Runtime: 88 minutes
Directed by: The all-timer name of E.W. SWACKHAMER
Starring: Jason Miller, Richard Lynch, E.G. Marshall, Kathryn Harrold, Michael Tucker
From: Believe it or not, one of the companies was Mary Tyler Moore's!
In the first of two reviews I'll be posting today, here is a random television movie, the existence of which I only discovered a few days ago-long story. The people involved did intrigue me; after all, it's a failed pilot (which is why one of the writers was legend in that medium Steven Bochco) which starred Jason Miller-and get this, he played a character who at one point struggles with his faith-E.G. Marshall and Richard Lynch, who played the titular character and was the most memorable aspect w/ his performance. There's also Jessica Walter and unfortunately for just one scene, Joe Spinell.
Lynch was buried underground a few decades ago; he was arisen as a church was constructed right by his makeshift tomb. He gets involved with art theft (!), Miller rats him out, he gets revenge, so Miller wants revenge of his own... and Marshall is an old foe of the bloodsucker. Now, in '79 it managed to be a popular year for vampire pictures. An obvious comparison can be made with Salem's Lot... and this is no Salem's Lot.
But for me that was alright. It is on the dry side and because they were hoping this would be a television series, an open-ended conclusion happens. What are assets: the famous faces in the cast getting the chance to act. There's no graphic moments or anything that could be considered “pants-soiling” terrifying; there's still some creepy moments and the biggest names do elevate the material with their talent. The San Fran setting and a creepy score from Fred Karlin also helps. This obscure oddity is not a must-see but was not the worst way to spend an hour and a half. At least there was a short scene in a discotheque.
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