Over the past few years, I’ve rediscovered an appreciation and a love for the made-for-TV movie. Thanks in large part to Amanda Reyes’s podcast, Made-for-TV Mayhem, and her book, Are You in the House Alone?: A TV Movie Compendium 1964-1999, I think a lot of other people are, too.
Since listening to Ms. Reyes’s podcast, I’ve gone back and re-watched some old favorites and discovered more than few new ones like...
FACE OF EVIL!!!
Far from being a poor relation to the feature film, the made-for-TV movie has a lot going for it. For one thing, the running time is just right. Most made-for-TV movies come in at around 75-90 minutes. That means that there isn’t a lot of time for fooling around. Every scene has to forward the plot/story in some way. Another reason to enjoy made-for-TV movies is that there are loads of roles for older actors. Whereas most feature films tended to skew younger in cast and viewers, the made-for-TV movie was a wonderful chance to see veteran actors strut their stuff and do what they do best. Bette Davis, Edward G. Robinson, and Barbara Stanwyck all performed memorably on TV.
Although made-for-TV movies were made in a variety of genres, it’s the thrillers and horror films that people tend to remember most fondly. I still recall watching Dark Night of the Scarecrow when it aired in 1981. It scared the pants off of me!
Just as scary as the actual movie sometimes was the TV spot advertising it. You’d catch sight of what was to come and listen to Ernie Anderson’s voiceover, and you couldn’t wait for it to hit the airwaves.
Home for the Holidays (1972), dir. by John Llewellyn Moxey
Killdozer (1974), dir. by Jerry London
Trilogy of Terror (1975), dir. by Dan Curtis
The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978), dir. by Leo Penn
I urge any of you who liked Midsommar by Ari Aster to read Thomas Tryon's novel, Harvest Home. You can thank me later.
The Initiation of Sarah (1978), dir. by Robert Day
The Ghost of Flight 401 (1978), dir. by Steven Hilliard Stern
Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978), dir. by Curtis Harrington
Cliffhangers (1979), various directors
Not a made-for-TV movie, I know, but still pretty great!
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980), dir. by Henning Schellerup
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981), dir. by Frank De Felitta
This House Possessed (1981), dir. by William Wiard
Deadly Messages (1985), dir. by Jack Bender
The Midnight Hour (1985), dir. by Jack Bender
Ol' Jack was a busy boy in 1985. The Midnight Hour AND Deadly Messages?! C'mon!
The Haunting of Sarah Hardy (1989), dir. by Jerry London
Women named Sarah don't seem to make out well in made-for-TV movies. Between being initiated and haunted, poor Sarah is not having a good time.
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