Made For TV Horror Movies

[The Ugly Duchess]

I have opened this thread since I will have several made for TV movies that deal with horror and the supernatural. Basically the main difference is that these films were to be shown on TV first rather than at the movie theatre.

THE DARK SECRET OF HARVEST HOME - 1978

http://www.horror.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=77&pictureid=592

http://www.horror.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=77&pictureid=593

http://www.horror.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=77&pictureid=594

The Dark Secret Of Harvest Home was shown in 1978 as a TV miniseries. The story was based on the novel by actor and writer Tom Tryon.

The plot involves a young couple who move from the city to a nice quite town and get involved with witchcraft and pagan rites.

The cast includes:

Bette Davis as The Widow Fortune
David Ackroyd as Nick Constantine
Rosanna Arquette as Kate Constantine
Rene Auberjonais as Jack Stump
John Calvin as Justin Hooke
Norman LLoyd as Amys Penrose
Linda March as Maddie Dowd
Stephen Joyce as Robert Dowd

Bette Davis gives one of her best performances here as The Widow Fortune

When Nick & Kate look at a potential home in the town of Cornwall Coomb, they get it for an unbelievably low price from The Widow Fortune.

As the couple settle into their new home and get to know everyone, there are some disturbing questions that is on Nick's mind. No one can go into the surrounding woods, one of the past residents was supposedly a suicide and there are some ancient pagan rites that take place.

Most of the rites deal with the growing season and the final ritual being that of Harvest Home. Justin Hooke is this years Harvest Lord.

The Dodds ( the couples new friends) are Maggie who plays the organ for the local church and her husband Robert, a totally retired and blind college professor. What really caused Robert's blindness?

While trying to find out the underlying secrets of the town, Nick & Kate encounter marriage difficulties and their whole world now collapses into the bizarre pagan rituals and rites.

The latter part of the film continues at a fast pace with chilling events and a surprised ending.

I will not give the ending away since many of you may not have seen this film.

The good news is that Leonard Maltin rates this as an above average TV miniseries. I rate this one equal with the other TV miniseries Salem's Lot.

The bad news is that this was reissued on VHS in a shortened form. It has not been since reissued on DVD on either the shortened form or full miniseries.

However some copies of the VHS tapes do exist for sale and you can get pirated copies on DVD. However, be sure to ask what the pictures quality is. The picture quality from some sellers may be a 6 or 7 out of ten.

Hopefully it will come out on DVD in the future.

This is a great film and is one of my favorites. I highly recommend it.

Be sure to see it if it comes on TV. I would recommend recording it on DVD if you can.

Just don't miss it.

[TheWickerFan]

I LOVE this mini series!! Can't recommend it enough. I really, really wish the studio would put this on DVD uncut.

[The Ugly Duchess]

I LOVE this mini series!! Can't recommend it enough. I really, really wish the studio would put this on DVD uncut.

Me too and for the whole uncut miniseries.

[The Ugly Duchess]

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK - 1973 TV Movie

http://www.horror.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=77&pictureid=595

http://www.horror.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=77&pictureid=596

http://www.horror.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=77&pictureid=598

http://www.horror.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=77&pictureid=599

Most TV movies tend to be blah or jusk OK. Not this one!

The TV movie ranks with other suberb TV movies and miniseries in the horror genre such as Salem's Lot and The Dark Secret Of Harvest Home.

This is a terrifying tale of the supernatural which packs a punch.

It was directed by John Newland who hosted the One Step Beyond series in the 1950's and was associated with several episodes of the Boris Karloff Thriller series.

The cast includes:

Kim Darby ( of True Grit) as Sally Farnham
Jim Hutton as Alex Farnham
Barbara Anderson ( of Ironside) as Joan Kahn
Willima Demerest ( of My Three Sons) as Mr. Harris, The Carpenter
Pedro Armendariz, Jr. as Francisco Perex, The Interior Decorator

The story is about a young couple who inherit a home from the wife's grandmother. The couple is unaware that the house in inhabited by small demon like creatures.

These creatures are locked up in the basement in an old fireplace. Needless to say the young wife wants to open the fireplace up and that is when the trouble begins. These creatures are constantly calling her name and they want to claim her spirit.

Her husband Alex and friend Joan feel that Sally has let her imagination run away. However, after the home decorator gets killed in a fall down the stairs, they start to wonder if Sally is correct after all. Alex finally gets the truth out of Mr. Harris, the carpenter. Leaving Joan with Sally when Alex goes to see Harris, the creatures lock Joan out of the house. By the time Alex and the others break into the house, the small demon like creatures have pulled Sally down through the fireplace and into the pit where they claim her spirit.

This film is not for the squeamish.

This TV movie has just been reissed on DVD.

Get your popcorn ready, possibly a good glass of sherry to steady your nerves and sit back for a great movie.

Oh! And by the way, sleep with your lights on!

Cheers!:)

[Doc Faustus]

I didn't know that was made for TV. In my opinion, the king of made for tv horror movies would have to be Trilogy of Terror.

[newb]

I didn't know that was made for TV. In my opinion, the king of made for tv horror movies would have to be Trilogy of Terror.

That and "The Night Stalker"

[TheWickerFan]

There's also:

Salem's Lot (1979)
Duel (1971)
The Deliberate Stranger (1986)
To Catch A Killer (1992)

[The Ugly Duchess]

I didn't know that was made for TV. In my opinion, the king of made for tv horror movies would have to be Trilogy of Terror.

I have Trilogy of Terror on DVD and haven't seen it for a while. I did not realize that this one was a TV movie.

This is a great film and each of the three episodes have a surprise ending as well as being terrifying and thrilling. Karen Black was great.

Glad you mentioned this movie. It was good to revisit it again.

[Elvis_Christ]

To Catch A Killer (1992)

Good call. That one's awesome.