Richard Matheson Movies

Eddie Murphy stars in this new incarnation of Richard Matheson's classic adventure, this time portrayed with a comic slant in the tale of a magician who must break a shrinking hex that's been thrown on him before he grows so small that he ceases to exist. The Reno 911! screenwriting duo of Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant provide the script, with Brett Ratner taking on directing duties. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Having married the "perfect" woman, Norman Glass looks forward to his first wedding anniversary with affectionate anticipation. So lucky does Norman consider himself that he has completely forgotten that his wife, Ady (Michelle Sutton), had previously been married to man who died under mysterious circumstances. But on the day of the anniversary celebration, Norman suddenly and inexplicably finds his wife to be thoroughly repugnant -- a phenomenon that repeats itself with Norman and Ady's best friends, who were married on exactly the same day one year earlier. Based on a story by Richard Matheson, "First Anniversary" originally aired on February 16, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Everyone who tuned into The Martian Chronicles during its three-day run in January of 1980 sincerely hoped that it would be the ne plus ultra of televised sci-fi/fantasy. That it fell short of this goal was not the fault of the actors but of the script, which reduced Ray Bradbury's complex original work into typical TV-movie banality. Further hurting the project were the special effects, which fluctuate between the heights of the original Star Trek and the depth of Lost in Space. All there parts of The Martian Chronicles have been amalgamated into one overlong feature film on videocassette.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A perfectly coherent Richard Matheson script is muddied by Gordon Hessler's kaleidoscopic direction in the made-for-TV The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver. Karen Black plays the title role, a dowdy, downtrodden housewife plagued by recurring nightmares. Seeking an escape from her stifling lifestyle, Black dons a blonde wig, garish makeup, and a new identity. But it turns out that the woman Black pretends to be may actually exist--and may have more than a passing knowledge of the Occult. Karen Black's fingernails-on-the-blackboard performance is but one of many detriments to the full enjoyment of Strang Possession of Mrs. Oliver. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this made-for-TV horror showcase, Karen Black plays four separate roles in three successive tales written or based on the works of venerable genre writer Richard Matheson. In "Julie," Black portrays a prim college literature instructor who engages in a debauched affair with one of her students after he drugs, date-rapes, and blackmails her into submission; here and in the other stories, however, things aren't what they seem. "Millicent and Therese" features the actress in two roles as good sister/bad sister twins who use witchcraft to settle their sexual and moral differences. In the final and most famous segment, "Amelia," Black plays a spinster with an insufferable mother who sublets a high-rise apartment in the city in order to find romantic freedom. When she purchases a Zuni fetish warrior doll as a present for her anthropology-professor beau, it comes to life and chases her around the flat with considerable tenacity. A failed pilot for a horror anthology series, Trilogy of Terror first appeared on ABC in 1975 and subsequently gained a devoted cult following. Black originally didn't want to participate, but agreed after her husband, Robert Burton, was cast in the role of the date-raping blackmailer. Although the actress has appeared in numerous subsequent horror films, it was her indelible quadruple roles here that inspired cult New York rockers the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black. The film also allegedly inspired the 1984 horror-blaxploitation flick Black Devil Doll From Hell. A belated sequel, Trilogy of Terror 2, also from former Dark Shadows director Dan Curtis, followed in 1996. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

This French film noir stars Alain Delon as a lawyer who thought he'd heard everything. But even Delon is not fully prepared for the cold, calculating manner of his beautiful client Mireille Darc. With sociopathic aplomb, Darc has been quietly killing every man who has ever gotten close to her. Delon is aware of the danger, but this doesn't stop him from becoming fascinated with Darc himself. Directed by George Lautner, a man normally associated with tongue-in-cheek spy capers, Icy Breasts was released in France as Les Seins de Glace. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dick Van Dyke put his image and his career on the line with this searing TV movie about a "social drinker" who becomes a full-fledged alcoholic. Van Dyke plays a loving husband and father with a solid job and an excellent reputation, who blows it all with his excessive drinking. His wife (Lynn Carlin) tries to be supportive, but even she throws in the towel as Van Dyke's illness worsens. The film refuses to cop out with a happy ending, leaving Van Dyke as low as he can get short of sleeping in the gutter. Morning After was something of a public "A.A." testimonial for Dick Van Dyke, who had recently come to grips with his own real-life alcoholism. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Night Strangler is the sequel to the enormously successful 1972 TV movie The Night Stalker. Darren McGavin returns as seedy reporter Carl Kolchak, who previously ran into conflict when Las Vegas authorities refused to acknowledge Kolchak's uncovering of a modern-day vampire. Now he's in Seattle, on the trail of a mysterious strangler who drains the blood of his victims. Kolchak's quest takes him to a hidden underground city beneath Seattle and the bizarre residents therein. Margaret Hamilton (The Wizard of Oz) is seen briefly as an expert on alchemy; John Carradine also makes cameo. The success of this telemovie and its predecessor inspired a brief 1974 TV series, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, also starring McGavin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Seedy newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) is assigned the Las Vegas police beat by his boss Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland). A series of murders has been plaguing the Glitter Capital; the victims, all beautiful showgirls, have had the blood drained from their bodies. Kolchak can't understand why the authorities are so uncooperative as he probes the case. Nor can he believe the evidence he's gleaned on his own: There can't possibly be a Dracula-like vampire stalking Las Vegas, or can there? Adapted by Richard Matheson from a novel by Jeff Rice, The Night Stalker debuted January 11, 1972 - -and on that fateful evening, this thriller became the highest-rated TV movie up to its time, as well as an instant cult classic. The film spawned a popular sequel, The Night Strangler (1972), and a 1974 TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Adapted by Richard Matheson from a novel by Dennis Wheatley, The Devil Rides Out admirably adopts a restrained approach to its horrific material. Christopher Lee plays a French nobleman, Duc De Richeleau, who is worried sick over the bizarre behavior of his friend Simon (Patrick Mower). Richeleau has every reason to be concerned: unless drastic measures are taken, Simon will lose his soul to Satan within three days. Two black masses are performed (one a bizarre Felliniesque orgy), but neither satiate the Devil's appetite. As the story races to its climax, it looks as though Richeleau's own niece (Rosalyn Landor) will have to be sacrificed. The film's best moments belong to Charles Gray, playing the charming, hypnotic leader of the devil cult which holds Simon in its thrall. The Devil Rides Out was released in the U.S. as The Devil's Bride. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this WW II drama a naive group of men join the military to fight for their country, never anticipating the horrifying realities of war. One of them is mortified at first, but then turns into a heartless killer. His sergeant reprimands him for shooting a surrendering German. Later he proves himself worthy by risking his neck to save the sergeant. Afterwards the two become life-long friends. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

UNCLE agents April Dancer and Mark Slate try to persuade Professor Antrum (Sidney Blackmer) to guide them to the lost continent of Atlantis, there to harvest some laser crystals coveted by both UNCLE and THRUSH. In the course of events, April ends up in Central America, where she is made the reluctant guest of eccentric Honore Le Gallows (Claude Woolman), who imagines that he is living in the 17th century. Ultimately, April is forced into a fencing match with the nimble-wristed Monsieur LeGallows. Khigh Deigh, who later played Wo Fat on Hawaii Five-O, is somewhat incongruously cast as Col. Frank Faber. Written by the legendary Richard Matheson, "The Atlantis Affair" originally aired on November 15, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A typical "wrinkle in time" drama from the pen of Richard Matheson, this episode opens as young heiress Anne Henderson (Diana Hyland), taking a horseback ride near her family estate, is suddenly pursued by a witch-like rider dressed in black. This terrifying experience has no effect on Anne's determination to defy her parents' wishes and elope with irresponsible David Mitchell (Robert Hogan). As it turns out, Anne would have been wise to regard the mysterious horsewoman as a portent of disaster. This extremely intense Twilight Zone episode was originally broadcast on February 21, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide