Rating: - David Norliss: The Night Stalker
Watching "The Norliss Tapes" reminded me of watching "Karl Kolchak: The Night Stalker." Not surprising since both were directed by Dan Curtis who also helmed the landmark gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows." He also directed numerous gothic telehorror masterpieces such as "The Night Stalker," "The Night Strangler," and "Trilogy of Terror."

Let the viewer be warned that "The Norliss Tapes" is a made for television movie that was a pilot for a series that never happened. Its ending led the viewer to believe that the story would be concluded in the first episode of the series. Alas, we will never know what happened to David Norliss (Roy Thinnes).

Angie Dickinson of Brian DePalma's "Dressed to Kill" is wonderful as the wife who is terrorized by her dead husband in his studio. (He looks very similar to the vampire Barnabas Collins of "Dark Shadows.") Norliss investigates the apparition which has a connection to a string of murders where victims are drained of blood.

"Norliss Tapes" is a suspenseful occult telehorror from Dan Curtis. Unfortunately, the ending is disappointing in its abruptness and lack of resolution. I like an open ending but I felt as though twenty minutes were missing. Commentary from Curtis would've been nice; maybe he could've explained future plans he had for the series. As it was, the DVD lacked special features except for a few trailers. Furthermore, the makeup appeared dated and there were innumerable plot holes. "The Norliss Tapes" is recommended only for die hard fans of Curtis' works.

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