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the audience applauded

Simply Perfect

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

I am not sure if this is the right movie, so this may or may not be a spoiler-type of question. Is this the one where a body is in a crate of some kind and Ruth Gordon chops off his foot because it is sticking out? I have vague memories from when I was a kid, and if, indeed, that is this particular film, I loved it! Thanks in advance for your help!

"Isn't it Shocking?" is a low-keyed and inconspicuous TV-movie that greatly benefices from a terrific ensemble cast, an unusual but nevertheless intriguing premise and a script full of witty jokes and fun dialogues (and this in sheer contrast to the sober subject matter). This was one of the many legendary "ABC Movies of the Week" that were especially produced for cable-TV during the early seventies, and I have yet to encounter one of those that isn't worth tracking down. I was born in the wrong decade and the wrong continent in order to enjoy this series on actual television, but thanks to the modern wonders such as You Tube these old TV-movies still find their way to new fans. The story takes place in a small American town called Mount Angel, where in a short period of time three senior citizens – including the deputy Sheriff – die from seemingly ordinary heart failures that nevertheless raise the suspicion of Sheriff Dan. At the beginning of the film we witness how a strange and also elderly man comes to town and kills his first victim with a portable device that induces the heart failure. So the viewer knows the killer's identity immediately, but it's up to Sheriff Dan and his gossipy assistant Blanche to figure out why these gentle old folks are knocked off. They discover that all victims graduated together in the class of '28 so perhaps something sinister happened back then. It always amazes me how those modest ABC movies managed to rely on such acclaimed and respected actors and actresses! "Isn't it Shocking?" stars class players like Alan Alda ("MASH", "The Mephisto Waltz") and Edmond O'Brien ("The Wild Bunch", "Fantastic Voyage"), but also a splendid supportive cast including Louise Lasser, Will Greer and Ruth Gordon (as a character that may perhaps have inspired the "Crazy Cat Lady" from "The Simpsons"). This was also one of the first directorial efforts of John Badham, who would later make a handful of action favorites like "Blue Thunder", "Stakeout" and "Nick of Time". There's one remarkably spectacular sequence involving a battle with cars (!) but what I really liked most were the smooth jokes and sly interactions between the lead characters. Fun movie!

I've found, after seeing a dozen or so of them, that made for TV seventies horror flicks are generally good for seventy minutes of entertainment. This one looked really good considering the comments about it, so I hoped that I'd be in for one of the better ones; however, that wasn't the case. It's not that this is a bad film, but it's not all that good either and certainly isn't one of the better made for TV movies from the seventies that I've seen. The plot is interesting enough, and focuses on a small town where a bunch of old people are dying. There are certain similarities between the deaths, and it leads Sheriff Dan Barnes (Alan Alda) to investigate. The plot plods along at a relaxing pace, and there's not a great deal of suspense or interest, which is a bit of a surprise since director John Badham would go on to make the very suspenseful thriller 'Nick of Time'...though that was twenty two years later. The small town setting provides a good place for the film to take place, but this isn't taken advantage of to any notable extent, and the film simply boils down to a simple ending. Overall, this film isn't terrible; but it's not great either, and I can't really recommend bothering to track it down.

There have been a number of excellent films about murder and mayhem occurring in small towns. "They Only Kill Their Masters, "Sherlock Holmes & The Scarlet Claw", "Winter Kills", and "Five Card Stud" come to mind, and this 1973 ABC movie-of-the-week has got to be one of the very best ever made.An increase in the death rate among the older residents of a small New England community is initially labeled as being due to natural causes. But something about it doesn't feel right to Daniel Barnes, the local chief of police. Barnes, (excellently played by Alan Alda) refuses to believe the official findings and begins an investigation to prove there's something rotten going on in his little town. The excellent supporting cast includes Will Geer as a nicotine addicted coroner, Louise Lasser of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" fame as the police station's wise-cracking receptionist, and Ruth Gordon cast to type as a dotty old lady who may be in danger of becoming the next senior to sign off. Directed by John Badham of "WarGames" fame, the film maintains a superb balance between both the story's darker aspects and the folksy charm of the familial setting and characters. The method of murder alluded to in the movie's title is refreshingly unique and the film's tense climax features some surprising character revelation. There's even an action-packed car chase that, appropriate to the film's setting, takes place in a corn field. Lane Slate's script is as funny as it is intriguing, and he clearly has a great feel for small town characters. The undeclared courtship between Alda and his receptionist, Lasser, is particularly fun to watch as they joke and natter away about bird watching and other mundane things because neither is willing to risk declaring to the other their true feelings. It's as endearing as it is amusing and the chemistry between these two actors is remarkable. David Shire's score effectively captures the feel of the rural setting while injecting the right note of menace to reflect the darker and at times melancholy aspects of the story.ABC Movies Of The Week were quickly shot and a mere 90 minutes in length, but for some reason the 2 hour TV-movies we get today seldom approach the quality of a little classic like this, and that truly is shocking.