Stardate 07.23.2021.A: 'Kolchak' Returns To The Streets This October

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975) is a fondly remember mid-1970’s television series starring the fabulous Darren McGavin, whom most folks around the world only known as ‘Old Man Parker’ from the 1983 holiday classic A Christmas Story.  But before this middleclass man was wrapping presents for cinema’s most adorable child he was searching the streets as an intrepid city reporter in search of ghosts, demons, ghouls, and the like.  That’s quite a transition, if you ask me.
 
What most fans know is that Kolchak – a property that even creator Chris Carter acknowledges influenced his mind in creating Fox TV’s stellar The X-Files (1993-2018) – was a single season program, lasting a thrill-packed twenty episodes.  What most fans don’t know is that the character actually first emerged with a pair of made-for-television features: The Night Stalker (1972) and The Night Strangler (1973) preceded it, and the ratings were solid enough for the network to greenlight the resulting serial.
 
I’ve seen a few episodes of the series.  While I’ll agree it’s quite entertaining, I think it’s safe to say that it’s obviously very dated, with McGavin rushing around the streets in perfect 1970’s fashion and stories being a bit light on science while heavy on Fantasy concoctions.  There’s nothing wrong with that – it’s all ends up a bit unintentionally light-hearted for a weekly investigation into things that go bump in the night – but I’m glad that The X-Files put a more adult, dramatic spin on subject matter that many of us take seriously.
 
Word reached me yesterday via the reliable Blu-ray.com that Kino Lorber has acquired the rights to complete a Blu-ray restoration of the series.  (Take note: the company had previously released updated versions of the telefilms in late 2018, and both are showing available for purchase on Amazon.com for interested parties.)  Of even greater interest – so far as this reviewer is concerned – is that the forthcoming release will also feature an assortment of newly-assembled extras, including episode commentaries from some of fandom’s biggest Kolchak fans and scholars.  I’ll copy and paste the details below … and I suspect diehard enthusiasts will be as hungry for this set as I will be.

From Blu-ray.com:

Description: After several high-profile newspapers fire him for his difficult attitude, investigative journalist Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) finds a job following the police beat for a small Las Vegas publication. When Carl discovers a series of dead showgirls drained of blood with bite marks on their necks, the police hesitate to take the case any further, and his boss (Simon Oakland) wants nothing to do with the story, leading Carl to believe there may be a real vampire prowling the city streets.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

• NEW 2K MASTERS FOR ALL 20 EPISODES
• NEW Interview with David Chase, the Creator of The Sopranos and Co-Writer of Eight Kolchak: The Night Stalker Episodes
• NEW Interview with Dana Gould, the Creator of Stan Against Evil
• NEW Booklet Essay by Mark Dawidziak, the Author of The Night Stalker Companion and Kolchak Novel, Grave Secrets
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE RIPPER by Mark Dawidziak, the Author of The Night Stalker Companion and Kolchak Novel, Grave Secrets
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE ZOMBIE by Author/Historian David J. Schow
• NEW Audio Commentary for THEY HAVE BEEN, THEY ARE, THEY WILL BE… by Novelist/Critic Kim Newman and Writer/Journalist Barry Forshaw
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE VAMPIRE by Film Historian Tim Lucas
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE WEREWOLF by Filmmaker/Historian Constantine Nasr
• NEW Audio Commentary for FIREFALL by Author/Historian David J. Schow
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE DEVIL'S PLATFORM by Filmmaker/Historian Constantine Nasr and Screenwriter/Producer Rodney Barnes
• NEW Audio Commentary for BAD MEDICINE by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE SPANISH MOSS MURDERS by Film Historian/Screenwriter Steve Haberman
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE SPANISH MOSS MURDERS by Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell and Screenwriter/Producer Cyrus Voris
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE ENERGY EATER by Mike White and Chris Stachiw of The Kolchak Tapes Podcast
• NEW Audio Commentary for HORROR IN THE HEIGHTS by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani
• NEW Audio Commentary for MR. R.I.N.G. by Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell and Screenwriter/Producer Cyrus Voris
• NEW Audio Commentary for PRIMAL SCREAM by Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell and Screenwriter/Producer Cyrus Voris
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE TREVI COLLECTION by Film Historian/Author Amanda Reyes
• NEW Audio Commentary for CHOPPER by Novelist/Critic Kim Newman and Writer/Journalist Barry Forshaw
• NEW Audio Commentary for DEMON IN LACE by Novelist/Critic Kim Newman and Writer/Journalist Barry Forshaw
• NEW Audio Commentary for LEGACY OF TERROR by Film Historian/Author Amanda Reyes
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE KNIGHTLY MURDERS by Filmmaker/Historian Michael Schlesinger
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE YOUTH KILLER by Novelist/Critic Kim Newman and Writer/Journalist Barry Forshaw
• NEW Audio Commentary for THE SENTRY by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani
• THE DEVIL'S PLATFORM – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• BAD MEDICINE – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• THE SPANISH MOSS MURDERS – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• THE ENERGY EATER – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• HORROR IN THE HEIGHTS – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• MR. R.I.N.G. – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• PRIMAL SCREAM – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• THE TREVI COLLECTION – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• CHOPPER – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• DEMON IN LACE – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• LEGACY OF TERROR – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• THE KNIGHTLY MURDERS – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• THE YOUTH KILLER – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• THE SENTRY – TV Spot (New 2K Master)
• Newly Commissioned Art by Mark Maddox
• Optional English Subtitles

As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!

-- EZ