Verdict
Summary
Each of the segments runs about 25 minutes and comprises one whole collection, which aired on television, and all of them were adapted from stories or written by Richard Matheson, and produced and directed by Dan Curtis. The first story has a whimsical side to it, while the second one is more matter-of-fact and cut and dry, while the third is a tale of terror. Keen eyes can spot areas on the Universal Studios back lot that still exist today, which make perfect shooting locations for some of this anthology.
Plot:
An anthology of strange and macabre stories.
Review:
An anthology of three “stories of the fantastic” begins with an Amazing Stories-style tale (called “Second Chance”) of a young man (played by Ed Begley Jr.) who buys a vintage old car (a 1920’s Jordan Playboy) that’s been sitting in someone’s barn for decades, collecting rust and dust. He restores the old beauty to its original beauty and goes for a joyride around town one night and slips back in time to 1926 where he becomes stranded when the car is stolen (by its original owner), forcing the young man to walk around on foot. He explores the town where he grew up, running into his grandparents, and he even checks in on his dad, who’s a little boy in that time period. He realizes that he has an incredible opportunity to alter the future, and he carefully course-corrects destiny so that his own life and future are assured.
The second story is called “No Such Thing as a Vampire” that concerns a woman named Alexis (Anjanette Comer) living in Victorian times in a big mansion with lots of servants. She wakes up with a pair of bloody tooth marks in her neck, and her husband (played by Patrick Macnee) seeks help from a family friend (played by Horst Buchholz) who is a doctor. When the doc finally arrives, he’s duped into being Alexis’ first victim …
“Bobby” is the final story, and it features Joan Hackett as a grieving mother, who’s young son Bobby recently died in a drowning accident. She shacks up in a house where she performs an unholy ritual where she calls forth the body and soul of her son from the grave, and the evil she conjures produces just that: Bobby. At first, she’s overjoyed, but when Bobby reveals himself to be a malevolent force from hell, she fights for her life against the thing that looks like her son …
Each of the segments runs about 25 minutes and comprises one whole collection, which aired on television, and all of them were adapted from stories or written by Richard Matheson, and produced and directed by Dan Curtis. The first story has a whimsical side to it, while the second one is more matter-of-fact and cut and dry, while the third is a tale of terror. Keen eyes can spot areas on the Universal Studios back lot that still exist today, which make perfect shooting locations for some of this anthology.
A bonus feature on this disc from Kino Lorber includes the Dan Curtis-directed pilot for a failed show called “Dead of Night,” and the pilot is entitled “A Darkness at Blaisedon.” It features former Sinbad star Kerwin Matthews as paranormal investigator Jonathan Fletcher, who has a partner named Sajid (Cal Bellini). They occasionally take on for-hire assignments that seem out of the ordinary, and when a woman named Angela (Marj Dusay) shows up at their apartment, she insists that the house she’s just come into possession of has a ghost or vengeful spirit living in it. The two investigators go with her to the house and they perform a séance there with the caretaker (played by Thayer David) to see if there is an unhappy spirit there. Sure enough, there is. Something horrible happened to the owner of the house and won’t rest until the culprit is brought to justice.
A one-hour pilot that easily stands alone as a mini-movie (it’s a little less than an hour), Dead of Night makes the perfect companion piece to the Dead of Night anthology film, and it’s an excellent little slice of spooky stuff from 1969, shot in color. Solid!
Kino Lorber’s new Blu-ray release of Dead of Night has commentaries, deleted and extended scenes, a feature on the music score, and a featurette on Dan Curtis, plus a slipcover.
