MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Mr_Ectoplasma "The Norliss Tapes" relays the most recent case investigated by occult investigator Norliss who has recently disappeared and left behind an archive of tapes detailing his recent cases. In Monterey, California, he meets Ellen Cort, a widow who claims she was attacked by her recently deceased husband on their sprawling estate. Norliss's investigation leads him all around the bay as he uncovers increasingly dark information regarding Ellen's late artist husband.A failed pilot-turned-television film, "The Norliss Tapes" was directed by cult TV horror icon Dan Curtis, and it has his stamp all over it. Running at a concise hour and ten minutes, the film is surprisingly absorbing and at times almost resembles a feature film. Though it shows its age, the production values given the era are surprisingly high, and the cinematography is top-notch. The relentless rain and misty landscapes of the northern California setting are phenomenally captured; I found myself completely drawn into the film in spite of its shortcomings.The narrative is fairly routine in terms of the moves it makes to advance the plot, and it does seem stilted on dialogue a bit too much in areas (which I chalk up to the limited time slot), but it does maintain a considerable level of intrigue nonetheless. There are several fantastic scare scenes that predate Tobe Hooper's "Salem's Lot" in which the undead husband makes sinister appearances—the rainstorm chase scene at the estate is very memorable. A gruff Roy Thinnes fits the role of Norliss very well, and Angie Dickinson is likable as the flummoxed widow; Vonetta McGee is also memorable as the mysterious madame who knows more about Dickinson's reanimated husband than she initially lets on."The Norliss Tapes" seems to have amassed a following over the years, largely of viewers who saw the film as children and were terrified of it (as is the case with many of these television horror movies from the seventies). The nostalgia factor is absent for me as I was not alive when the film was released, but there is an appreciable establishment of atmosphere and substantial intrigue at work here given the film was never actually intended to be packaged as a movie. Curtis would usher in "Trilogy of Terror" and the feature "Burnt Offerings" a few years later, both of which show a demonstrable refining of his talents, but "The Norliss Tapes" is no less an effective, compact offering that is shamelessly entertaining and also offers up a handful of masterfully-crafted scares. 7/10.

TVholic Finally saw this after almost 40 years. I didn't catch it on its original network broadcast. I have to agree with other reviews that say it's an inferior version of Kolchak: The Night Stalker.They have much in common, but so many differences in the ways that count. Darren McGavin was a much better actor in a much better written role, delivering that snappy, sardonic voice-over narration and funny quips, all with the infectious energy that Kolchak always showed and the quirkiness that tied it all together. Kolchak was very much interested in his stories, while Norliss seemed like he was rather reluctant and bored. There was no depth to David Norliss and the proceedings just slogged on monotonously. McGavin's acting made Kolchak's episodes worth watching even when the scripts were bad, not to mention his great supporting characters, both recurring and guests. Norliss was essentially a lone wolf. What was most amazing of all is that Kolchak continued to entertain by slaying monsters (literally) and police officials (figuratively) alike despite McGavin's disdain for the scripts and his bitterness over having been cheated of his promised role as series executive producer. That's the mark of a true professional and a great actor. Thinnes wasn't given much to work with here. He seemed like he was almost sleepwalking through the movie. And unlike Kolchak, Norliss barely interacted with other characters, let alone spar verbally with them.Worse, the blue-skinned zombie was every bit as bad as Kolchak's often embarrassing monsters. But without McGavin to distract from the situation, there was no disguising the silliness. Other similarities include Robert Cobert's creepy sul ponticello tremolando on the violin, so familiar from Kolchak episodes and opening titles, and the disbelieving sheriff.All in all, I'll stick with my DVD set of the Kolchak series. When the Norliss pilot ended, I really didn't care what had caused his mysterious disappearance and wouldn't have watched had the show been picked up by a network. It was only marginally better than the Night Stalker remake of 2005.

holderdj I saw this when I was maybe 8/9 years old and for YEARS afterward had many problems with closed curtains at night. I was more afraid of the dead artist guy than the devil coming to life part. I was afraid that he'd be standing there like in the film, with his dead, white eyes, ready to jump through the glass.Great film - haven't seen it in maybe 30 years. If i see it again, I hope it matches up to the original terror. Someone made the comment that the 70's TV horror films were just much scarier than anything new coming out. Maybe it was poor budgeting and cheesy special effects that made them focus on story and atmosphere. In any event, I haven't been scared by anything of the screen since those years. The Norliss Tapes, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark... sigh

Gary-161 Yes, it's easy to mock. Hang on, it IS easy to mock. Why didn't I think of that before? Okay, now....yikes, that made me jump! I didn't see it coming at all. David Norliss's hideous tweed jacket, that is. It's a pretty scary production, after all. In fact, the sartorial Saville Row ensembles we are used to seeing Roy Thinnes wear in 'The Invaders' are entirely absent here, neatly delineating the career difference between an architect and a struggling writer. The smooth Aryan that was David Vincent replaced by a grey tousle haired muppet with *groan* jumper over cheap shirt. And as for that long raincoat....darling, get yourself on a make-over show pronto! No wonder it was never made into a series. Do you want to spend that many weeks with a fashion disaster zone like Norliss? He wouldn't be able to find any monsters because they would be a hell of a lot more frightened of him. And if he did catch up with and grapple with a monster, the cops would show up and shoot him. This is one of those those shows that you remember fondly as a kid but are pretty laughable now. But in a strange way you can see them with both eyes. Love the cod Chandler-esque dialogue. "It was Monday. I drove down to the mansion with the smell of three day old tequila on my breath and a boot polish orange tan. Yeah, I had seen better days. The dark clouds hung over me like a bad omen. Tonight there was going to be a dead reckoning, and I had a hunch the corpse ain't gonna be whistlin' Dixie!" That sort of thing. I defy anyone to keep a straight face at the ending. Mind you, today's WWF bouts are more bizarre. My favourite shot of the film is the Cort's burning studio. It's obviously the director's favourite shot too as he pointlessly decides to linger on it for about ten minutes. It's almost avante-guarde, sweety.People tend to forget that Dan Curtis didn't direct the first Night Stalker movie, it was John Llewellyn Moxey. He directed the so-so sequel. The truth is he's not a great director and this movie was a bit of a shambles. There may have been production problems, I don't know. Anyway, check it out. The plot is shamelessly lifted from guess where, even down to the reprise of the shows 'top scary moments' at the end, but it's a lot of fun if viewed in the right frame of mind. Which is no frame at all and sporting a dire wardrobe.