INTRUDERS

 

INTRUDERS (1992 two-part mini-series). Produced and directed by Dan Curtis. 

"Half the time you think you're going crazy. Half the time everyone thinks you are." 

Psychologist Dr. Neil Chase (Richard Crenna) encounters people who have had weird and frightening experiences that they can't explain or clearly remember, but it seems to point to alien abductions. The story focuses on Mary Wilkes (Mare Winningham), who is afraid the aliens might also have an interest in her young son, Timmy (Joseph and Christian Cousins); and Lesley Hahn (Daphne Ashbrook), who is at first thrilled at her pregnancy but then horrified after the aliens apparently take her baby. Chase learns that the government knows about the aliens but is denying everything until they know exactly what and who they're dealing with while the abductees suffer horribly. Chase risks his professional reputation by going public with what he knows. 

Marie Winningham

Many of the stories of alien abductions have been successfully debunked by now, with scientific explanations for much of what happens to the "victims," but this telefilm proceeds with the premise that the aliens and their experiments on humans are real. One man in a survivor's group hates the aliens and is sick of being treated like a guinea pig, while Mary, incredibly, comes to see the aliens -- who kidnap and experiment on people without their consent and steal their babies -- as having benign intent! Intruders examines all the usual conspiracy theories and folklore about alien abductions, and does a fairly good job of dramatizing them. The acting is more than adequate. Other cast members include everyone from Jason Beghe to Ben Vereen. The aliens themselves are strictly by way of Close Encounters. A sappy "happy" ending doesn't help. 

Verdict: All you need to know about alleged alien abductions. **1/2. 

THE TELEVISION HORRORS OF DAN CURTIS

THE TELEVISION HORRORS OF DAN CURTIS: Dark Shadows, the Night Stalker, and Other Productions. Jeff Thompson. McFarland; second edition 2019. 

Although producer/director Dan Curtis was also responsible for the mammoth and critically acclaimed mini-series The Winds of War and its sequel War and Remembrance,  he will always be primarily remembered for his prodigious output in the horror field. This includes Dark Shadows and its reboot as well as the big-screen adaptations; The Night Stalker, which introduced Carl Kolchek (Darren McGavin); the notable theatrical film Burnt Offerings; videotaped adaptations of literary classics such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dorian Gray, Frankenstein etc.; and numerous horror telefilms, some of which were quite effective (Scream of the Wolf) and others which were merely mediocre (the over-rated Trilogy of Terror and others). Author Jeff Thompson provides lots of behind-the-scenes details in several chapters that explore these various projects, as well as a chapter on projected projects that never came to be. Although at times Thompson writes as if Curtis can do no wrong -- and despite some good work I'm not necessarily convinced Curtis was some kind of horror genius -- the book is still well-written and very entertaining.

Verdict: If you love the work of Dan Curtis, this is the book for you. ***.

SCREAM OF THE WOLF

Clint Walker and Peter Graves

SCREAM OF THE WOLF (1974 telefilm). Producer/Director: Dan Curtis. Screenplay by Richard Matheson. 

A series of gruesome deaths are attributed to an unknown wild animal that authorities fear can transform from a four-legged creature into something that walks upright. John Wetherby (Peter Graves) is called in to search for the beast, and tries to enlist the aid of old hunting buddy Byron Douglas (Clint Walker). John's gal pal, Sandy Miller (Jo Ann Pflug), is convinced that Byron is somehow behind the deaths, especially when he refuses to help John entrap the beast. John feels that the killings are making the whole community feel "alive." Then someone or something breaks into Sandy's home and tries to kill her ...

Old friends turned enemies? Graves and Walker

Scream of the Wolf is one of Dan Curtis' better horror telefilms as it is well-directed and has a lot of eerie atmospherics and suspense. The cast, including Philip Carey as the sheriff, is fine, with Clint Walker delivering an excellent performance as Byron. Some viewers have seen homoerotic elements in the movie, centering on a relationship between Byron and his employee, houseman Grant (Don Megowan of Creation of the Humanoids), whom he met in a bar, as well as a bit of dialogue when Byron says to John "can't you even hold me for a minute?" which actually refers to  an arm-wrestling match! Sandy accuses John of wanting to go off hunting the beast with Byron even if he were the killer! One can read all sorts of things into this scenario, but whether scripter Richard Matheson meant them to be taken that way is debatable. 

In any case, Scream of the Wolf  is worth catching on the Late Show, although viewers might wonder why no one in the movie ever ponders the possibility that the mysterious beast who can walk on two legs or four and tear a man apart might be -- a bear? (It isn't.) 

Verdict: Creepy horror teleflick with a notable Walker. ***.