Made-for-TV Memories
Seeing that TVLand will be presenting a week-long showcase of Made-for-TV Movies, I got a little nostalgic, remembering how much I LOVED all those made-for-TV-movies of the 70's and 80's. Made-for-TV-movies are among some of my favorite childhood memories. I especially had a fondness for the ever-popular "witch"-themed movies: The Spell (starring the always awesome Lee Grant and a prepubescent Helen Hunt), Midnight Offerings (starring Melissa Sue Anderson and Marian Ross) and Summer of Fear (starring Linda Blair and a then 21-year-old Fran Drescher). What sweet, sweet memories.• The Spell, however, was my #1 all-time favorite, though often touted by uncreative, wannabe reviewers as a Carrie rip-off. To this I say "feh." I still loved every wickedly-delicious minute of it! It told the story of pudgy outcast Rita Matchett, who unbeknownst to anyone, is secretly studying the black arts/witchcraft and who gets revenge on those classmates who taunted her...and anyone else who happens to get in her way. Little does she know she's in for a wicked showdown with whom she inherited her powers to begin with!
• Midnight Offerings was the classic good teen witch vs. bad teen witch, complete with a one-on-one showdown, culminating at the high school. Gotta love that!
• Summer of Fear. Based on the novel by Lois Duncan (who I considered a goddess during my "young adult" book-reading years), also wrote many of my other favorites: Killing Mr. Griffin, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Five Were Missing, Gallows Hill, Daughters of Eve (which is being made into a movie) and Down a Dark Hall. Summer of Fear tells the story of a family who takes in their cousin Julia after her parents die in a car accident. Julia extends her influence over the family and those around them, fooling all except for Rachel, her teenaged cousin who knows that there's more to Julia than meets the eye.
Though some of these great movies can be found fairly affordably-priced online, some are long out of print and can be quite expensive. However, there is a site online that sells copies of some of them in both VHS and DVD-Rs format. The site is called MTC Europa Video. Now for some of my other memorable favorites from the 70's and 80's...
Buy it Now!
• Home for the Holidays (1972)
Buy it Now!
• Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
Buy it Now!
• Bad Ronald (1974)
• The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975)
• Force of Evil (1977)
Buy it Now!
• Snowbeast (1977)
Buy it Now!
• The Spell (1977)
Buy it Now!
• It Happened At Lakewood Manor (AKA Ants!) (1977)
Buy it Now!
• Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978)
Buy it Now!
• Summer of Fear (AKA Stranger in Our House) (1978)
Buy it Now!
• Are You in the House Alone? (1978)
Buy it Now!
• Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
Buy it Now!
And my fondest made-for-TV memory, I am saving for last. It's none other than Force of Evil (co-starring the real Jan Brady herself, Eve Plumb). The easiest way to describe this taught thriller is Cape Fear goes on vacation. The plot revolves around a murderer on parole who victimizes a family against whom he holds a grudge. OMG, I STILL associate this movie with some of my fears. Two key scenes in particular will forever be etched in my memory: 1) The scene where the wife receives a box of "flowers" while her husband is out of town on a business trip! And 2) The suspense-filled climax when the husband and wife go back out to the desert to make sure what they dropped down an old well, is still there! I won't give anything away on the off chance that you decide to buy and/or rent the video, but it's suffice to say I had clenched buttcheeks for a week! I remember watching this movie on television when it originally aired back in 1977 and it scared the crap outta me! I found it recently at a pawn shop, watched it again (to see if it still packed a punch), and let me assure you, it is STILL as suspenseful now as it was then! I strongly urge you to find a copy if you can!• Trilogy of Terror (1975)
Buy it Now!
• Midnight Offerings (1981)
• Don't Go to Sleep (1982)
Buy it Now!
• The Stepford Children (1987)
• I Saw What You Did (AKA I Saw What You Did... and I Know Who You Are!) (1988)
• The People Across the Lake (1988)
posted by Kirkkitsch @ 6:00 AM
4 Comments:
Ah yes, "Midnight Offerings" is a classic, and I am surprised that anybody else remembers it! I had recorded it many years ago on my pricey new VCR, back when VHS tapes cost a fortune. The modern-day version of the good witch/bad witch teen face-off, "The Craft" was also quite cool.
I'm surprised that so many movies are based on a Lois Duncan book, and yet her name is so unknown. She should be like the Stephen King counterpart, but it's the first time I've ever heard of her!
I loved Lois Duncan too as a teen. One of the reasons that she isn't synonymous with the movies is that the movie rights to her books were purchased when she wrote them, she henceforth had no control over what hack screenwriters did to them. Killing Mr. Griffin and the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise had little resemblance to her novels. The same thing has happened to Stephen King, most notably with the film Lawnmower Man, which is completely unlike the short story on which it is supposedly based. BTW, thanks for the nightmares! That little pic in the beginning of the post is creepy!
Dave2-
Ah, yes, if it was a made-for-TV movie, I usually remember it. Esp. if it had delicious, evil things in it! Wheee! One of these days I'm gonna get it on DVD-R. I wish the powers that be would release these things in double features or something. I have one DVD I found in the cheapo bin about a year ago and it was a double feature of the orig. Satan's School for Girls (Kate Jackson!) and Good Against Evil (Kim Cattrall). Too fun!
I too loved The Craft! Fairuza Balk! I luff her!
Mariana-
Tell me about it, Mariana! I love her books, but they are too PG-13 to translate into profitable movies, so it's understandable why some of them are rated 'R.' It's a well-known fact that L.D. depsises the movie version of her book 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' but I love both of them! I even own the made-for-TV movie 'I've Been Waiting for You,' based on her book 'Gallows Hill.' I thought the movie was a lot of fun, too! It's in just about the same vein (violence/plot-wise) as her book.
Kate-
Interesting. I didn't know any of that (sans the I Know What You Did Last Summer part).
That little pic you're referring to, is from the other made-for-TV movie that is forever ingrained in my psyche: Trilogy of Terror! OMG, that freaky little Zuni fetish doll that comes to life and goes on a murderous rampage, scares the SHIT outta me! That movie STILL creeps me out!
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