Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Tymon Sutton The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

meddlecore David Norliss is a writer who has been commissioned to pen a book debunking the supernatural. However, as his deadline approaches, he calls his publisher to explain how he hasn't written a word; why he cannot write the book at all; and about the tapes he has left, that will truly reveal how deep into the investigation he really is. Then he disappears.The story is revealed through flashbacks, as his Publisher goes through and listens to the tapes that Norliss has left behind. Seems everything begins with a woman named Ellen Court- and her experience with the return of her zombified husband.Norliss catches wind that Mr. Court was dabbling in the occult prior to his death. And after a girl is found murdered and drained of blood, he heads to the town to investigate further.Turns out that, prior to his death, Court had made a pact with a demon named Sargoth, and in order to purchase his own immortality, he would be given the power to rise from the grave, so that he can fashion a sculpture in the demon's image...out of clay and human blood...so as to bring him to life.Now, he must work together with a local witch, and the man's wife, to stop this process...before it's too late.This was a made-for-TV flick, so it was thrown together on a b-grade budget- and considering this, the special effects are pretty paltry and lame. It's also rather short, at just over 70 minutes. As it was clearly slated for an hour and a half time slot (with commercials). Though, it seemed to have scenes which had been cut to make room for said commercials.Alongside the general concept- which is oriented around the Egyptian Heliopolitan concept of death, and return of the soul to the body- the best thing about this film is it's framing. However, with that being said, not even it could save this film from it's relative mediocrity.4.5 out of 10.

ChiefGoreMongral Today were talking 1970's made for TV in the form of Dan Curtis's The Norliss Tapes. Throughout the last several years I have been to several horror conventions and have been on line long enough to know that this movie has been in high demand by 70's horror fans. Thanks to Anchor Bay we finally get a legit release (throw away those boots y'all). Is it really any good is the question. Let's take a look.As the title states this film is about a writer David Norliss who for the last year has been working on a novel to debunk supernatural an occult happenings. More specifically those who use the occult to make a fortune on others beliefs in it and the suffering of those who have lost loved ones. Unfortunately for Mr.Norliss over that year time frame he has apparently gotten in too deep with his investigations and call his publisher for a meeting.David does not show up to this meeting and the publisher begins to get worried and decides to visit David at his home. Upon visiting David Norliss's house he finds tapes that detail each experience he has been involved with over the last year. This movie (which was a pilot for a supposed series) tells the tale of the first tape that was found by Norliss's publisher that goes on to show that sometimes, the supernatural can be more real than you could ever imagine.David Norliss is drawn into a strange case involving a wealthy widow (played by Angie Dickenson) who is attacked....by her dead husband. As expected nobody believes her and its up to Norliss to find the clues that would prove what she says is true and more importantly how her supposed dead husband is back!!! If you are a fan of Dan Curtis items such as The Nightstalker and Kolchak series you are in for a treat as this follows the same style. I really ended up enjoying this one as it plays out like a horror mystery movie. Instead of there being a guy in a werewolf suit or somebody human behind the plot we get a mystery that involves the occult and who is involved in the circle of evil.It's a real shame this was not picked up as a full series as this could have really been excellent. At the end of the movie the publisher begins to put in the next tape to see at what point David began to get into trouble with his occult investigations....unfortunately we will never know but this film stands well on its own and another example of the best made for TV movie era ....the 70's. I give "The Norliss Tapes": 7/10: Good, another solid example of the era that was The Dan Curtis era...as far as 70's made for TV is concerned.Until next time when your dead spouse stars at you with those reddish yellow eyes they are probably not thinking about sweet lovin...GET THE HECK OUT ASAP!!!

Woodyanders Roy Thinnes of "The Invaders" TV series fame gives a typically fine performance as David Norliss, a cynical and skeptical investigative reporter working on a book which debunks various supernatural occurrences and paranormal phenomena as phony baloney frauds. While researching his book Norliss crosses paths with widow Ellen Cort (the ever-lovely and appealing Angie Dickinson), who claims that her recently deceased husband (an impressively robust turn by Nick Dimitri, who sports some truly ghoulish make-up and uncanny yellow eyes) has come back to life as a murderous gray-skinned zombie. Norliss finds out much to his dismay that this particular case is all too real and by no means yet another far-fetched hoax.Expertly directed by the late, great Dan ("Trilogy of Terror") Curtis, with a smart and compelling script by William F. ("Logan's Run") Nolan, an arrestingly creepy and mysterious atmosphere, an eerie and rousing score by Robert Cobert, a snappy pace, polished cinematography by Ben Colman, genuinely shocking and stirring outbursts of surprisingly brutal violence (Angie blasts the zombie with a shotgun!), and a thrilling fiery conclusion, this failed pilot for a possible spin-off show sizes up as an often quite scary, always engrossing and overall superior made-for-TV fright feature. Moreover, the sound acting from a solid cast counts as another major asset: Both Thinnes and Dickinson are strong and sympathetic, with bang-up support from Claude Akins as a hard-nosed sheriff, Don Porter as Norliss' concerned publisher, Vonette ("Blacula") McGhee as a helpful occult store owner, Stanley Adams as an excitable truck driver, and Patrick ("The Cheerleaders") Wright as a deputy. Short (it's only 72 minutes long), spooky and extremely well-done all around, "The Norliss Tapes" is definitely worth checking out.

pembriar I ordered this hard-to-find show on eBay and got an excellent copy of it. I'd been literally waiting years to finally watch the TV show that had left the greatest impression of terror on me since childhood. I mean, I wasn't let down when I acquired a DVD of Trilogy of Terror with Karen Black; that last episode with the freaky doll still creeped me out... kinda.Well, last night I sat down, put the disc in my trusty old DVD player , and -- uh, found it to be a less-than-horrific experience. Of course I knew it wasn't going to have the same sort of effect on me that it did back then, so I prepared myself for a bit of disappointment.It was okay I guess, and considering I'm much older and can follow the storyline infinitely better than I did when I was 9 helps too. I liked the shots of the Bay Area and the Pacific coastline, and a young and lovely Angie Dickenson is always easy on the eyes, but still -- I wasn't even so much as mildly surprised throughout the entire film. The evil manifestation that happened at the end of the film almost had me laughing -- and I scolded myself for mocking this beloved show.As a made-for-TV film it is somewhat enjoyable and certainly above average, but as with all things nostalgic and memorable, don't get your hopes up too much like I did.Okay, now I'm off to find some "ABC Movie of the Week" episodes that hopefully have aged a little better than this one did...