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..."
- 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
