The Dark (1979)

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

I first became aware of this film because of the William Devane factor. Unfortunately Devane's character is extremely "boorish". All is not lost however because of the eclectic cast. The story is a mish-mash of "Jack the Ripper" and sci fi, with neither angle very impressive. What I do like is the quite sharp and often darkly amusing dialog. Overall the acting is acceptable, with Jaquelyn Hyde giving a standout supporting performance as a "medium" who can predict where the monster will strike next. You might remember her as "Mrs. Blair" in Woody Allen's hilarious "Take the Money and Run". With Richard Jaeckel, Keenan Wynn, and Cathy Lee Crosby also contributing, "The Dark" is almost saved from being a "bomb", but not quite. - MERK

Director John "Bud" Cardos, who'd given us the superior "nature strikes back" thriller "Kingdom of the Spiders", proved up to the task of replacing original director Tobe Hooper on this mostly routine but basically entertaining sci-fi / horror tale. The original concept for the movie was that of a killer zombie, but after poor screenings, it was decided to make the killer an alien and add a bunch of cheese ball laser effects.The story is that after the alien has savagely murdered his daughter, an author, Roy Warner (the amusingly cast William Devane), teams up with an ambitious TV newswoman, Zoe Owens (Cathy Lee Crosby) to track the monster down. The detectives on the case (Richard Jaeckel, Biff Elliot) can't seem to make any progress, but providing a substantial amount of assistance to Roy and Zoe is the psychic character De Renzy (Jacquelyn Hyde - now *there's* a name for you), who believes she knows who one of the aliens' victims will be.The sci-fi element provides just the right touch here, generating a fair amount of chuckles when we start to see the creatures' modus operandi. John Arthur Morrill handles the slick Panavision photography, while Roger Kellaway supplies a score that's quite a hoot. It features some decidedly over the top "whispering". The special effects are fun, and the pacing adequate. The best part has to be the climactic action when the alien unleashes hell on the cops that are trying to take it down.The actors are all good, particularly Jaeckel and Devane in his change of pace role. Keenan Wynn plays Crosby's boss, Casey Kasem is a pathologist, Vivian Blaine appears as a high society type, seven foot four inch John Bloom plays the titular murderer, and Warren J. Kemmerling is the typical police boss who demands that Jaeckel and Elliot produce some results. Look for the following people in bit parts: Vernon Washington ("Friday the 13th: A New Beginning") as a victim, Philip Michael Thomas of 'Miami Vice' fame as an outspoken youth, and none other than Paris Hiltons' mom Kathy Hilton as the requisite first person to die. Angelo Rossitto has an uncredited cameo as a news vendor.If you're like this viewer and have a weakness for movies like this, you're sure to have a good time with it.Seven out of 10.

A monster that strangely resembles a wild cat with a varsity jacket is roaming the city, loose, and tearing stuff up. The local detective is a wise guy from the old school that solves crimes by eating donuts and abusing his ex-wife. This movie is really cool for the segments with the killer, but those segments compiled are probably three minutes. The cop talk is amazing, a real throwback to the late seventies movie making ham machine. Plenty of nice old textures, carpeted apartments and bra-less wonders at play. The real theme of the movie was initially a zombie feature, although the test audience saw otherwise and the film quickly switched gears into this weirdo product. It's slightly like "Split Second" or "C.H.U.D." in the way the bad guy is hardly seen. This works out to an ending filled with plenty of eye beams, fire, explosions, and cops flying through the air like plates. This movie plays out very routinely, with the hunt and the drama. So check it out and don't adjust your televisions brightness, this flick really is a friggen dark one.

The Dark is truly one of the worst films I've ever seen. Certainly the worst I've reviewed since Jaws of Satan last winter. One must wonder how much of this film Tobe Hooper directed, or if he could have made it watchable had he stayed on for the whole job. Apparently it was originally supposed to be just another rampaging zombie file. But by the time it was finished, we had a villain wandering the streets of L.A. shooting people with lasers from his eyes. Yikes! The primary star is William Devane, an always watchable actor. He plays a successful author once convicted of manslaughter. Why did they need these two angles for his character? The answer... they didn't. Anyway, Devane's daughter is the first victim of the "Mangler" and he sets out to pressure the hapless police force to solve the crime. But each night, there is another victim and nobody has any plausible explanation. Kathy Lee Crosby plays a news anchor looking to soak up the ratings for this story for herself. There are other useless characters such as a psychic who can predict future victims. There is a struggling young actor with a drinking problem. There is a mind-boggling appearance by Casey Kasem as a forensic pathologist. He actually gives one of the better performances. How many Scooby Snacks did they have to give him to take the role? The Dark is one of the most boring films I've ever seen. That is its main problem. So little action its incredible. Considering how much is said about the "horrific" nature of the murders, we see little if any gore. The final five minutes where the killer is zapping an army of cops with his laser eyes is hilariously cheap, but at least there is finally some action in the film. A complete waste of your time. Do not handle heavy machinery until you have had at least 8 hours of sleep after watching this crud. 1 of 10 stars.The Hound.