The Norliss Tapes (1973 film)
Summary
An investigative reporter stumbles onto an artist that has made a pact to come back after his death to sculpt a statue of a demon using human blood and clay. Once the demon is awakened he will be granted immortality. Related to Night Stalker (1972 franchise).
Details
- Release Date: 1973
- Country/Language: US, English
- Genres/Technical: Horror, made-for-TV
- Runtime: 1 hr 12 min
- Starring: Roy Thinnes, Don Porter, Angie Dickinson
- Director: Dan Curtis
- Writer: William F. Nolan (teleplay), Fred Mustard Stewart (story)
- Producer/Production Co: Dan Curtis Productions, Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC), National Broadcasting Company (NBC), Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
- View Trailer: (link)
- IMDB page: (link)
Ratings
MPAA Ratings
- Rated: (not rated) (perhaps equivalent to a modern TV-PG for mild Violence)
Tentacle Ratings
A rough measure of how "Lovecraftian" the work is:
- Ss___ (Two and a Half Tentacles: Barely Lovecraftian)
Apparently this film refers to pre-historic gods or demons waiting in the shadows for a chance to retake the Earth.
Note: This rating is not intended as a measure of quality, merely of how closely related to Lovecraftian "Weird" fiction the work is.
Reviews
Review Links:
- R. B. Anderson at the Classic Film and TV Cafe (link) - "Curtis clearly intended to make a straightforward fright film--and he largely succeeds. His film evokes an eerie atmosphere, enhanced by the scenic Carmel coastline with its winding roads."
- Lisa Maree Bowman at Through the Shattered Lens (link) - "For a made-for-TV movie, The Norliss Tapes is pretty good. It’s full of atmosphere..."
- Brett Gallman at Oh The Horror! (link) - "...Curtis always had a good eye for making this sort of thing feel bigger and more cinematic than it should. His camera work is smooth and resourceful, and he captures a certain bleakness and grit in his San Francisco locales..."
- Justin McKinney at The Bloody Pit of Horror (2.5/4 Stars) (link) - "This modest production has some very good elements, as well as some not-so-stellar ones. ... Neither the characterizations nor the plot are much above passable and, since this was intended as a continuing series, we're not given adequate closure about the fate of David (though this perhaps works in an unintended ambiguous way). On the plus side, nice use is made of rainy Northern California coastal locations... ...director Curtis manages to stage several highly-effective scare scenes; at least one of which is guaranteed to make most viewers jump out of their seats."
- John Kenneth Muir at Reflections on Cult Movies & Classic TV (link) - "Even with an open-ended finale and no real background on Norliss or his beliefs, The Norliss Tapes is overall well-shot and engaging, and most importantly, scary."
Synopsis
Spoiler Section (Highlight to Read)
An investigative reporter stumbles onto an artist that has made a pact to come back after his death to sculpt a statue of a demon using human blood and clay. Once the demon is awakened he will be granted immortality.
Notes
Comments, Trivia, Dedication
Associated Mythos Elements
- TO DO
- film: compare to the Night Stalker (1972 franchise), by the same creators
- race: Deadite
- deity: Sargoth
- artefact: Scarab ring
