Watch The Norliss Tapes For Free

Strong and Moving!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

In THE NORLISS TAPES, David Norliss (Roy Thinnes) was supposed to write a book, debunking the supernatural. Instead, after a year, he hasn't written a word, and has dropped from sight. When his friend and publisher, Sanford Evans (Don Porter) goes to his home, he finds the titular tapes. These recordings chronicle the dark adventure that Norliss found himself caught up in. When a woman named Ellen Cort (Angie Dickinson) comes to him w/ a bizarre tale of undead horror, Norliss is skeptical but intrigued. It seems that Mrs. Cort had a visitation from her husband (Nick Dimitri), who was supposed to be entombed in the family crypt at the time! Meanwhile, a series of deaths take place, with the victims completely drained of blood. The local sheriff (Claude Akins) will entertain no such foolishness. As he digs into the case, Norliss becomes convinced that something supernatural could be going on, concerning a mystic (Vonetta McGee), a ring, and a very hellish statue. Can Norliss find a way to stop the late Mr. Cort, before he ushers in something truly terrible? Riding high following the success of THE NIGHT STALKER / STRANGLER, this made-for-TV movie is producer / director, Dan Curtis proving once again why he ruled 70's tele-horror!...

"The Norliss Tapes" is a TV movie that was originally intended as a pilot for a TV series--one that never materialized. Dan Curtis (who created the original "Dark Shadows" and made some great monster films in the 70s) was shopping this show as well as "Kolchak" (with Darren McGavin) at around the same time. Both shows were essentially the same sort of thing--with very few differences. Curtis made two Kolchak pilots, re-arranged the show and made Norliss. Oddly, "The Norliss Tapes" aired only a few weeks after the second Kolchak film ("The Night Strangler"). Perhaps he was just trying to cover all the bases. Soon Kolchak was okayed by ABC and aired as a series for one season. Both involved writers who investigated so-called monsters--and in each, the monsters turned out to be true! The only major difference was that Norliss was a darker show--with a less comedic style.This one begins with a writer, David Norliss (Roy Thinnes) disappearing. His publisher is worried and all they find are a stack of cassette tapes. When the publisher places one of the tapes in the cassette player, the story begins. Presumably, had the show been picked up, each episode would have been a flashback instigated by the playing of yet another of these tapes.The monster in this one is a dead man. His zombie body returns--and naturally scares the crap out of his wife (Angie Dickenson) when it tears his dog to pieces and tries to kill her. However, no one believes her and the only one who will listen is Norliss--and at first he doesn't believe her. Not surprisingly, the local sheriff (Claude Akins) doesn't believe her stories about a giant smurf-like zombie! What does some magic ring have to do with this and how can Norliss help her? I would say that this show wasn't quite as enjoyable as the two Kolchak pilots ("The Night Stalker" and "The Night Strangler")--but it is quite enjoyable in a campy way. Worth a look to see what might have been.

It's not often that I'm left unimpressed by cult programmes or films. "The Norliss Tapes", however, is an exception to the rule. Had I watched this made-for-television pilot at a tender age in the '70s, I would have no doubt been impressed by the creepy goings on. Watching this today, the production is poor and uninspiring. Blue faced vampires that make strange roaring noises do not make thrilling or chilling television. Fans may argue that this pilot is original for its time. Compared to the '70s plays by Nigel Kneale, this is horror by numbers. It lacks any real drama or substance. Even the presence of Angie Dickinson couldn't save this turkey.In short, this is best avoided - a waste of 80 minutes.

I ordered this hard-to-find show on eBay and got an excellent copy of it. I'd been literally waiting years to finally watch the TV show that had left the greatest impression of terror on me since childhood. I mean, I wasn't let down when I acquired a DVD of Trilogy of Terror with Karen Black; that last episode with the freaky doll still creeped me out... kinda.Well, last night I sat down, put the disc in my trusty old DVD player , and -- uh, found it to be a less-than-horrific experience. Of course I knew it wasn't going to have the same sort of effect on me that it did back then, so I prepared myself for a bit of disappointment.It was okay I guess, and considering I'm much older and can follow the storyline infinitely better than I did when I was 9 helps too. I liked the shots of the Bay Area and the Pacific coastline, and a young and lovely Angie Dickenson is always easy on the eyes, but still -- I wasn't even so much as mildly surprised throughout the entire film. The evil manifestation that happened at the end of the film almost had me laughing -- and I scolded myself for mocking this beloved show.As a made-for-TV film it is somewhat enjoyable and certainly above average, but as with all things nostalgic and memorable, don't get your hopes up too much like I did.Okay, now I'm off to find some "ABC Movie of the Week" episodes that hopefully have aged a little better than this one did...