Weekend Of Terror (1970)

Director: Jud Taylor

Writer: Lionel E. Siegel

Producer: Joel Freeman

Music: Richard Markowitz

Cinematographer: Les Shorr

Original Air Date: December 8, 1970 on ABC (Douglas S. Cramer - Executive in Charge); 74 min

Cast:

Robert Conrad (Eddie), Carol Lynley (Sister Meredith), Lee Majors (Larry), Lois Nettleton (Sister Ellen), Jane Wyatt (Sister Frances), Kevin Hagen (Lieutenant Papich), Tod Andrews (Wedemeyer), Gregory Sierra (Police Sergeant), Ann Doran (Sister Nadine)

---

A kidnapped woman accidentally dies while in custody of her captors. The crooks Eddie and Larry decide to kidnap another woman, and make her up to appear as the first girl just long enough for them to grab the loot and take off. Complications occur when they abduct a carload of nuns to carry out this plot.

That synopsis could very easily be played as a comedy. There is an amusing moment, for instance, when the nuns' car breaks down in the desert. Sister Ellen (the only one dressed incognito) is under the hood, assessing the damage, when Eddie spots her, pulls over and offers to take the woman to his place nearby to call for help. This generous notion is of course a ruse to lure her into being the intended replacement girl for the ransom money. However, once the hood of the car comes down, only then does Eddie notice that Ellen has company. The two nuns wave at him, and he politely waves back!

Even though the crooks are bungling idiots, there is little levity here. We still fear for the women's safety, because we know from the start how dangerous these men are- especially Eddie, whose coiled body language suggests that he could erupt into violence at any provocation, and whose eyes suggest a psychosexual yearning behind it.

The two kidnappers are the classical pair of crooks: Eddie the leader, is the strategist and the more physical; and Larry, the underling, is passive and slightly more empathic. The three nuns are also well-drawn characters: Sister Frances is the matronly head of the group; Sister Meredith is the youngest and most vulnerable; Sister Ellen perhaps the most street smart. The latter becomes the central character. Sister Ellen had previously left the sisterhood over matters of faith. In the beginning of the movie, she re-unites with the other two sisters at the bus stop, to be brought back to the church. (This is why we see her dressed like she came from a Tammy Wynette concert, instead of in a black robe.) Lois Nettleton does very good work in the role, as Ellen is taken to question matters of faith and forgiveness once again when she is selected to pose as the previously kidnapped girl.

Refreshingly, the nuns are revealed as far from the helpless victims usually prescribed in these "women in peril" scenarios. This feisty group constantly dreams up means of escape, or ways to make their captors turn against either. This movie belongs in select group of TV-movies produced for ABC at the time (including Five Desperate Women and Wild Women) in which a group of females overcome male adversity.

If Steve Austin didn't become The Six Million Dollar Man, he could've still done adult films.

Sister Ellen once again is taken to question her faith.

There are no extraneous, needless scenes of melodrama in this lean suspenser. The characterizations are instead economically revealed through the plot. The exciting sequence where Eddie's elaborate ransom plot is set into motion, at once reveals his character's matter-of-fact businesslike acumen to his scheme, and the sadistic pleasure he garners from the cat and mouse game he plays with the late kidnapped girl's father.

The film works best when focusing on the dynamic between the nuns and their abductors. Some of that intensity is lost when the police later get involved. It's still very entertaining to watch- just that by then, the interesting characters are secondary to the exposition, as the story builds to a big chase climax. But get a load of who's playing the police officers: Gregory Sierra (Julio from "Sanford and Son") and Kevin Hagen, who played the doctor in "Little House on the Prairie"!

Weekend of Terror is a solid thriller: a good example of how those no-frills seventy-odd-minute made-for-TV movies moved. This one is proof positive that less is more: you can still tell a story, deliver the thrills and have three-dimensional characters in a shorter format, and in some cases better than a longer-running theatrical feature.

Murder on Flight 502 (1975)

Director: George McCowan

Writer: David P. Harmon

Producer: David Chasman

Music: Laurence Rosenthal

Cinematographer: Arch Dalzell

Original Air Date: Nov. 21, 1975 on ABC (Aaron Spelling & Leonard Goldberg - executive producers); 97 min

Cast:

Ralph Bellamy (Dr. Kenyon Walker), Polly Bergen (Mona Briarly), Theodore Bikel (Otto Gruenwaldt), Sonny Bono (Jack Marshall), Dane Clark (Ray Garwood), Laraine Day (Claire Garwood), Fernando Lamas (Paul Barons), George Maharis (Robert Davenport) Farrah Fawcett-Majors (Karen White), Hugh O'Brian (Detective Daniel Myerson),  Molly Picon (Ida Goldman), Walter Pidgeon (Charlie Parkins), Robert Stack (Captain Larkin), Brooke Adams (Vera Franklin),  Danny Bonaduce (Millard Kensington)

---

The chief of airport security receives a letter in the first class lounge that someone on Flight 502 is going to be murdered, yet the plane is already in the air on its Transatlantic trip to England. The gruff airplane captain teams up with a dorky police officer (en route to extradite a criminal from Scotland Yard) to figure out who the culprit and intended victim is among the passengers in the first class section. While Murder on Flight 502 is more of a mystery-thriller, it resembles the structure of the disaster movie cycle, which was so popular at the time this was produced. We view an eclectic bunch of characters all coming together in one fixed location, and learn about all of their problems before the central crisis makes itself known. The one comforting aspect about watching these people is that, yes, rich folks are just as miserable as we are!

Yes, there's a doctor on the plane.

Because these ensemble disaster-themed pictures adhere to a strict formula, their success more depends upon the details. In this mini-epic for the small screen, there is indeed a colourful bunch to spend ninety minutes with: a boozy mystery writer; a Latin lover who may also be a master criminal; a married couple grieving over the death of her daughter; a stereotypical old Jewish lady; a terminally ill old man; a vengeful widower whose wife died in the emergency ward.... and yes, there is a doctor on board too! There is even Danny Bonaduce as a little prankster, plus Farrah Fawcett and Brooke Adams as dizzy stewardesses (and check out the groovy striped uniforms they wear-- things sure have changed). Best of all, though, is Sonny Bono, more or less playing himself, as an over-the-hill rock star attempting to make a comeback. All that's missing is a guitar-playing nun. 

Even the flight personnel are allowed their quirks. Robert Stack's flight captain is so dedicated to his job, that the role borders upon parody (this film may have prompted the makers of Airplane! to cast the actor in a similar character). And in addition to sweating out on the ground, the chief of security is also griping about his ulcer that won't go away.

I kept waiting for Robert Stack to ask Danny Bonaduce:
"Do you like movies about gladiators"?

In addition to the character's quirks, veteran TV writer David Harmon's script gives these people enough backstory to make most of them culpable, so that one is kept guessing throughout who the villain is. Director George McCowan is no auteur, but a capable filmmaker who knows who to make this thing move. The camera constantly prowls through the jet's interior, so much that the impressive set design (displaying two floors of the plane) calls attention to itself. The "exterior" shots of the jet are obvious miniatures, but since things are kept moving, one can willfully give in to the illusion of moviemaking. As a result this programmer is tremendous fun.

Hugh O'Brian and Farrah wonder who the killer is.

For a 90-minute timeslot, a lot of care went in to making this product shine. The unusually large cast of veterans acquit themselves well with refreshingly three-dimensional roles, and the entire tone of the picture is just tongue-and-cheek enough- not to drown the suspense, but to inform us that the people involved are having as much fun as we are. 

Yes, they really made him say: "The beat goes on."

Because Murder in Flight 502 has fallen into the public domain, it is widely available on numerous cheapo DVDs- even old VHS copies are still likely to turn up. As a purchase from the ninety-nine-cent bin, you can't go far wrong with this little gem.

Below is a gallery of video box art, which samples the numerous different releases of this film on budget labels.

Secrets of a Married Man (1984)

Director: William A. Graham
Writer: Dennis Nemec
Producers: R.W. Goodwin, Dennis Nemec
Music: Mark Snow
Cinematographer: Robert Steadman
Original Air Date: Sept. 24, 1984 on NBC (Tristine Rainer - Executive Producer); 96min

Cast:
William Shatner (Chris Jordan), Michelle Phillips (Katie Jordan),  Glynn Turman (Jesse), Cybill Shepherd (Elaine), Jackson Davies (Terry), Kevin George (Brian), Dameon Clarke (Alex), Tiffany Michas (Beth)

---

I remember seeing the promo for this back in the day. Imagine seeing William Shatner with his plastic "TJ Hooker" hair, uttering: "Wear. Something. SE-XY!" Cut to Cybill Shepherd wearing something sexy. Cut to Bill Shatner looking like he's seen a ghost, as his necktie gets removed. This ad promised a camp classic for lovers of The Shat. The truth is something else, again.

Chris Jordan is a middle-aged aircraft engineer who has trouble with getting any engine started: not just with trying to fix the toaster in the kitchen, but especially in trying to stir some passion in the bedroom. Since he and his wife Katie are both professionals, and have three energetic kids to boot, there is little time for intimacy. After hours, Chris cruises the red light districts, looking longingly at the call girls strutting their merchandise on the sidewalks. One weekend, while at a trade show in Vancouver, he spends the night with a prostitute to satisfy his sexual needs. He continues having anonymous sex with call girls, until meeting a prostitute named Elaine, and becomes a regular client of hers. In addition to satisfying his physical needs, she also seems to connect with his emotions. This philandering and wavering attention takes a toll on the big project at his job, and causes even more strain on his family life.

On a surface level, this typically brightly lit, antiseptic 1980s made-for-TV film may seem remarkably sleazy. Underneath the upper class milieux of suburban homes, business meetings and posh hotel suites is an unsettling atmosphere of depravity. Witness the scene where Chris pops on his cassette tape of classical music while in his sedan cruising the red light district. Because his movements feel so mechanical, so rehearsed, we sense that this is part of a ritual that had already been going on before the movie's opening credits. (Plus, moments depicting sexual desire onscreen always seem creepier when classical music is playing. I don't know...)  Jordan's sexual repression is accented further with the constant foreground images of streetwalkers in hot leather pants, or cocktail waitresses' cleavage: the content may seem lurid, but it isn't really exploitative.

Yet at the same time, this is also an admirable study of infidelity. The filmmakers don't condone Chris' behaviour, as his moments with prostitutes aren't depicted as erotic. (The first call girl he sleeps with says, "No kissing on the mouth; I'm saving some for my boyfriend").  A physical urge may be satisfied in these rendezvous, but a deeper need remains unfulfilled. Whenever we see Chris and Katie attempt to be intimate, the end result is always miscommunication, hurt feelings and frustration.

It is clear from the opening scene that the marriage is in trouble, as both parties are unable to give the other what they want. Obviously, Chris causes the greater harm to the marriage because of his infidelities, yet neither spouse is presented as a monster. Refreshingly, Dennis Nemec's script doesn't take the easy way out by presenting Katie as a cold-hearted bitch in order to somehow justify Chris' betrayal. It was very wise to cast magazine-cover beauties like Michelle Phillips and Cybill Shepherd as the wife and the other woman, respectively, to emphasize the point that Chris' infidelity isn't founded upon visual attraction, but rather his blockheaded attempt at achieving a communication with someone.

A rare attempt at intimacy between Chris and Katie that once again leads to frustration.

"Special guest star" Cybill Shepherd was becoming a hot property again when this was made. Her career had floundered for a few years- appearing in subpar films after her separation with Peter Bogdanovich, until she landed the female lead and good notices in the NBC series, The Yellow Rose, which sadly only lasted a year. When she achieved even greater stardom on the series Moonlighting in 1985, NBC would occasionally schedule this movie to attract her new fans. William Shatner is surprisingly good: his performance is wisely restrained, further emphasizing Chris' bottled up emotions that he cannot properly express. (The promo stated above selected the obscure bits they could find to make this movie seem more sensationalistic than it really is. Television lied? Nah....)

However, the movie becomes far less interesting in the latter half with the inclusion of a stupid twist where Elaine's pimp forces her to blackmail Chris, or else he'll tell his wife that he's been unfaithful. One has the hunch that originally Dennis Nemec's script was more character-driven, until someone at an NBC board meeting prompted him to write a new ending, with some more sellable ingredients. In another film, this Screenwriting 101 contrivance might be okay, but here, it is maddening to see such a complex study of marriage and betrayal being thrown away for the sake of some ridiculous thriller clichés. Seriously? They couldn't find a better way for Chris to come to terms with his infidelities than Jesse the Killer Pimp?

While Secrets of a Married Man is never a great movie, it could have however been unique. It is a rare picture to give an honest look at the complex issues surrounding modern marriage and infidelity. The decision to tone down the films' cerebral aspects and beef up the visceral moments is another example of dumbing something down to the lowest common denominator and appeal to the masses.

Mysterious Two (1982)

Director-Writer: Gary Sherman
Producers: Gary Credle, Sonny Fox, Alan Landsburg
Music: Joe Renzetti
Cinematographer: Steven Poster
Original Air Date: May 31, 1982 on NBC (Alan Landsburg - Executive Producer); 96 min

Cast: 
John Forsythe (He), Priscilla Pointer (She), Noah Beery Jr. (Sheriff Virgil Molloy), Vic Tayback (Ted Randall), James Stephens (Tim Armstrong), Karen Werner (Natalie), Robert Englund (Boone)

---

Many made-for-TV movies served as feature-length pilots for series that never materialized. Surely among the most unusual of these is Mysterious Two, which was filmed under the working title Follow Us If You Dare. John Forsythe and Priscilla Pointer star as two white-robed individuals who merely go by the names of He and She, claiming to be part of an extraterrestrial race known as "The People of Tomorrow", who convince disenchanted Earthlings to join them on their home planet, and live in harmony. But are He and She truly who they claim to be?

This pilot was shot in 1979, and sat on the shelf for three years before finally being released to network television- perhaps due to the success of John Forsythe in Dynasty? However, despite the 1982 premiere, this film definitely belongs in the 1970s, as it combines two pervasive, yet different, mindsets of the decade: the Utopian aspirations of counterculture, and the disillusionment of blue-collar people being screwed by the system. It also screams 70s in its rack-focus shots of sunsets, and flute music. Oh yes- the narrative eventually reveals its central character as Tim, a hippie-dippie flute player: a convert to the "People of Tomorrow" who begins to question the authenticity of He and She.

"Faith in He and She; that's the only commodity we need now."

Mysterious Two was produced with the images of the Jonestown Massacre still fresh in the minds of the public consciousness. One elaborate shot, consisting of a man searching for his "converted" wife amidst a field of bodies, is at first, shocking and exploitative, until we see that these people are merely unconscious and begin to awake from their mysterious slumber. However, the personages of He and She more recall the leaders of the Heaven's Gate cult. (This religious group would commit mass suicide nearly two decades after this film was made.) While the believers relinquish their material possessions and their wealth, and sever bonds with family and friends, they don't however transfer their property to He and She.

The first-billed Forsythe and Pointer appear only sporadically, at pivotal points in the narrative to help believers further on their journey to "tomorrow". Vic Tayback, best known as Mel Sharples in TV's Alice, plays a reporter who hopes that this story will give him a Pulitzer.  Noah Beery (as Rocky in The Rockford Files; and soon to be in the short-lived series The Yellow Rose) is the investigating sheriff (pre-"Freddy Krueger" Robert Englund plays his deputy!), who is powerless to do anything because in theory He and She have committed no crimes, as the adults have relinquished their material wealth of their own free will. (Interestingly, He and She do not allow children on the voyage, as they are not mature enough to think for themselves.)

There is a mosaic of several characters in different walks of life who convert to the "People of Tomorrow" (a white-collar exec; a dirt farmer; and various blue-collar workers), all for some spiritual fulfillment that is otherwise lacking in their lives. Witnessing these people blindly giving up their properties and abandoning their families, all for the sake of what may be a big scam, is suspenseful and heartbreaking. It is creepy to see flesh and blood humans become robots who say "Everything will be fine," owing a bit of inspiration to those overcome by the pods in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  (In fact, the happiest non-converted Earthling in the film is the slimy used-car salesman who manages to buy automobiles from the converted ones for peanuts.)

This narrative by writer-director Gary Sherman (more known for bigscreen genre fare like Wanted Dead or Alive, Vice Squad and Raw Meat) is ambitious in scope, even if the execution is uneven. The attempt at having several threads revolving around this cosmic event is admirable, but ultimately, for the longest time, people have little more to do than to sit on the hill at the agreed-upon rendezvous spot and wait for the Mysterious Two to arrive. We could have used a bit more characterization to help in these moments. The movie also has some voiceovers by Tim, thus suggesting that this character is "leading" the narrative: as such, this film makes the often-committed mistake of showing us incidents that he couldn't possibly have known. (But, since voiceover is a lazy cinematic device to begin with, they could have disposed of it without any serious harm to the story.)

"He and She will provide."

There is enough imagery to suggest that implicitly this film works as an indictment of cult leaders (He and She exemplify the dangers of blind faith), but Mysterious Two is perhaps more interesting as a snapshot of the 1970s, whether by design or not. Many movies become studies of the culture that produced them, especially when viewed well after the time in which they were made. The mosaic of the people on the hillside is a neat microcosm of post-Watergate Americana, featuring people (on the left, right and center) whose dreams have been deflated, and simply look for a greater value system to believe in. Is it any wonder that psychoanalysis and a fascination with paranormal activity were so prevalent back then?

Tim seeks to discredit He and She as the film unfolds, however, there are a few moments that are simply too fantastic to be written off as a gimmick or elaborate hoax committed by He and She. (In those moments, one can believe that these are celestial beings- part of the fun is in trying to figure out these two people.) A good supernatural story blurs our judgment as to what is real and fantastic: despite its lofty intentions, Mysterious Two does a pretty good job treading the line between the physical and metaphysical.

Because this is a feature-length pilot, several moments remain unresolved when the end credits roll. Presumably, as the prospective series unfolded with Tim further investigating He and She as they appear in other areas to recruit new converts, we would begin to learn more about their backstory (which is hinted at in the pilot). A lot of fun could have been had in learning that these two were who they claim to be, or an equal amount of amusement would in be watching the writers explaining how these He and She pulled off some of the more fantastic moments if they really were hucksters. The mystery of the Mysterious Two will remain unsolved, but what currently exists provides some interesting theories for both interpretations.

Mysterious Two was released on VHS by the USA Home Video and Star Classics labels, on DVD by Direct Source. The transfer on the latter is dark and murky, making many nighttime scenes hard to view- indirectly supporting the film's enigmatic feel.