LOVE'S DEADLY TRIANGLE: THE TEXAS CADET MURDER

Holly Marie Combs and David Lipper

LOVE'S DEADLY TRIANGLE: THE TEXAS CADET MURDER (aka Swearing Allegiance/1997 telefilm). Director: Richard A. Colla. 

In the late nineties in Texas, two young sociopaths -- Diane Zamora (Holly Marie Combs) and David Graham (David Lipper), high school students with plans for the military and marriage -- decide to do away with another young lady, Adrianne Jones (Cassidy Rae), in order to wash out the sin of her sleeping with David, an event that may never have even occurred. Love's Deadly Triangle is a telefilm that was rushed out even before Zamora and Graham were put on trial (both received life sentences.)

David Lipper as Cadet David 

Frankly, Love's Deadly Triangle, although absorbing enough, is another example of a true crime movie that is sort of pasted together in a hurry and lacks any kind of depth of characterization or much else. True, there isn't much to Zamora or Graham aside from severe pathology. In spite of this Combs gives a good performance as the jealous Diane, while Lipper is effective, although a cut or two below his co-star in acting ability. Dee Wallace is fine as Adrianne's heartbroken mother. True crime shows, such as American Justice, that have focused on this tragic case and present the real participants are generally more interesting than this TV movie. Graham at first denied that he murdered Jones, then later not only admitted that he had killed her but that he and Adrienne had never even slept together. Zamora had a brief jailhouse marriage to another man that ended in divorce, and essentially failed a lie detector test on Dateline. Apparently both of these creeps are right where they belong. 

Verdict: Sad case, interesting story, so-so telefilm. **1/2. 

GIRL ON THE RUN

Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

GIRL ON THE RUN (1958). Director: Richard L. Bare. 

Private investigator Stu Bailey (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) is hired by a man to find a young lady named Kathy Allen (Erin O'Brien), a singer who has changed her name and is working in a nightclub. Bailey doesn't know that Kathy ran off after she witnessed a murder -- a labor leader was shot in a parking lot -- and felt that the police couldn't protect her (a sniper fired into the hotel room where the cops were guarding her). We know the identity of the perpetrator from the first: a district attorney named McCullough (Shepperd Strudwick), who is obviously as dirty as they come. Once Bailey finds out the truth his job is two-fold: protect Kathy (and himself) and ferret out the identity of the murderer and her tormentor. Meanwhile a hit man named Smiley (Edd Byrnes of Reform School Girl) is also on the trail. 

Edd Byrnes as the smiling psychopath

Stuart Bailey was introduced in novels written by Roy Huggins, then appeared on two episodes of Conflict, an anthology series, where he was also played by Zimbalist. Girl on the Run was a telefilm that also served as the pilot for 77 Sunset Strip, the long-running LA-based private eye show. Girl on the Run was released as a theatrical feature in non-USA markets. Although playing a sleazy bad guy in this, there were things about Byrnes' portrayal that appealed to producer William Orr, and when the series started, Byrnes was retained in a good guy role ("Kookie") who shared some of the more benign qualities of the hit man Smiley.  A hilarious aspect to this is that every time Byrnes appears, we hear the kind of sexy music that is usually associated with beautiful babes -- it's weird. Even weirder that the Byrnes "theme" was retained for 77 Sunset Strip! A funny sequence has the hitman laughing at a Daffy Duck cartoon in a movie house.

Erin O'Brian

Despite knowing who the villain is from the first, Girl on the Run has some suspense as Bailey, well-played by Zimbalist, tries to outwit both Smiley and McCullough (well-played by Strudwick). Erin O'Brian also delivers in her role of the somewhat feisty but frightened witness. Harry Lauter (of The Louisiana Hussy) plays a man that Bailey hires to play drunk and annoy Kathy so that he can come to her rescue. Marion Hargove did the screenplay and Howard Jackson composed the score.

Verdict: An interesting intro to 77 Sunset Strip. **1/2. 

PSYCHO MOTHER-IN-LAW

Romy Rosemont as the psycho mother-in-law

PSYCHO MOTHER-IN-LAW (aka Mad Mom/2019 telefilm). Director: Jean-Francois Rivard. 

Sharon Vickers (Romy Rosemont) works as a nurse for hospice care and thinks nothing of helping her patients along on their journey to the other side. When her daughter, Amber (Victoria Diamond), gets engaged to Luke (Matthew Raudsepp), Sharon travels from Cleveland to Boston to meet Luke and his mother, Jill (Kari Matchett), staying in Jill's stylish and beautiful home. Sharon doesn't mind that the engagement party will take place at Jill's, but is distressed to learn that so will the wedding ceremony and reception, and that Jill has talked Amber out of wearing her mother's old-fashioned wedding dress. Fearing that she is being pushed out of the plans as well as her daughter's life, the paranoid sociopath embarks on a campaign to correct these perceived injustices. Before it all comes to a boil, things will definitely get out of hand ... 

Diamond, Raudsepp, Matchett

Psycho Mother-in-Law is essentially a fun, easy to take, Lifetime movie that is all too reminiscent of similar pictures. The two lead actors are more than competent, but let's face it, this kind of movie really cooks if you've got two very strong presences in the film, but obviously Bette Davis and Joan Crawford weren't available. The other cast members are all okay, with Salvatore Antonio making the best impression as Jill's gallery partner, Evan. When Sharon nurses Jill after an "accident," Jill seems to take forever to finally ask the unpleasant woman to leave, and while this may not be a slasher film, it's ridiculous that a sequence in which someone gets their throat cut displays virtually no blood. The musical score gives the film the energy that the direction lacks, but the closing theme is a little too Psycho-like to suit me. 

Verdict: At least the ending is neat! **1/2. 

AND NEVER LET HER GO

Mark Harmon and Kathryn Morris

AND NEVER LET HER GO (2-part 3 hour mini-series/2001). Director: Peter Levin. 

Anne Marie Fahey (Kathryn Morris) believes the stories that lover Thomas Capano (Mark Harmon) tells her about his failing marriage, but while she tries to break it off with him more than once, she keeps getting pulled back in -- this despite the fact that she eventually gets a nice boyfriend named Dan (Rick Roberts) and that Thomas already has a long-time mistress named Christine (Rachel Ward). One day Anne completely disappears, alarming her siblings. Detective Gugliatta (Paul Michael Glaser of Phobia) and FBI agent Connolly (Steven Eckholdt) combine forces to try to find out if the self-assured Capano is behind his latest girlfriend's disappearance. Meanwhile Capano's mother (Olympia Dukakis) excoriates Thomas' brothers for not being more like Thomas even as the authorities move in ... 

Harmon with Rachel Ward

And Never Let Her Go is a true story based on the book by Ann "Ghoul" Rule. The telefilm is interesting, but it would have been much tighter if it had been cut by an hour -- the second half is especially talky and tedious at times. It is greatly bolstered by excellent performances across the board, however. Kathryn Morris is outstanding as Anne, and Harmon, usually a lightweight, really delivers in his portrait of the determined and sinister Capano. The members of the supporting cast, especially Dukakis and Ward, are also on the money. 

Verdict: Some top-notch performances put over this true crime drama. ***

 

MY TEACHER, MY OBSESSION

Rusty Joiner ignites his student's interest

MY TEACHER, MY OBSESSION (aka Dad Crush/2018 telefilm). Director: Damian Romay.  

Single dad and high school English teacher Chris (Rusty Joiner) moves with his daughter, Riley (Laura Bilgeri), to a new community where she meets a sullen classmate named Kyla (Lucy Loken). Kyla warns her new friend that mean girl Tricia (Alexandria DeBerry) has got a big crush on her father, and doesn't want her becoming friends with her. But Kyla has also noticed how "hot" the new teach is, and she is rather put out when he starts dating her mother (Jana Lee Hamblin). Kyla determines to change this appalling situation any way she can, and get her hooks into hunky Chris come Hell or high water. 

Chris confronts his daughter

Movies like My Teacher, My Obsession can be a lot of trashy fun, they can be handled with some adult sophistication, or they can be neither, which is the case with this bit of treacle. My Teacher is modestly absorbing but it never develops into anything that entertaining or trenchant. The performances are adequate, and even good at times, although some of the cast members could have shown more emotion at certain points given the circumstances. Kyla's homicidal psychosis seems to come out of nowhere, but characterization is not the telefilm's strong point. Rusty Joiner is a model who turned to acting with mixed results.  

Verdict: Good-looking cast helps put this over ... barely. **. 

KILLDOZER

The killer bulldozer about to squash an unfortunate

KILLDOZER (1974 telefilm). Director: Jerry London.

A group of construction workers are putting in an air field on an isolated island in the Pacific when an ancient, extraterrestrial lifeform is unleashed from some ruins. This lifeform then inhabits the hulking, metallic form of the project's special bulldozer, coming to life at unexpected times and whenever it chooses. At first the group think the dozer must be remote-controlled, but this is not the case. The driverless machine proves quite formidable as several victims are unable to get out of its way, and at least one is squashed inside his jeep. Finally the survivors try to concoct a way to stop the killer bulldozer for good. 

Clint Walker

Killdozer is based on a story by Theodore Sturgeon. The telefilm has some eerie, suspenseful, and exciting scenes, but never really turns into a thrilling or nail-biting experience. Clint Walker has given some good performances elsewhere -- such as in Scream of the Wolf -- but in this his mind seems to be on something else. Robert Urich is killed off early on, James A. Watson Jr., Carl Betz and Neville Brand [Adventures of Nick Carter] are more than okay, and James Wainwright arguably offers the best performance as the ill-fated Dutch. If nothing else, the picture is absorbing. 

Verdict: Stay away from construction sites. **1/2.

THE LIE

Lee Bowman

THE LIE (1954). Director: Harold Young.

John Hamilton (Lee Bowman) has a night on the town with his friends, an aerialist called "The Great Wilhelm"(Harald Maresch), and Philip (Joachim Brennecke), who is the brother of John's girlfriend, Marlene (Ramsay Ames of G-Men Never Forget). While drunk and nearly passed out, he is confronted by a threatening man who is later found murdered. John is arrested for the murder, and during the trial is astounded when both Wilhelm and Philip lie about going with him to the apartment where the murder took place -- they claim to know nothing even though he knows they were there. John is convicted and the only one who goes to bat for him, eventually getting him out of prison, is Margot (Eva Probst), Philip's former fiancee, who knows something is rotten in Germany. Now John decides to confront his former friends, as well as Marlene, and discover who the real killer is.

Brennecke and Maresch

If The Lie seems like a TV production, it's because it is, filmed in a studio in Germany with mostly German actors. The acting is good, with Ramsay Ames, surprisingly, being more of a stand-out than usual with her unsympathetic role. Viennese Maresch appeared in a number of international productions while Brennecke appeared primarily in German productions. The Lie has a very slight degree of suspense, but there isn't much surprise when it comes to the identity of the murderer, and the whole thing is relatively routine. 

Verdict: Doesn't amount to much. **

MR. MONK'S LAST CASE: A MONK MOVIE

Tony Shalhoub and James Purefoy

MR. MONK'S LAST CASE: A MONK MOVIE (2023 telefilm). Director: Randy Zisk. 

Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) comes out of retirement to investigate when his stepdaughter Molly's (Caitlin McGee) fiance, Griffin (Auston Scott), dies in a bungee jumping accident. Molly is convinced that Rick Eden (James Purefoy of Injustice), an Elon Musk-type who runs a vast Amazon-style corporation, is somehow behind the man's death and possibly others. In fact Griffin was sure that Eden had murdered his late business partner and was attempting to get some solid information when he died. 

Tony Shalhoub and Caitlin McGee

It's a delight to see Monk again, although some of the fun is vitiated by the fact that Adrian spends much of the movie contemplating suicide, and the recurring appearances by his late wife, Trudy, become tiresome (in fact the sentimental after-life sequences, meant to be poignant, come dangerously close to being sappy). At least Shalhoub is in good trim, and it's a pleasure to see Natalie (Traylor Howard), Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and Randy (Jason Gray-Stanford) again. James Purefoy makes a sexy and compelling adversary as well, liming the role of a narcissistic sociopath with chilling understatement. The solution to this is quite clever as well. As usual, some of the grimmer aspects of the story don't quite jell with the light-hearted approach. 

Verdict: Despite some annoying aspects, this is a very good bet for Monk fans. ***. 

BEHEMOTH (2011)

Ed Quinn

BEHEMOTH (2011 telefilm). Director: W. D. Hogan. 

Thomas Walsh (Ed Quinn) is a construction foreman working at Mount Lincoln in the small town of Ascension. There are constant tremors and a leakage of CO2 from the ground which kills one workman and threatens to endanger the entire town. Is a long-dormant volcano awakening? Geologist Emily Allington (Pascale Hutton), an old girlfriend of Thomas', is convinced that it is but another geologist, Jack (Ty Olsson), sent from the government, knows that the real truth behind the tremors is even worse. Just as Thomas' somewhat crazy father, William (William B. Davis), has been insisting, there's a gargantuan creature in the mountain that is about to break out and threaten the entire world. 

the creature pops out

Behemoth reminds one of a story from Atlas/Marvel's old monster comics like Strange Tales, where huge, frightening beasts roamed in all sorts of places. However, in Behemoth the science behind all this is never explained in any rational or logical fashion. Worse, when the monster finally breaks out of the mountain -- "it is the mountain," says one character -- its design is not much more credible than what you get in, say, the fifties creature feature The Giant Claw! The computer effects in the movie are variable, but one sequence when a humongous eyeball peaks out through a hole in the mountain is effectively creepy. The creature has many snake-like tentacles and a reptilian kind of beak with many teeth. 

Have a smoke? William B. davis

Behemoth does manage to have some suspense and a couple of good scenes, especially one when Thomas nearly falls off the mountain trying to retrieve a weapon left behind by Jack. However, the weapon itself, a kind of bazooka, is laughable when you consider it's meant to destroy a creature of such tremendous size. The actors, at least, are quite convincing in their roles. The only recognizable face belongs to Davis, who had a recurring role on The X Files as the "cigarette-smoking man." The sequences when he tries to escape from a sunken diner with the waitress Zoe (Jessica Parker Kennedy) quickly become tiresome, unfortunately. Cindy Busby and James Kirk are appealing as Thomas' pretty sister and her ill-fated boyfriend.

Verdict: Not as good as The Giant Claw but you can't have everything. **1/2. 

PAPER MAN

Powers, Street, Stacy

PAPER MAN (1971 telefilm). Director: Walter Grauman. NOTE: This is a review of the 90 minute theatrical version.

Four graduate students -- Karen (Stephanie Powers), Jerry (James Stacy), Lisa (Tina Chen) and Joel (Elliott Street) -- take advantage of a computer glitch to create a fake identity and credit card, which they intend to use but promise to pay off. When things get a little more complicated and the bank tells them it requires more information, they enlist the aid of computer whiz Avery Jensen (Dean Stockwell), who uses his skills to create a nearly complete background for "Henry Norman." But things take a dark turn when the computer begins to make mistakes, giving one character insulin that kills him and causing an elevator car to crush another of the participants. Is the computer developing its own mind, and is the paper effigy of Henry Norman coming to life? Karen and Avery come to the conclusion that there's a human agent behind their troubles and the others' deaths, but Karen learns that Avery has a deeply problematic psychiatric history. Is she allying herself with the wrong person?

Paper Man was briefly released in theaters with fifteen minutes added to the running time. The computers referred to are not the PCs that we are familiar with today, but those huge computer banks that added data on long white cards with holes punched out. It's interesting to see what computers were like way, way back in the day. As for the movie, it is a minor but suspenseful affair with some intriguing notions and good performances from the entire cast, which also includes James Olson as a concerned computer technician and Ross Elliott as the sheriff.  A clever and creepy sequence has a character pursued down a basement corridor while the lights keep switching off behind her section by section, making it look as if the very dark is chasing her. 

Verdict: Absorbing mystery telefilm with very intriguing elements. ***. 

VOWS OF DECEPTION

VOWS OF DECEPTION (1996 telefilm). Director: Bill Norton.

Fresh off the bus after getting out of jail for child abuse, Lucy -- now Lucinda (Cheryl Ladd) -- runs into Detective Matt Harding (Nick Mancuso). Lucinda is obviously pregnant, so Matt decides to play a practical joke on his buddy, divorced lawyer Clay Spencer (Mike Farrell of Prime Suspect), by setting him up on a date with Lucinda. The plan backfires when Clay invites Lucinda out for dinner and begins an intense romance with her. Eventually the couple marry, and Clay becomes a father to Lucinda's little girl. Although Lucinda seems to be in love with Clay, she begins to make passes at her handsome stepson, Nick (Michael Woolson). How long will Nick, who has a girlfriend in Terry (Nancy Cartwright), be able to resist, and what on earth will it lead to? 

Inspired by a true story, Vows of Deception is a standard but entertaining true crime saga with some good acting from Farrell, Woolson, and especially Nick Mancuso, who is dynamic and excellent. Cheryl Ladd, who is quite sexy in this, successfully keeps the viewer from knowing exactly what's on her mind, increasing the suspense. Bill Norton also directed Gargoyles with Cornel Wilde and False Arrest with Donna Mills. Michael Woolson later became a notable acting coach and stage director.

Verdict: Minor-league but absorbing crime drama. **1/2. 

ADVENTURES OF NICK CARTER

Robert Conrad as Nick Carter

ADVENTURES OF NICK CARTER (1972 telefilm). Director: Paul Krasny. 

Around 1910 in Manhattan private eye Nick Carter (Robert Conrad), learns that his old friend and mentor, Sam Bates (Byron Morrow), has been murdered. Bates was trying to find a young lady named Ivy, who supposedly left town with a young man named Lloyd Deams (Sean Garrison), the paramour of club owner Bess Tucker (Shelley Winters). Nick is hired by Ivy's father-in-law Otis Duncan (Broderick Crawford) to find out what happened to Ivy, although Nick is just as interested in discovering who bumped off Bates. As Nick investigates he encounters Duncan's two sons, the flamboyant and dissipated Freddy (Dean Stockwell) and the much more uptight Neal (Pernell Roberts), not to mention corrupt cop Captain Keller (Neville Brand) and his murderous henchmen. 

Dean Stockwell and Pernell Roberts

Adventures of Nick Carter is based on a character who first appeared in print in the late 19th century. It's been decades since I read any Nick Carter stories but it seemed to me they were a little wilder than this fairly reasonable mystery-detective tale. Robert Conrad had wrapped up his lengthy run on The Wild, Wild West and it was undoubtedly thought that lightning might strike twice with the actor in another suspenseful period piece, but Nick Carter did not become a series. Conrad is okay as Carter, basically playing himself, but he gets fine support from the other cast members named above, as well as from Pat O'Brien as the head of a mission who gives Carter tips from time to time. Brooke Bundy is Carter's secretary, and the awful singer Jaye P. Morgan shows up very briefly as a forgettable chanteuse. The best performances are from Dean Stockwell and Pernell Roberts as the two highly unalike siblings. Nick Carter was later turned into a kind of super-spy in a series of lurid paperback books and was also featured in the foreign parody Dinner for Adele. 

Verdict: Could have made an interesting series, although not as much fun as The Wild, Wild West. ***.  

PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE POISON PEN

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason

PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE POISON PEN (1990 telefilm). Director: Christian I. Nyby II.

Bradley Thompson (David Warner) is a slightly obnoxious bestselling author whose most recent work is a non-fiction study of a murder case that Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) worked on, successfully defending the accused. Thompson named a different suspect in his book, which led to the man's suicide. When Thompson is poisoned at a literary conference, there are numerous suspects, one of whom is arrested: ex-wife Martha (Barbara Babcock); author Rita Sue Bliss (Cindy Williams); former protege Michael Garcia (Tony Lo Bianco); assistant Rebecca (Katherine Moffat); bartender Chris Fulmer (Don Reilly); and others. Most of these suspects have secrets, and most of Thompson's output may well have been written by others. 

William R. Moses as Ken Malansky

The Case of the Poisoned Pen is decidedly one of the better Perry Mason movies, with a strong hook, a good plot, and lots of motives. Burr is as excellent as usual as the defense lawyer, and there are especially good performances from Warner, Babcock, and Williams. Theater actor Don Reilly also makes a positive impression. The ever-likable William R. Moses plays private detective Ken Malansky, but he never seems quite as solid as Paul Drake, literally or figuratively -- Bill Hopper had those football-type shoulders after all! However, Moses is good and is still a busy actor today. 

Verdict: Quite entertaining and well-acted. ***. 
 

MURDER IN PEYTON PLACE

Stella Stevens

MURDER IN PEYTON PLACE (1977 telefilm). Director: Bruce Kessler. 

"I want to destroy Peyton Place." -- Stella Chernak

After two theatrical films and two TV series-- nighttime in 1969 and daytime in 1972 -- this TV movie returns to the lusty town of Peyton Place where Stella Chernak (Stella Stevens), a disgruntled former resident, is out for payback against real and imagined enemies. As Ryan O'Neal and Mia Farrow, who played lovers Rodney Harrington and Allison MacKenzie in the original series, had gone on to greener pastures -- Farrow only appears in a flashback -- they are (apparently) killed off in this sequel. Dorothy Malone and Tim O'Connor return as Allison's parents, as does Christopher Connelly as Rodney's brother, Norman and Ed Nelson [Attack of the Crab Monsters] as Dr. Rossi. The cast, characters and storylines of the afternoon soap Return to Peyton Place are ignored. 

Priscilla Morrill, Hedison, Nelson, Connolly

While the notion of a vengeful woman wanting to destroy an entire town sounds like it might at least be good television, this is not exactly The Visit. Murder in Peyton Place is, frankly dull, and while I was never a fan of the original series I can't imagine that those who were would be that pleased with this production. We know who the culprit is almost from the start, and Stella Stevens is surprisingly perfunctory as the villainess. Not even the presence of a boy toy (a creditable Robert Deman) and his mean-spirited Dobermans can help. The acting is of the soap opera variety, which means everyone is professional but no one exactly puts themselves out. Janet Margolin has replaced Barbara Parkins as Betty Anderson -- they look alike -- and David Hedison takes over from James Douglas as Steven Cord. Linda Gray plays Cord's wife. Marj Dusay is fine as Ellen Considine and Jonathan Goldsmith makes an impression as sexy bad boy Stan, who is married to one of Allison's sisters and fiddles with yet another.

Verdict: Things have never been more boring in Peyton Place! *1/2.  

MURDER WITH MIRRORS

Helen Hayes and Bette Davis

MURDER WITH MIRRORS (1985 telefilm). Director: Dick Lowry. 

Told that there's something off about her old friend, Carrie Louise (Bette Davis), Miss Jane Marple comes to stay at her estate for a few days to investigate. Carrie's husband, Lewis (John Mills), is in charge of a home for juvenile delinquents, which adjoins the estate. One evening, while Lewis is arguing with a troubled young man, Edgar (Tim Roth), who insists he is Lewis' biological son, family lawyer Christian Gilbranson (John Woodwine) is shot in the study. Then it turns out that someone is apparently trying to poison Carrie Louise. Suspects include granddaughter Gina (Liane Langland), her husband Wally (John Laughlin), her Aunt Mildred (Dorothy Tutin), Steven Restarick (James Coombs), who has a hankering for Gina, and others. 

Dorothy Tutin as Mildred

Murder with Mirrors is based on a fairly clever Agatha Christie novel, and this is a fair-to-middling adaptation. Although Hayes is by no means perfect casting as the very British Miss Marple -- she doesn't even try to affect an accent -- she is a strong enough actress to pull it off in spite of it. Although clearly affected by her recent stroke (it is explained that she is getting over the flu!), Davis is also better than expected. Leo McKern scores as Inspector Curry, and Mills is fine as well. The others are all professional, with Roth and Tutin giving especially notable performances. Langland is perhaps too irrepressible as the very outgoing Gina. The changes made to the story aren't necessary. 

Verdict: Minor-league but entertaining-enough Christie adaptation. **1/4. 

 

SATAN'S TRIANGLE

Doug McClure and Kim Novak

SATAN'S TRIANGLE (1975 telefilm). Director: Sutton Roley.

A Coast Guard copter comes across what appears to be a deserted yacht, although there are corpses -- and one live female -- on board. Lt. Haig (Doug McClure) tries to rescue Eva (Kim Novak) but the cable snaps before they can be lifted into the copter. Back on board, Eva tells Haig her story: they are in a part of the sea known as the Devil's Triangle, and supernatural things began to happen after a priest (Alejandro Rey), who survived a plane crash, is taken on board. Haig insists that there is a natural explanation for all of the deaths, including the sight of the corpse of the ship's wealthy owner, Hal (Jim Davis), which appears to be simply floating in mid-air in his cabin. But Haig may be in for a very rude awakening ... 

Alejandro Rey

Satan's Triangle is yet another movie about the Bermuda Triangle, even though it is never referred to by that name (nor as Satan's Triangle, either). It has a creepy premise and a good ending but the direction is so mediocre that what might have been a nail-biter is just another flaccid Movie-of-the-Week. We also have such cliches as the priest who councils a fallen woman, the former prostitute, Eva -- these two nearly make out in a scene which might at least have been interesting --  and some of the outdoor scenes seem to be shot through a smeared and grimy lens. The musical score is hopeless and aside from Rey and Michael Conrad as Haig's co-pilot the acting is generally poor as well. Rey portrayed the playboy in The Flying Nun TV series and he's quite effective in this. 

Verdict: Sort of like an EC comics horror story but not as good. **1/4. 

DEATH AT LOVE HOUSE

Robert Wagner and Kate Jackson

DEATH AT LOVE HOUSE (1976 telefilm). Director: E. W. Swackhamer.  

Joel Gregory Jr. (Robert Wagner) is the son of a man who was once the lover of the late movie star Lorna Love (Marianna Hill). Joel and his pregnant wife, Donna (Kate Jackson), move into the Love estate to work on a book about the great romance between Lorna and his father. Mysterious people run about the estate at night, and there is an attempt on Donna's life. Conan Carroll (John Carradine), who worked with Lorna and loathed her, is attacked and killed on the grounds, not far from a vault where Lorna's perfectly preserved corpse (!) is on display. Then Joel starts acting all weird ... 

Dorothy Lamour

Death at Love House sets up an intriguing situation but it's one of those movies where characterization and common sense are sacrificed so there can be inexplicable and unlikely plot twists. If anything, the denouement raises more questions than it answers. However, Wagner and Jackson give good performances, and along with Carradine we have appearances by Sylvia Sidney as a housekeeper, Joan Blondell as an obsessive aging fan, and Dorothy Lamour as Lorna's old rival in pictures. Marianna Hill proves no great actress in her brief scenes as Lorna Love. Wagner plays his father in sepia flashbacks. Laurence Rosenthal's score helps a bit. 

Verdict: You won't love this love house. **1/4.                           

THE PERFECT ASSISTANT

THE PERFECT ASSISTANT (2008 telefilm). Director: Douglas Jackson. 

Rachel Partson (Josie Davis) is an excellent assistant to ad exec David Westcott (Chris Potter) but she's harboring a secret. She is so pathologically in love with the man that she's willing to resort to anything, including murder, to have him for herself. This quite entertaining teleflick gets across the anguish, hope and delusional state of unrequited love so strongly that you almost find yourself feeling sorry for a woman who is otherwise not very sympathetic. It doesn't hurt that Josie Davis gives a terrific performance as the sociopathic assistant. The premise of a deranged woman out to get a man by any means necessary is a popular and familiar one, but The Perfect Assistant is one of the better films on the subject. Rachel Hunter plays one of Westcott's associates. 

 Verdict: Absorbing and suspenseful. ***.

THROUGH NAKED EYES

 

David Soul

THROUGH NAKED EYES (1983 telefilm). Director: John Llewellyn Moxey. 

In an apartment complex in Chicago, an unknown murderer is killing both men and women. One of the chief suspects is flautist William Parrish (David Soul), who uses binoculars to watch a neighbor, Anne (Pam Dawber), across the way and discovers that she is looking at him with a telescope. Eventually the two meet, even as obnoxious Sgt. Scopetta (Gerald Castillo) follows Parrish' every move and even warns Anne about him. Anne is convinced that William is just a nice, lonely guy with artistic abilities but then she discovers some photographs in his possession ... 

Pam Dawber and David Soul

Through Naked Eyes, written by Jeffrey Bloom, is a better-than-average TV movie with some good performances and a considerable amount of suspense. The biggest problem with the film is that it has no style, even though it somewhat apes Brian De Palma (although De Palma's Body Double did not come out until a year later) and Dario Argento -- minus the gore. Soul never gives away whether he is guilty or not, Dawber is bland but effective, and William Schallert steals the film as Parrish' father, who is given a very affecting, well-delivered speech in which he tries to address the gap between the two men and the lonely life that he, too, is living. The telefilm is capped by an exciting and satisfying conclusion. Supporting and bit roles are played by Rod McCary, Dennis Farina, John Mahoney, and Ted Levine. The plot of this film has some similarities to the Italian film The Case of the Bloody Iris. 

Verdict: Absorbing thriller with an interesting storyline. ***. 

GARGOYLES

Cornel Wilde, Grayson Hall, Jennifer Salt

GARGOYLES (1972 telefilm). Director: Bill Norton. 

Dr. Mercer Boley (Cornel Wilde) and his daughter, Diana (Jennifer Salt), drive into the desert to seek out an old man (Woody Chambliss) who runs a museum of strange artifacts and has found a very weird skeleton. Just as Boley thinks the old man has put together a phony artifact, his home is attacked by a barely-seen creature that sets fire to the place and runs off. A motorcycle gang run by James Reeger (Scott Glenn) is accused of the crime, but Mercer and Diana know that there's something monstrous out there in the desert, or more to the point, in the caverns nearby. Boley has uncovered a nest of gargoyles, a demonic race that are intent on taking over the world. When Diana is kidnapped by the head gargoyle (a dubbed Bernie Casey), Mercer and the police track her to the caverns ... 

Scott Glenn protests his innocence

Gargoyles is pretty bad, which is a shame because it has some atmosphere in the beginning, as well as a workable plot, but it's just unconvincing and kind of cheapjack. Wilde and Salt do the best they can with the material, and Grayson Hall is fun as a slatternly motel owner who hopes to get a date with Wilde -- fat chance! Scott Glenn makes an impression as the motorbike guy who joins in the hunt for the gargoyles. The prologue to the film makes it sound as if this will be some kind of epic good vs. evil battle -- apparently the gargoyles were thrown down from Heaven and try to take over the world every several hundred years or so -- but this doesn't have the required budget to make it work. The overuse of slow-motion to depict action is a tiresome device that doesn't work at all. Director Bill Norton did a better job with False Arrest some years later.

Verdict: Another crappy 1970's made-for-TV horror flick that wastes its potential. **.