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Dan Curtis' Late-Night Mysteries [2 X Blu-ray]
Shadow of
Fear (1974) The Invasion of Carol Enders
(1974)
Come Die With Me(1974) Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest (1974)
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Perhaps no figure exerted a greater influence on 1970s television horror than Dan Curtis. Having created the daytime drama Dark Shadows (1966-71), and while developing The Night Stalker into a weekly series, he produced stand-alone thrillers for ABC Television’s Wide World of Mystery. Originally shot on videotape, the four films in this collection have been carefully adapted to HD for this Blu-ray release. Shadow of Fear stars Claude Akins (Tentacles, Skyjacked) as a disgraced police officer hired to investigate crimes surrounding a psychologically troubled housewife (Anjanette Comer - The Underneath.) In The Invasion of Carol Enders, the spirit of a car crash victim is reincarnated into the body of another patient (Meredith Baxter, Family Ties.) Come Die With Me follows the cat-and-mouse relationship between a cavalier playboy (George Maharis) and the housekeeper who tries to blackmail him (Eileen Brennan, The Last Picture Show.) A wholesome family experiences a Kafkaesque miscarriage of justice when they are accused of drug trafficking in Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest. *** Dan Curtis, the prolific producer behind gothic horror classics like Dark Shadows, ventured into suspenseful anthology television with four notable 1970s TV movies aired as part of ABC's Wide World of Mystery series: "Shadow of Fear" (1974), starring Claude Akins as a fallen detective probing mysterious crimes tormenting a mentally fragile housewife played by Anjanette Comer, with a young Tom Selleck in a supporting role; "The Invasion of Carol Enders" (1973), a chilling possession story where Meredith Baxter's comatose character becomes inhabited by the vengeful spirit of a car accident victim seeking to expose her own murder; "Come Die With Me" (1974), a dark thriller featuring George Maharis as a reckless heir who kills his brother over a denied loan, only to be blackmailed and manipulated by Eileen Brennan's obsessive housekeeper in a twisted game of control and desire; and "Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest" (1974), a cautionary tale of corruption and injustice in which a suburban family faces ruin after corrupt police plant heroin in their home during a botched raid, refusing to admit their error to protect their careers. |
Posters
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Broadcast Date: January 28th, 1974 - August 20th, 1974
Review: Kino Cult #36 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from: BONUS CAPTURES: |
Distribution | Kino Cult #36 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray | |
Runtime |
Shadow of Fear: 1:05:59.388 The Invasion of Carol Enders: 1:07:03.352 Come Die With Me: 1:06:42.598 Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest: 1:06:16.439 |
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Video |
1.33 :1 1080Pi Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 41,570,225,905 bytes
Shadow of Fear: 18,347,968,512 bytes Video Bitrate: 33.38 / 36.34 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
1.33 :1 1080Pi Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 40,563,413,943 bytes
Come Die With Me: 18,882,306,048 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.02 / 35.63 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Vide |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate Shadow of Fear Blu-ray: |
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Bitrate The Invasion of Carol Enders: Blu-ray: |
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Bitrate Come Die With Me Blu-ray: |
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Bitrate Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest Blu-ray: |
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Audio |
DTS-HD Master
Audio English 1558 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1558 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 /
48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -31dB |
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Subtitles | English (SDH), None | |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Kino
Edition Details: • Introductions to All Four Films by Jeff Thompson, Author of House of Dan Curtis: The Television Mysteries of the Dark Shadows Auteur - Shadow of Fear (6:49) / The Invasion of Carol Enders (4:56) / Come Die With Me (3:39) / Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest (4:21) • Shadow of Fear Commentary by Amanda Reyes, Author of Are You in the House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium 1964-1999 • The Invasion of Carol Enders Commentary by Television Historian Scott Skelton • Come Die With Me Commentary by Author/Podcaster Dan Budnik and Film Historian Robert Kelly • Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest Commentary by Film Historians Amanda Reyes and Heidi Honeycutt
Standard Blu-ray Case inside slipcase Chapters 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
NOTE: We have added 118 more large
resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless
PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons
HERE
On their
Blu-ray,
Kino use DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel tracks (24-bit) in the original
English language. They seem to faithfully reproduce the original TV
sound without elaborate remixing or enhancements. The mix prioritizes
clear dialogue amid Robert Cobert's
(Dan Curtis'
Trilogy of Terror,
Bram Stoker's Dracula and
the TV series of
Kolchak The Night Stalker, plus
The Norliss Tapes,
Scalpel,
Burnt Offerings etc..)
atmospheric scores, with subtle electronic cues and orchestral swells
that build tension, though it exhibits some era-specific weaknesses like
scattered or hollow-sounding elements; overall, it's discernible and
free of major distortion, providing a notch above vintage tape quality
but lacking the spatial depth of stereo setups. Kino Cult offer optional English
(SDH)
subtitles on their Region 'A'-locked
Blu-rays.
The supplements on this Kino Cult double
Blu-ray
release shed plenty of light, including introductions to all four films
by Jeff Thompson, author of
House of Dan Curtis:
The Television Mysteries of the Dark Shadows Auteur - running
about 20 minutes in total they provide contextual insights into Curtis's
gothic style and production history. Each film also features an audio
commentary: Shadow of Fear by Amanda Reyes, author of
Are You in the House
Alone? A TV Movie Compendium 1964-1999; The Invasion of Carol
Enders by television historian Scott Skelton (Rod
Serling's Night Gallery: An After-Hours Tour); Come Die With
Me by author / podcaster Dan Budnik (From
Beverly Hills To Hooterville: Exploring TV's Henningverse 1962-1971)
and film historian Robert Kelly; and Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest by
film historians Amanda Reyes and Heidi Honeycutt (I
Spit On Your Celluloid: The History of Women Directing Horror Movies,)
delving into themes, anecdotes, and cultural impact, making the package
a valuable resource for horror and TV scholars.
Dan Curtis expanded his influence into 1970s
television horror and suspense through a series of made-for-TV movies,
many of which aired as part of ABC's Wide World of Mystery
(1973-1976). This late-night anthology program was a eclectic mix of
original productions, repurposed pilots, and feature films, often
broadcast in the 11:30 PM slot to capitalize on the era's appetite for
thrillers and mysteries. One of the most re-watchable 'con' films -
and it has an adventurous psychological edginess. Curtis's
contributions to the series emphasized atmospheric tension,
psychological depth, and supernatural or criminal intrigue, drawing from
his expertise in blending horror with melodrama. Four of his
lesser-known but recently rediscovered entries from 1974 - Shadow of
Fear, The Invasion of Carol Enders, Come Die With Me,
and Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest -exemplify this style. Originally
shot on videotape, these films reflect the constraints of 1970s TV
production: studio-bound sets, soapy dialogue, and a focus on
character-driven suspense rather than high-budget effects. The four TV
Movies explore themes of paranoia, possession, moral corruption,
identity loss, female agency in the face of violence, and the
afterlife's intrusion into the living world, and institutional
injustice, often critiquing societal norms through intimate, domestic
horrors. The films delve into 1970s anxieties about urban decay, marital
distrust, and the fragility of the upper class. There are
giallo-inspired elements - murderous impulses, erotic undertones,
engaging twists and plot reversals. In summary, Kino Cult's
Dan Curtis' Late-Night
Mysteries double Blu-ray is
another worthy archival project that brings four obscure 1970s TV
thrillers back from near-lost status that honor the originals' videotape
roots while improving upon older formats, complemented by insightful
extras / commentaries that enhance appreciation for Curtis's work. There
is also interest in seeing the likes of Claude Akins
(Tarantulas:
The Deadly Cargo,) Tom Selleck (An
Innocent Man,
Runaway,
Daughters of Satan,
Jesse Stone,) Anjanette Comer (The
Appaloosa,) Meredith Baxter (All
the President's Men,) George Maharis (The
Victim,
The Satan Bug,
Night Gallery,) Eileen Brennan (Murder
by Death,) Jim Hutton (Hellfighters,
The Green Berets,
Hallelujah Trail,) and
Mariette Hartley (Counting
For Thunder,
Genesis II,
The Incredible Hulk TV Series,
Columbo,
Ride the High Country,
Marnie.) This
is the definitive edition for these rarities, recommended for fans of
gothic suspense and vintage television, offering hours of content at a
compelling value.
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Menus / Extras
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Blu-ray 2
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE
Shadow of Fear
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The Invasion of Carol Enders
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Come Die With Me
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Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest
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Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from: BONUS CAPTURES: |
Distribution | Kino Cult #36 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |