Recent Reviews
DVD Review: Kolchak: The Night Stalker
By  Dave Dreher
Oct 15, 2005, 21:19

One of the first things that jumped out at me as I sat down to watch this wonderful collection was the name David Chase.  Anyone know the name?  Mr. Chase just happens to be the creator of probably the best TV series ever, The Soprano’s.  He also was a writer on The Night Stalker.  I had no idea.  Just stuck me as a cool fact. 

So, Universal has released all 20 original episodes in a must have 3 disc set.  The shows aired in 1974 and 1975 and are surprisingly edgy for a TV show that aired back then.  The first episode is a Jack the Ripper tale that is very well paced and quite atmospheric.  The first several episodes were actually Kolchak matching wits with the usual horror staples.  We have episodes titled The Zombie, and then The Vampire followed by The Werewolf.  As we get deeper into the shows the writers got a little more creative with titles like The Spanish Moss Murders and The Energy Eater.

All the episodes were well written and have developed a cult status over the years.  Darrin McGavin is nothing short of spectacular as the title character.  He is relentless in his pursuit of the truth and sulks through the night in search of all kinds of various weirdness, all the while taking notes and snapping pictures in his attempt to capture the unbelievable.

The shows have held up quite well over the years and still prove to be very entertaining.  Those of us old enough to remember will enjoy seeing these classic shows again and you youngin’s out there should watch them so you understand where shows like The X Files and the like got their start from.

The Kolchak:  The Night Stalker 3 disc set is available now at your local retailer.  Go get it….