TV movies

Aw yeah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=402HMRAs9nA

Just let the 'starring in alphabetical order' credits take you away...

I just discovered (and might piss my Sunday afternoon away watching) 1974's Pray for the Wildcats, starring William Shatner, Robert Reed, and Marjoe Gortner being led on a hazardous desert motorcycle trek by a crazed Andy Griffith. I have it on good authority that hippies and LSD are involved somehow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5D_CnSLk7U

The whole thing is up on YT.

I've been getting into these lately with the helpful guidance of the podcast "Sam Pancake Presents the Monday Afternoon Movie," which so far has focused on the horror/occult/supernatural end of the genre.

A few of the better ones I've enjoyed:

Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973)
The Initiation of Sarah (1978) like Carrie goes to college
Summer of Fear (1978) w/ Linda Blair, this is good enough to be a regular movie
The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975) w/ Elizabeth Montgomery
Gargoyles (1972) again, enough production value to be a regular movie
The Stranger Within (1974) w/ Barbara Eden

Some of them probably were released in theatres outside of the US.

I'll take any opportunity to promote 1974's Pray for the Wildcats, starring Shatner and Robert Reed and Marjoe Gortner as desk jockeys taken on a desert motorcycle bro-down by their sinister boss, Andy Griffith.

loooool, totally missed that I already touted that one immediately before the revive. Whoops!

Summer of Fear was, in Europe. And I think Duel (1971), Spielberg's debut, was as well.

Don't get me wrong, many of these are terrible and don't deserve a cinematic release, but once in a while you get a surprisingly high quality one. These are basically genre films that tweak the formula to some degree or other, often featuring good actors (seems like you couldn't get one made without at least one name actor).

that was xpost to C. Grisso/McCain

found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skgZgdgFKeo

That is a good one, I've seen it.

Another great one, non-horror, is The Girl Most Likely To (1973), starring Stockard Channing in her first credited role as a chubby unattractive girl who suddenly becomes hot after being in a car accident and getting good plastic surgery. Scripted by Joan Rivers.

^ actually it is kind of horror, but mostly comic

I have copies of a lot of these (including Girl Most Likely To) sitting around unwatched. Perhaps the time has come to tackle some tv trash.

I liked The House That Would Not Die with Barbara Stanwyck. Kind of my platonic ideal Halloween (mildly creepy, mildly goofy, something you can put on in the background to just enjoy the vibes without needing to be too invested).

Lots of good horror ‘uns when I was a kid:

Trilogy of Terror (Karen Black in 3 roles)

Frankenstein: The True Story (“funny Polly Dolly!”)

Sybil (not really a horror movie but it played like one)

I've still never seen Duel, but Spielberg's Something Evil, done a year later and with the kid from Family Affair, is scary.

And yeah, Sybil's great (and very much a horror movie whenever the mom is on screen).

The third segment of Trilogy of Terror, the Zuni doll segment, is like the mic drop of all TV movies

[Born Innocent (1974) starring Linda Blair is incredible (mentioned 20 years ago itt). Nightmare in Badham County (1976) also astonishing - look for the uncensored theatrical cut of that.

Dying Room Only (1973) starring Cloris Leachman is very strong. Written by Richard Matheson who wrote Duel and many Twilight Zone episodes.