Me Decade: Movies, TV

[Nucky Nolan]

There are many cool posts about entertainment from the '70s. Unfortunately, a lot of them are in the GNS thread (sinister hijackers!). Maybe we could avoid future drifting by relegating posts about '70s/early '80s movies and TV to this thread. I chose to join the fun here largely because of your recollections.

The memories and nostalgia got to me. The stories about late-night movies, made-for-TV movies, movies of the week, etc. were especially fascinating. Did anybody else watch "The Dark Secret of Harvest Home" with Bette Davis? I couldn't sleep for a week after seeing (no pun) it. The feel and the mood of this film make it scarier than most contemporary suspense-less blood/gore/ooze feasts. I also found Bette Davis to be terrifying in most roles when I was a kid. This movie also had all of the right ingredients (clueless newbies, isolated village, mysterious cult, nighttime ceremonies) for the dated genre. Granted, the pagan cultists didn't worship the devil, but they gave the black-robed chanters a run for their money in sheer strangeness.   

[McPhallus]

The original Incredible Hulk TV series still gets me.  I was too young for the original run, but something about the melancholy 70s landscape portrayed in that show is haunting.  And the sad, laconic piano theme.

[BobGrau]

It's the fackin' Sweeney, innit


Sweeney Arrives

[HorrorRetro]

I've seen "The Dark Secret of Harvest Home." The end is great.  The great thing about the movies from this time is what is NOT seen.  Your imagination is far scarier than any CGI or blatant special effects and makeup.  And other great one is Crowhaven Farm.  It's considered one of the original made-for-TV suspense/horror movies.


The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978) 1/13




Crowhaven Farm (1970) Full movie

[Sardondi]

...I also found Bette Davis to be terrifying in most roles when I was a kid...

Me too. That voice! Those eyes! GET AWAY, EVIL HAG!!! She sort of found a second career in bloodless horror movies like Whatever Happened To Baby Jane, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte and Burnt Offerings. She scared the crap out of me...even as sweet little "Apple Annie" in that 50's movie with Glenn Ford as a heart o' gold gangster, which was usually shown on tv around Christmas. Did not like that lady's thyroid eyes.

[Meggini]

Me too. That voice! Those eyes! GET AWAY, EVIL HAG!!!...

She was beautiful in the 1930's. I was just a little girl when I first saw her old movies on TV and she made quite an impression on me: The Petrified Forest, Jezebel, Dark Victory - to name a few. She was fascinating and strong willed. I didn't think her temper-tantrums were over-the-top because I saw similar scenes every day in elementary school... seemed fairly normal to me. 

But, her later movies... couldn't even imagine it was the same person. It was terrifying on so many levels. Not just because she seemed witchy and murderous... it was a "Is this what we become?" kind of horror.

[Nucky Nolan]

Me too. That voice! Those eyes! GET AWAY, EVIL HAG!!! She sort of found a second career in bloodless horror movies like Whatever Happened To Baby Jane, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte and Burnt Offerings. She scared the crap out of me...even as sweet little "Apple Annie" in that 50's movie with Glenn Ford as a heart o' gold gangster, which was usually shown on tv around Christmas. Did not like that lady's thyroid eyes.

She was in those somewhat scary Disney movies too. She would have done well as a female version of Peter Lorre or Vincent Price. She had the characteristic look, as well as the melodramatic chops.

Kim Carnes: "She's got Betty's thyroid eyes."

[Nucky Nolan]

I've seen "The Dark Secret of Harvest Home." The end is great.  The great thing about the movies from this time is what is NOT seen.  Your imagination is far scarier than any CGI or blatant special effects and makeup.  And other great one is Crowhaven Farm.  It's considered one of the original made-for-TV suspense/horror movies.


The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978) 1/13




Crowhaven Farm (1970) Full movie

Thanks for posting the movies. It seems like a large fraction of these movies were American variations on the "Wicker Man" theme. There's also a possibility that the '70s fictional satanic motifs, from the ones found in everything from "Rosemary's Baby" to a strange episode of "Starsky & Hutch", led to the satanic panic and recovered memories syndrome of the '80s. I know that a lot of cranks used the same template to sell their books and tapes to naive people.

[Sardondi]

If I'm doing mindless stuff online I often like to listen to spoken word streaming or mp3s. Some of the most fun are the BBC Radio sites. My favorite is BBC 4, which concentrates on serialized dramas, including SciFi like Dr. Who, Heinlein or Bradbury, or horror stories from H.P Lovecraft or other classic authors of the genre. It also has comedy or what passes for it in the UK) and documentaries or interviews. Right now they have up a series called "The Price of Fear", which was a series of short spooky radio dramas narrated and often participated in by Vincent Price, from what feels like the 80's. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nt4qh. It's fairly genteel, almost camp - a real throwback to bloodless "horror", but for me it's a real treat. So is the "CBS Mystery Theater", a series of supernatural hour-long radio dramas from the 70's, narrated by E.G. Marshall. http://www.cbsrmt.com/synopsis.html

If you listen while you surf, try it out. It makes for wonderful atmosphere.

*edit* Oh, and about the "bloodless" thing: I just finished the Price program I linked to - it's pretty bloody after all!

[Eddie Coyle]

The original Incredible Hulk TV series still gets me.  I was too young for the original run, but something about the melancholy 70s landscape portrayed in that show is haunting.  And the sad, laconic piano theme.

            Perhaps the most depressing show aimed at kids, ever. It was on Friday nights at 8, followed by Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas, circa 1979, CBS basically dominating the ratings on that night.

          That's a huge diffence between now and then. Shows put on Friday/Saturday night nowadays are marked for death.

[Ben Shockley]

...Did anybody else watch "The Dark Secret of Harvest Home"...?

Yes, and at age 12 upon original release on NBC, the combination of the adult "sinister local" woman who vamped the male protagonist, and the kid Tracey Gold, hit me just right.

[Ben Shockley]

            Dallas-- CBS basically dominating the ratings on that night.

Coyle, I know you love the date-specific memories.   I remember the night that the "Dallas" opener came on; a Sunday night when I and my family came back from a trip to the Florida Gulf coast.   Despite the fact that you were 1 or 2 at the time, I'm sure you know the exact date without research 

          That's a huge diffence between now and then. Shows put on Friday/Saturday night nowadays are marked for death.

It's happened before.  It's how NBC ultimately killed "Star Trek" back in the day, when they were goddamn determined that THAT was not going to be on THEIR air, fan mail be damned, DAMN IT!

[Eddie Coyle]

Coyle, I know you love the date-specific memories.   I remember the night that the "Dallas" opener came on; a Sunday night when I and my family came back from a trip to the Florida Gulf coast.   Despite the fact that you were 1 or 2 at the time, I'm sure you know the exact date without research 

         Sunday Night, April 2, 1978. 10pm. I was 2. My mother watched anything resembling a soap opera* and my nascent insomnia had begun. I remember it being hyped on things like The Mike Douglas show throughout March.

           Funny, as I typed that it struck me that my mother was all of 21 at the time. That doesn't really hit you until...you're way past 21, I guess.

[Sardondi]

When I was growing up Friday and Saturday nights were huge TV nights. No longer.

         Sunday Night, April 2, 1978. 10pm. I was 2. My mother watched anything resembling a soap opera and my nascent insomnia had begun. I remember it being hyped on things like The Mike Douglas show throughout March.

Heh.

[Ben Shockley]

         Sunday Night, April 2, 1978. 10pm. I was 2 . My mother watched anything resembling a soap opera and my nascent insomnia had begun. I remember it being hyped on things like The Mike Douglas show throughout March.

You stretch credulity.
Lately I've been reviewing "The Waltons" on Hallmark and INSP; it was also originally on CBS.  At a certain point in the late '70s, it became less a "Depression / WW2 period piece" and more an evening soap opera.   Like your mom liked -- so did my parents.   And, no coincidence that the name Lee Rich appeared in the credits of "The Waltons," as he would be in "Dallas."

[Ben Shockley]

When I was growing up Friday and Saturday nights were huge TV nights. No longer.
Heh.

When there were 3 networks, there was almost more on TV than you could watch.  All the networks had original movies every week-- usually twice a week-- and most of those were better than most of the multi-millions hype-monsters in theaters today.  Most series starred people who were known stars and respected household names.
I sound like my father now, bitching that everything now costs more than in 1947, but it's true.

[Sardondi]

When there were 3 networks, there was almost more on TV than you could watch.  All the networks had original movies every week-- usually twice a week-- and most of those were better than most of the multi-millions hype-monsters in theaters today.  Most series starred people who were known stars and respected household names.

So true. Plus today we've trained ourselves to be easily dissatisfied, primarily because we have too many choices, which drives us crazy that "something better might be on somewhere else".

....I sound like my father now, bitching that everything now costs more than in 1947, but it's true.

And you will sound more and more like him as the years pass. It is the revenge of our forbears.

[Eddie Coyle]

You stretch credulity.

        No kidding. Why the shrinks love me part 783.

       Shrink...  "Do you remember our conversation from March 16, 2003?"

       Coyle      "No, March 16, 2003 was a Sunday I don't see you then, and if you mean March 18, 2003...yes, I remember the gist of it"

[Eddie Coyle]

Lately I've been reviewing "The Waltons" on Hallmark and INSP; it was also originally on CBS.  At a certain point in the late '70s, it became less a "Depression / WW2 period piece" and more an evening soap opera.   Like your mom liked -- so did my parents.   And, no coincidence that the name Lee Rich appeared in the credits of "The Waltons," as he would be in "Dallas."

         I remember "The Waltons" being aired in re-runs on WCVB in Boston at 4pm for years on end, I don't recall ever watching a full episode. All of those "Americana" programs were foreign to me, I was more apt to choose the Sweathogs or Rerun bootlegging the Doobie Brothers.

[Ben Shockley]

        No kidding. Why the shrinks love me part 783.
       Shrink...  "Do you remember our conversation from March 16, 2003?"
       Coyle      "No, March 16, 2003 was a Sunday I don't see you then, and if you mean March 18, 2003...yes, I remember the gist of it"

My last time seeing a psychologist-- I just sidetracked him by bringing up movies, such as "The Dirty Dozen" (sorry, a '60s movie) and the role of the supposed "psychologist" (who wore Infantry brass) in that movie.
I have been told, a few times, that psychologists' testing instruments, their education, and their "therapy" methods just aren't "normed" toward a person like me.  Sort of pointless, so I had to take the lead and keep the time from being totally wasted.

[Eddie Coyle]

My last time seeing a psychologist-- I just sidetracked him by bringing up movies, such as "The Dirty Dozen" (sorry, a '60s movie) and the role of the supposed "psychologist" (who wore Infantry brass) in that movie.
I have been told, a few times, that psychologists' testing instruments and their education just isn't "normed" toward a person like me.  Sort of pointless, so I have to take the lead and keep the time from being totally wasted.

And by bringing up movies, they'll hang a "dissociative disorder" label on you. Clearly the subject is into escapism...I'm fairly certain that a young Coyle would be labeled autistic these days. The kid who prefers to read,write and do numbers games than fingerpaint is clearly a kook. Get him away from the others before they pick up those bad habits.

           Using my 70's movies references...I was Bad Ronald/The Boy in Plastic Bubble/Sybil and Rodney Allen Rippy rolled into one.

[BobGrau]

It also has comedy or what passes for it in the UK)

Comedy doesn't seem to work well on radio for some reason, but I highly recommend Just a Minute, The Unbelievable Truth, and So Wrong It's Right

[HorrorRetro]

Speaking of The Waltons, does anyone remember the poltergeist episode? 

The Waltons - Poltergeist




Since the Night Stalker episode "The Trevi Collection" was mentioned several times in the other thread, I thought I'd post a link to it. 


The Trevi Collection 1/4

[Eddie Coyle]

 
       This is a 1970's movie...gone very wrong in 1986.

       I was in 5th Grade and the Boston Police had an anti-drug program every other week. The Friday before spring vacation(April 18...I had to) we were subjected to a movie. The well meaning cop chose "A Hero Ain't Nuthin But A Sandwich" from 1978. He didn't grasp that he was in the most notoriously racist part of the city...anyways, the movie begins- and almost immediately, one of my classmates yells out..

            "Hey's it that fag nigger from Revenge of the Nerds...Lamar!"

        The next 80 minutes or so was chaos. "Who cares if they die", type of comments. And endless Lamar impersonations. The cop was pissed. The teachers were pissed.

          We wouldn't be allowed another movie until "Amazing Grace and Chuck" in 1988...and that didn't go over well either.

[Ben Shockley]

     And by bringing up movies, they'll hang a "dissociative disorder" label on you. Clearly the subject is into escapism...

Nah, in my case, I was/am real effusive in talking about analysis of the movies, thereby indicating that I know they are separate from "reality."
And at the risk of dissociating, I'll see you folks later ~ 

[Sardondi]

       I was in 5th Grade and the Boston Police had an anti-drug program every other week.....

"This week, on a very special 'ABC After School Special'..."

[Eddie Coyle]

"This week, on a very special 'ABC After School Special'..."

Usually on Wednesdays, and depending on the latest fad/scare. Usually full of anachronisms,despite being current.

        Let us not forget the sunday 6am stand-by....Insight. And Warren Oates would be an alkie workaholic who beats his wife or something.

[Meggini]

If I'm doing mindless stuff online I often like to listen to spoken word streaming or mp3s. Some of the most fun are the BBC Radio sites. My favorite is BBC 4, which concentrates on serialized dramas, including SciFi like Dr. Who, Heinlein or Bradbury, or horror stories from H.P Lovecraft or other classic authors of the genre. It also has comedy or what passes for it in the UK) and documentaries or interviews. Right now they have up a series called "The Price of Fear", which was a series of short spooky radio dramas narrated and often participated in by Vincent Price, from what feels like the 80's. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nt4qh. It's fairly genteel, almost camp - a real throwback to bloodless "horror", but for me it's a real treat. So is the "CBS Mystery Theater", a series of supernatural hour-long radio dramas from the 70's, narrated by E.G. Marshall. http://www.cbsrmt.com/synopsis.html

If you listen while you surf, try it out. It makes for wonderful atmosphere.

*edit* Oh, and about the "bloodless" thing: I just finished the Price program I linked to - it's pretty bloody after all!

I'll have to try those. I listen to Old Time Radio a lot when I'm working or just playing solitaire. Some of the shows/episodes are really good and sometimes they're heavy on the organ music and canned sound effects.

My Go-to channels...
Roswell UFO Radio
American Comedy OTR
Don't Touch That Dial (Recommend the shows on Terror Tuesdays for this crowd)
http://audionoir.com/ 100% Hardboiled OTR
http://theater13.net/ Beyond the Extraordinary
http://www.oxfordclassicradio.com/ OTR Mystery & Adventure
http://www.horror-theatre.com/ Something Terrible Always Happens! OTR

If George is really getting you down, you could do worse than giving one if these a try. Like 70's movies, the histrionics and slang can be funny even while the story keeps you... in Suspense (brought to you by Roma Wines) 

[Sardondi]

.....I listen to Old Time Radio a lot when I'm working or just playing solitaire.....

Guilty. Doing just that, while embarrassingly wasteful of time, is my happy place. And thanks for the links!

[Jasmine]

Sweet mother of Satan, how come it took me so long to realize someone started this fantastic thread!?

I've posted numerous entries about 70's made-for-TV-thriller/suspense films over in Noory's General Store. I plead guilty to hijacking!

Soooo....I'll start off here and reiterate by posting this 1970 made-for-TV film, produced by Aaron Spelling, and starring Barbara Stanwyck. The House That Would Not Die

"Aimeeee! Coooooome hoooooome!

Enjoy!

The House That Would Not Die (Full Movie) (1970)


The House That Would Not Die - Barbara Stanwyck (1970) Full movie