Richard Matheson Movies

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

Driving down a deserted Southern California highway at a safe and sane 55 miles per hour, David Mann (Dennis Weaver) steps on the pedal to pass a large gas trailer truck. Moments later, the truck is back, dangerously tailgating Mann before abruptly cutting him off. For the next 90 minutes, Mann and the never-seen truckdriver are pitted against one another in a motorized duel to the death. Author Richard Matheson conceived Duel after a similar experience with a reckless trucker. The story first appeared in Playboy magazine, then was picked up for adaptation by the producers of The ABC Movie of the Week. The director chosen to helm Duel on location in Soledad Canyon was a bright 23-year-old who'd shown promise on such series as Night Gallery and Columbo: Steven Spielberg. First telecast on December 18, 1971, Duel was so popular that a somewhat longer version (with added violence and profanity) was prepared for theatrical release in 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Keir Dullea dives into a bevy of babes with an open wine bottle as the notorious Marquis de Sade in this low-budget debauch from American International Pictures -- purveyors of fine entertainment morsels for the connoisseur. The film takes place as an extended flashback after de Sade has escaped from a madhouse and taken refuge in the dilapidated mansion where he was reared. In his flashback, de Sade recalls how the Abbe de Sade (John Huston) used to have a maid whip him until he began to like it. Of course, after that, the next step down the primrose path was flagellation and orgies. Finally sent to a French jail for lewd behavior, de Sade begins to write anti-government creeds to while away the hours. After his release, he is compelled to marry the repulsive Renee de Montreuil (Anna Massey). De Sade goes along with the marriage in order to get closer to her sister Anne (Senta Berger). In spite of that, de Sade continues to seek out various forms of softcore sex. But then the Black Plague hits. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

In this sci-fi film a loony farmer finds a prehistoric monster hiding in a cavern on his land. To feed his newest critter, the farmer kidnaps three people. The three desperately try to escape and finally, one of them succeeds. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Thanks to a freak accident involving the Enterprise's transporter device, Captain Kirk is split into two separate bodies, each with its own personality, in this installment of the popular television series. The two Kirks represent opposite aspects of the Captain's personality: one who is aggressive, forceful, and callous, the other caring, sympathetic, but also indecisive and weak. The two men vie for control of the ship, leaving the Enterprise without a definite commander. Meanwhile, the rest of the landing party, led by Sulu, remains stranded on the planet's surface until the transporter can be repaired. Spock, Scotty, and the others must find a way to reunite the halves of Kirk's personality and rescue the others before nightfall arrives, bringing with it extreme cold that could mean the landing party's death. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

This Hammer film production is a surprisingly frightening horror thriller and a hoot-fest for lovers of over-the-top acting. Young Pat Carroll (Stefanie Powers) goes to the home of her dead fiancé to meet his beloved mother, Mrs. Trefoile (Tallulah Bankhead). There, she discovers that Mrs. Trefoile is not the loving mother she had anticipated, but rather a grieving psychopath who blames Pat for the death of her son. Tallulah Bankhead, in her last film, has never been know for her subtle acting, but in this she lets go of all restraint and gives a performance equal to that of Bette Davis in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Her maniacal intensity is comic, camp, and surprisingly effective. Stefanie Powers, who underplays her role, is a great contrast as the puzzled and then terrified Pat. This movie is a must-see for all lovers of camp horror movies or fans of the memorable Tallulah Bankhead. Die! Die! My Darling! was also released as Fanatic. ~ Linda Rasmussen, 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

In a post-epidemic nightmare world, scientist Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) is the only man immune to the plague which has transformed the entire population of the Earth into vampire-like creatures. He becomes the monster slayer that vampire-society fears. Curing one of them, Ruth (Franca Bettoja), with a transfusion of his blood gives him hope for the future. It is a short future, however, since the other vampires quickly find and kill him. This dark tale, based on Richard Matheson's even darker novel "I Am Legend," was later remade as The Omega Man with Charlton Heston in the Vincent Price role. ~ Lucinda Ramsey, All Movie Guide

Scripted by Richard Matheson from his own short story, this episode stars 13-year-old Ann Jillian as the title character, a nonverbal young girl named Ilse Nielsen. Apparently the sole survivor of a fire, Ilse is unofficially adopted by Harry and Cora Wheeler (Frank Overton and Barbara Baxley), who cannot understand why such an intelligent child lacks the power of speech. What the viewer knows, but the Wheelers don't, is that Ilsa is telepathic, raised by telepathic parents -- and her special powers may cause her more harm than good. This 60-minute Twilight Zone episode was first seen on January 31, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cited by many aficionados as the all-time best Twilight Zone episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" benefits immeasurably from a bravura performance by star William Shatner. While travelling through rough weather on a passenger plane, former mental patient Bob Wilson (Shatner) peers out of his window -- and sees a hideous gremlin balanced on the plane's wing. Doubting his own sanity, Bob tries to convince himself that he is merely hallucinating. . .and then the gremlin begins to tear the wing apart. Adapted by Richard Matheson from his own short story, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" was originally telecast October 11, 1963. The basic story was later incorporated into the omnibus theatrical feature Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) and has since been mercilessly lampooned in TV comedy series ranging from The Simpsons to 3rd Rock from the Sun. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although Roger Corman narrowly managed to avoid self-mockery in his pulpy, flamboyant adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe tales, it appears that the director chose this opportunity to let loose with outright parody; the result is a wonderfully entertaining romp with tongue planted firmly in cheek. The first screen teaming of legendary horror stars Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, and Peter Lorre -- later billed as "The Triumvirate of Terror" -- this so-called "adaptation" uses Poe's most famous poem as a springboard for Grand Guignol comedy from scriptwriter Richard Matheson. Melancholy magician Erasmus Craven (Price), having recently relinquished his membership in the Brotherhood of Sorcerers after the apparent death of his wife Lenore (Hazel Court), is paid a visit by a foul-mouthed talking raven, claiming to be small-time wizard Adolphus Bedlo (Lorre). After some persuasion, Craven returns Bedlo to human form, reversing a spell placed by the evil Dr. Scarabus (Karloff), Craven's chief rival. After learning that a woman bearing a strong likeness to Lenore was seen in the Doctor's company, Craven accompanies Bedlo to Scarabus' castle, where the resulting battle of wills escalates into all-out magical warfare between the two embittered sorcerers. Corman and company relished the opportunity to poke fun at the staid Poe series, and the distinguished leads contribute to the spirit of fun by lampooning their own cinematic reputations. Fans of Jack Nicholson (who cut his acting teeth on this and other AIP productions) should enjoy his melodramatic performance here as Bedlo's straight-arrow son; Nicholson would later co-star with Karloff in Corman's The Terror, which was shot in two days using the same sets! ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

According to this Richard Matheson-scripted Twilight Zone episode, there is such a thing as too much nostalgia. While visiting his childhood home with his new wife Virginia (Phyllis Thaxter), Alex Walker (Alex Nicol) begins exulting over the artifiacts of his youth -- toys, books, clothes, and the like. What Virginia doesn't know until it's too late is that Alex has fallen under the spell of his late mother (Helen Brown), who intends to reclaim her "little boy" at any cost. The ending is hardly satisfactory, but this cannot be blamed on Matheson, who had an entirely different (and infinitely more suitable) denoument in mind. "Young Man's Fancy" was originally telecast May 11, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide