When I heard that the movie industry was reviving Carl Kolchak as The Night Stalker, I could not wait for the release date. Oh! I was so excited, because since this first Kolchak movie in 1971, he was my hero. He was who I really wanted to grow up to be like. Then when The Night Stalker became a television series, the world had to stop for me to watch every episode. For the younger baby boomers, Kolchak became an icon.

The day arrived for delivery of the new Kolchak. I was giddy ... until I started watching the movie. Then I wanted to cry. I felt as if I were watching an old friend die -- a wickedly horrible death in every conceivable manner. Thus, I felt as if I owed it to all the cast and crew of the original to provide a review of their original. I also wanted the younger generation to understand why we baby boomers were so "Kolchak crazy." After watching the "modern" version, I know that they must be wondering why we loved The Night Stalker.

As you watch this movie, consider the screen chemistry between the characters. It is almost magical, down to the slightest subtleties, such as the significance of the coroner being younger than the other authorities. Though they never come right out and say it, they show that his younger age creating a certain lack of respect or reduced authority.

Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) is a too-smart-(mouthed)-for-his-own-good reporter who has a permanent parking space on his editor's last nerve. So managing editor Anthony Albert Vincenzo (Simon Oakland), of the Las Vegas Daily News, goes out of his way to make Kolchak's life rough.

Vincenzo calls Kolchak back from a long-overdue vacation to cover a run-of-the-mill murder. Kolchak is more than a little irritated until more murders follow with the same details: beautiful young woman, strange neck wound, death caused by shock secondary to blood loss.

When the hospital's blood supply is stolen, Kolchak is quick to deduce that the killer thinks he is a vampire. He is equally quick to find himself on the receiving end of the wrath of Sheriff Warren Butcher (Claude Akin). Everybody wants to suppress the story. District Attorney Paine (Kent Smith) wants to kick Kolchak's pushy tushy right out of town. The only person to agree with Kolchak is the coroner, Dr. Robert Makurji (Larry Linville).

The murders and blood raids continue, but the police come up with a name for the killer: Janos Skorzeny (Barry Atwater). Kolchak wants the story, so when a friend, Mickey Crawford (Elisha Cook Jr.) locates Skorzeny's house, Kolchak throws caution to the wind and winds up neck deep in all kinds of trouble.

The makeup crew did an outstanding job and the stunts were nice. I like the sets and the camera work. Both add to the suspense. The vampire's house gives you the creeps. You expect all manner of demons to be lurking in the shadows and behind every door.

There is not one weak performance out of this entire cast. They are all phenomenal! It has often been said that this was the perfect cast.

The story is solid and flows nicely. It kicks into high gear at the very beginning and never slows down. It holds your attention all the way through and the suspense near the end is all but unbearable.

The Night Stalker was followed by The Night Strangler, then it became a series called Kolchak: The Night Stalker. This television series based each segment upon a creature or entity from folklore or history -- something you could actually research and reference. I own and highly recommend the series.