NIGHT TERROR
US, 1977, 90 minutes, Colour.
Valerie Harper, Richard Romanus, Quinn Cummings.
Directed by E.W. Swackhamer.
Night Terror is a telemovie that takes a predictable situation: woman witnesses murder and is pursued by killer but makes of it quite an exciting and entertaining film. Valerie Harper, from the TV series Rhoda, is effective as the absent-minded and then put-upon woman. Needless to say she acquits herself very well in the confrontation with the killer, played by Richard Romanus. The film has several implausibilities but on the whole manages to sustain its atmosphere credibly enough while on screen.
1. The entertainment value of this kind of thriller? Audiences identifying with the heroine and her situation? Sharing her decisions - agreeing or disagreeing with what she does to escape the killer? The family background? The encounter with the people on the way, the happy ending? The happy ending?
2. How well done was this film of its kind? The establishing of the heroine and her family, her characteristics ? and being ill prepared to face the difficulties? The sick boy? The lack of petrol, the chance encounter with the killer? The various ways in which she tries to hide, drive? The plausibilities and implausibilities? The American road?
3. Colour photography, the atmosphere of Phoenix, the desert. night and day? The atmosphere of the house in the dark, the Chicanos' farm? The rain? The hospital? Special effects? Editing? The score?
4. The introduction to Carol: Valerie Harper's style, her absent? minded nerviness, relationship with her husband, sister, son? The arrangements about the house? Her dithering and forgetfulness? Her driving? The inability to make contact with her husband? The anxiety about her son in hospital? The sketches of character for the purposes of the thriller? Her driving, coping with the lack of petrol, seeing the killer, hiding, trying to refill with petrol. the encounter with the farmers, mistaking the killer for the son, her quick thinking in escaping? Her being frightened by the vagrant? The pleading with the traveller from New Jersey and the violence of his death? The final confrontation and her eluding the killer in the desert? Her offhand ending with her husband ? the experience having changed her?
5. The sketch of the husband and his relationship with his wife, patience with her, planning to go to Denver, his being busy? The end? The sick child and the problems in hospital? Carol's sister Vera and her support, the phone calls?
6. The sketch of the killer? the robbery, the eerie aspect of his being able to speak only by machine? The brutality of the killing? The pursuit of Carol ? on the road, in the house, pretending to be the farmer’s son, the killing of the traveller, the confrontation in the desert ? his death? A personification of evil?
7. The contribution of the old vagrant and his scaring Carol? The special effects for frightening her? The family and their not speaking English, their support of her? The chatter of the man caught in the rain and the horror of his death?
8. The violence in the United States? criminals, hit? murder contracts. the killing of the police, terrorising of citizens?
9. The devices the film used to keep audiences involved, the pacing of the action. the presentation of the scares? especially for the TV audience at home?
10. The values of this kind of film: identification with the heroine, her situation, demands on her judgment, courage?
