akins) will entertain no such foolishness. As he digs into the case, Norliss becomes convinced that something supernatural could be going on, concerning a mystic (Vonetta McGee), a ring, and a very hellish statue. Can Norliss find a way to stop the late Mr. Cort, before he ushers in something truly terrible? Riding high following the success of THE NIGHT STALKER / STRANGLER, this made-for-TV movie is producer / director, Dan Curtis proving once again why he ruled 70's tele-horror!...

moonspinner55 Here's a case for Darrin McGavin's Kolchak from "The Night Stalker": a writer in San Francisco, investigating the occult, disappears after helping a widow rid her estate of her dead husband, who had risen from his tomb seeking human blood to complete a demonic statue. TV-made pilot for a proposed NBC series was filmed on rainy Monterey locations by "Night Stalker" mainstay Dan Curtis. It barely gets by in the shocks department, with one padded sequence in a motel room echoing "Psycho" and the rest weighed down with talk. Claude Akins has a dire role as the unbelieving county sheriff determined to keep a lid on this thing lest the public be unnecessarily worried; considering that a young woman was recently drained completely dry of her blood from the front seat of her car, you would think Sheriff Akins would be a bit more receptive to the fact a vampire is loose! Open-ended final scene begs for an explanation, but the network wasn't interested. One can see why, this is just a Kolchak redux.

DVD_Connoisseur It's not often that I'm left unimpressed by cult programmes or films. "The Norliss Tapes", however, is an exception to the rule. Had I watched this made-for-television pilot at a tender age in the '70s, I would have no doubt been impressed by the creepy goings on. Watching this today, the production is poor and uninspiring. Blue faced vampires that make strange roaring noises do not make thrilling or chilling television. Fans may argue that this pilot is original for its time. Compared to the '70s plays by Nigel Kneale, this is horror by numbers. It lacks any real drama or substance. Even the presence of Angie Dickinson couldn't save this turkey.In short, this is best avoided - a waste of 80 minutes.

kelvnel I recall seeing this TV movie twice as a child and it scared me more than the Exorcist! I have'nt seen it on British TV for at least 15 years. The way it is set up and ends seems like it is a continuing series. I don't know if this was the original intention, or just to make it spookier.Roy Thinnes, made one or two movies like this at the same time and was excellant in both. In this he is the 'goody' but in the other ( Satan's School For Girls ) he was the ultimate baddy. From his Invaders Days he always had the ambivalent look of always looking like the opposite of the character he played.This film had that early seventies supernatural feel of many TV movies and series of the same ilk, but I thought this quite original. Thinnes investigates a disappearance or death of a woman's sculpter husband. Meanwhile people are being killed and drained of blood. Through numerous chills mainly because the monster/vampire in this looks like a proper scary version of a Scooby-Doo monster, it transpires that the sculpter is a devil-desciple who is making an effigy of Lucifer out of clay and human blood, in order to bring him to life. The scene at the end when Lucifer comes alive is numbing. Don't know why all the Hollywoood rip-off merchants dont remake this. Would be a smash