The Night Stalker - the Night Strangler Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(The Night Stalker sometimes know as "The Kolchak Papers" or "The Kolchak Tapes")

(The Night Strangler (pilot) sometimes know as "The Time Killer")

directed by John Llewellyn Moxey and Dan Curtis
USA (TV) 1972/73

First came The Night Stalker - a TV movie penned by Richard Matheson (of Duel fame - and much more!). The character of Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin), a lovable but wisecracking reporter who is investigating a string of grizzly murders in Las Vegas. The victims are drained of blood - which as we all know - means a vampire! Constantly confounded by the authorities, who are more interested in hushing the incidents than in finding the perpetrator, Kolchak goes on the trail himself!

Then we have the pilot for the eventual TV series - The Night Strangler. Now in Seattle, Washington, Carl is attempting to solve the mystery of serial killer strangulations that recur like clockwork every few decades. And why are the female victims all drained of blood?

This is classic television and has a cult following around the block. The later stories in the series are wonderfully exciting and Kolchak's character immensely endearing. Ahhh... my youth. out of

Theatrical Release: Stalker - January 11th, 1972 / Strangler - January 16th, 1973

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Comparison:

Anchor Bay Entertainment (oop) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. MGM - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

NOTE: Both are DVD10's (single layer - 2 sides)

1) Anchor Bay Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT

2) MGM - Region 1- NTSC- SECOND

3) Kino Lorber "The Night Stalker' - Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD

4) Kino Lorber "The Night Strangler' - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

Box Covers
Distribution	Anchor Bay Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC	MGM Region 1 - NTSC	Kino Lorber Region 'A' Blu-ray	Kino Lorber Region 'A' Blu-ray
Runtime	Stalker- 1:14:32 + Strangler - 1:29:47	Stalker- 1:14:33 + Strangler - 1:30:00	1:14:30.799	1:30:02.522
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: ? mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.32 / 4.58 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Disc Size: 21,289,649,499 bytes Feature Size: 18,149,142,528 bytes Average Bitrate: 28.92 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video	Disc Size: 22,791,749,531 bytes Feature Size: 21,088,530,432 bytes Average Bitrate: 27.87 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrates for Anchor Bay edition - both unavailable!
Bitrate: MGM (Stalker)
Bitrate: MGM (Strangler)
Bitrate: Blu-ray (Stalker)
Bitrate: Blu-ray (Strangler)
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1556 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1556 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1556 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1556 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	None	English, Spanish, French, and none	English (SDH), None	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Original - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • None DVD Release Date: August 4th, 1998 Keep Case Chapters: both films have 32 chapters each (inaccurately labeled on DVD Menus as only 12)	Release Information: Studio: MGM Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • On Stalker - Dan Curtis interview (14:28) • On Strangler - Dan Curtis directing (7:24) DVD Release Date: August 24th, 2004 Keep Case Chapters: Both have 16 each	Release Information: Studio: Kino 1.33:1 Disc Size: 21,289,649,499 bytes Feature Size: 18,149,142,528 bytes Average Bitrate: 28.92 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas • NEW Interview with Director John Llewellyn Moxey (10:24) • NEW Interview with Composer Bob Cobert (10:01) • "The Night Stalker: Dan Curtis Interview" featurette (14:34) Burnt Offerings Trailer (2:29) • Limited Edition Booklet essay by Film critic and author Simon Abrams • Newly Commissioned Art by Sean Phillips • Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase Blu-ray Release Date: October 2nd, 2018 Standard Blu-ray Case inside cardboards slipcase Chapters 8	Release Information: Studio: Kino Disc Size: 22,791,749,531 bytes Feature Size: 21,088,530,432 bytes Average Bitrate: 27.87 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas • NEW Interview with Composer Bob Cobert (10:01) • "Directing 'The Night Strangler'" Featurette (7:29) • Burnt Offerings Trailer (2:29) • Limited Edition Booklet essay by Film critic and author Simon Abrams • Newly Commissioned Art by Sean Phillips • Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase Blu-ray Release Date: October 2nd, 2018 Standard Blu-ray Case inside cardboard slipcase Chapters 8

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - October 2018': The new Blu-ray releases of the supernatural-adventure pilots for the Kolchak The Night Stalker TV series. The 4K-restorations look like a solid notch ahead of the older SD transfers - more detail, depth present, colors tighter, skin tones warmer, a touch of teal-leaning etc. These don't look like the height of the format but do advance beyond the flipper DVD image presentations of more than a decade ago. I doubt both films will ever look better although it raises the question that being on single-layered discs - they could have been released together on one Blu-ray.

Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel mono (16-bit) tracks for both film in the original English language. The audio is impacting for the highly effective score by Robert Cobert (similar Dan Curtis/Richard Matheson Bram Stoker's Dracula and the TV series of Kolchak The Night Stalker, The Norliss Tapes, Trilogy of Terror, Scalpel, Burnt Offerings etc.. The score remains recognizable and suits the film to a "T" -always building suspense. It sounds far more dynamic in the lossless. There are optional English subtitles on the Region 'A'-locked Blu-rays.

Both films support highly valuable and interesting audio commentaries from Tim Lucas - who is always excellent. he delves deep into the production stars and co-stars, Dan Curtis and John Llewellyn Moxey, Darren McGavin and so much more making listening totally enjoyable for fans. "The Night Stalker" Blu-ray has a new 10-minute interview with director John Llewellyn Moxey as well as 10-minutes with with composer Bob Cobert (that is repeated on The Night Strangler Blu-ray). There is a 1/4 hour "The Night Stalker: Dan Curtis Interview" featurette and a Burnt Offerings trailer. Both Blu-rays include a limited edition booklet essay, newly commissioned art by Sean Phillips and O-Card slipcase. The Night Strangler Blu-ray, as well as having its own Lucas commentary and the repeated 10-minutes with Bob Cobert it includes a "Directing 'The Night Strangler' interview with Curtis.

These films have huge nostalgia appeal for many - and we all pine for Kolchak The Night Stalker TV series to come to Blu-ray. The Kino is reasonably priced and the Lucas commentaries have immense value. No-brainer for many. "The Night Stalker" is the superior of the two films but seeing one only whets the whistle for the second. Kolchak is a great character and these Blu-rays are absolutely recommended!

***

ON THE DVDs: The image of the two "The Night Stalker" DVDs is exact, excepting it shows the Anchor Bay to be slightly cropped along the bottom edge - very negligible. On "The Night Strangler" - the MGM is quite darker, but may be slightly sharper. Both audio tracks match up similarly too. The image is not the deciding factors in picking up the MGM. Why one would choose the MGM is the Dan Curtis featurettes and the subtitles options - but above that - the price! It is only $12 at Amazon!. The original Anchor Bay is over $30 and Out-of-print. Kind of a no-brainer, but its nice to see, at least that the image was not any worse as we have seen with some 'new' releases. SEE HERE. Anyway, Kolchak fans will be in heaven... now where is the rest of the series ?!!

- Gary W. Tooze

NIGHT STALKER/NIGHT STRANGLER - The Video Black is deeper on both and that tends to be better overall for both MGM prints, which are all new to their edition. NIGHT STALKER fares better for the most part on MGM's edition, while NIGHT STRANGLER is definitely better overall on MGM, with more picture area on all four sides. STALKER has more image on two sides on the MGM edition and the audio contains the female voice of Kolchak being paged at a Vegas hotel that is missing on the Anchor Bay editions. The color is better on MGM, except for a few brief details on the Anchor Bay STALKER. The sound on both is less hissy on the MGM DVD, but is a tad compressed. You can hear some more sound on the MGM, but even Robert Cobert's score was originally (and sadly) recorded in mono as the CD soundtrack recently issued shows. Especially with the brief extra interviews with Dan Curtis, the MGM is better. As for a pilot film, none of them were meant to be that way, especially as a third telefilm called THE NIGHT KILLERS (robots and/or aliens replacing key people in Hawaii) was nixed for the TV series, grossly overdue on DVD. Curtis wanted the vampire to somehow show up in New York in another telefilm. If anything, they almost did a series of telefilms ala COLUMBO. Universal took over and did the hour-long series for one season (1974 - 1975) with ABC and for 20 episodes, where the films were made solely by ABC. Barry Diller made the TV movie a permanent phenomenon for their ABC Movie Of The Week and these are two of the best ever made, even to this day. The original was the top rated TV movie for over a dozen years. Now that General Electric and NBC own Universal and have done a 180 to release all kinds of Universal TV series on DVD (versus former owners Vivendi refusing), we may finally see the series on real high quality DVDs, versus the bootleg DVD-Rs all overt the net from the VHS versions. Three TV episodes were written but not shot, with one was recently adapted (THE GET OF BELIAL) as a comic book in Moonstone Publishing's terrific and ongoing KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER comic series. Their first issue was THE NIGHT STALKER film. Kolchak lives!

Nicholas Sheffo from FulvueDrive-In.com

DVD Menus

(Anchor Bay Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. MGM - Region 1- NTSC- RIGHT)