Night Stalker - The Complete Series DVD Box Set | Thriller TV Show Collection | Perfect for Binge-Watching & Mystery Lovers
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Product Description
Product Description Carl Kolchak returns in a new series of spine-tingling adventures. Produced by the X-FILES' Frank Spotnitz and based on the original '70s suspense drama, NIGHT STALKER updates the chilling classic in a startling new way. "There's something stylishly scary at work here," says The New York Times. Caught up in an obsessive hunt for his own wife's murderer, Kolchak (Stuart Townsend) discovers that his imagination is no match for the evil that truly lurks in the dark. Paired with skeptic Perri Reed (Gabrielle Union), television's favorite crime reporter will stop at nothing to uncover the supernatural side of the night. Featuring four episodes never seen on TV that complete the series and a host of exclusive bonus material, this 2-disc DVD set is so good it's scary. Amazon.com If Night Stalker had been given a chance to establish its own identity, this "reimagining" of the popular early '70s TV movies might have thrived. Instead, many viewers perceived the short-lived series as a thinly disguised X-Files spinoff, with former X-Files producer Frank Spotnitz apparently hired to recycle X-Files plots in a slightly different format. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since the series boasts superior production values and dark, sometimes violent horror plots as effectively creepy as anything seen on X-Files. But fans of the original (both TV movies and 1974 series) bristled at ABC's obvious youth-market makeover that turned Darren McGavin's original "Carl Kolchak" from a cynical, sarcastic middle-aged reporter on the fringes of journalism into a hip, handsome, Mustang-driving young reporter (played by Irish actor Stuart Townsend) who's literally marked for death in what was intended (if the series had survived) to be an epic battle of good vs. evil. By pairing Kolchak with an equally young, attractive, and skeptical colleague named Perri Reed (Gabrielle Union), the series struggled to find its place among such popular shows as Medium and the CSI juggernaut, and there just wasn't enough originality to keep viewers interested. Ratings plummeted after the pilot premiered on September 29, 2005, and of the ten episodes produced and included here, only six were broadcast before the show's inevitable cancellation. As Spotnitz conceived it (with several X-Files veterans serving as directors or consulting producers), Night Stalker revolved around an epic "mythology" that would've emerged had the series continued. Spotnitz outlines these broader details in his smart, informative DVD commentaries, allowing viewers a greater appreciation of how the series was being planned. As it stands, the new Kolchak is striving to solve the violent, monstrous attack that killed his wife, and his ongoing investigations draw him deeper into supernatural events, mostly explored in episodes so similar to X-Files that you could easily exchange Kolchak and Reed for agents Mulder and Scully and barely notice the difference. From their high-rise offices at the Los Angeles Beacon (beautifully filmed in high-def digital video), Kolchak and Reed solve brutal murders, bizarre deaths, and other mysteries with the help of photographer Jain McManus (Eric Jungman) and editor Tony Vincenzo (Cotter Smith), while a cynical FBI agent (semi-regular cast member John Pyper-Ferguson) suspects Kolchak of killing his wealthy wife to inherit her estate. As these 10 episodes demonstrate, the hard-won trust between Kolchak and Reed would become the series' emotional anchor, with Townsend and Union establishing an appealing chemistry that served the series well. Unfortunately, Night Stalker was doomed from the start. The series was cancelled in the midst of a two-part episode, leaving viewers with an unresolved cliffhanger and unanswered questions about the mysterious "four horsemen of the apocalypse" biker gang that's been a looming threat throughout these episodes. Thanks to Spotnitz's detailed commentaries and video interview included on this two-disc set (along with printable DVD-ROM scripts from unproduced episodes), these and other mysteries are tantalizingly explained, and these ten Night Stalker episodes stand as testament to a high-quality series that never had a chance to prove its long-term potential. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews
I bought this set intrigued by the premise of the show and the involvement of an extremely talented cast and crew but skeptical since it was cancelled after just six episodes? Could a really great show (or any show with any redeeming qualities) be cancelled so quickly? The answer is a definite YES and this show proves it.I never saw any of the origional Night Stalker movies or the TV show so I can't compare this show to the origional material, I can only talk about this show on it's own merits, which given the considerable difference seen in this show to the origional seems fairer anyway. This is a very dark and exquisitely creepy show. It's intelligently wirtten and produced and it works on several levels. For a show that deals with the supernatural (esentially things that don't exist) it dose a terrific job of bringing you into the story and getting inside your head which makes it far scarier then just getting something to jump out of the dark and decimal level jumps from 0-100 in a split second. It's also just great popcorn, escapism, cool, slick horror/drama. And trust me this is dark and scary stuff.Firstly this is the most strikingly beautiful show I've ever seen. It's shot in high definition, much the same way the movie "Collateral" was shot, and the producers took full advantage of their locations, using L.A to it's full. It's especially striking at night time when the camera picks up so much and given the shows title much of it is shot at night.Stuart Townsend is absolutely fantastic as Carl Kolchak. Kolchak is a dark, brooding, mysterious, selfish, single-mindedly driven man yet he is also warm, engaging, funny, charasmatic and charming, not to mention full of despair for what happend to his wife while also mainting an optimistic outlook for what he dose. Townsend manages to encorporate all these things into the character seemlessly and naturally.Gabrille Union is a very fine actrees and plays a sort of two-dimensional Perri Reed very well indeed. Eric Jungman as photographer Jain Mcmanus is terrific and adds some well needed comic relief.THE PILOT episode is a solid if slightly unspectacular episode. The storyline is not that engaging as it lacks any real origionality. However the deeper mystery of what happened to Kolchak's wife, his possible involvement in her death and the mysterious mark on Kolchaks wrist that also appears on the wrist of certain people who have died mysterious deaths makes this episode engaging.Epsidoe 2, "The Five People You Meet In Hell" is one of the best. Extremely dark and creepy with a terrific villian, an engaing and interesting story, beautifully directed by X-Files veteran Rob Bowman and some great scenes between Kolchak and Reed which really deepen their relationship."Three" is an excellent episode. It's by no means an origional storyline but it's made so well it truly dosen't feel predictable at all."Burning Man" is the weakest episode for me but by no means poor. The problem with it lies in the fact that the storyline dosen't lend itself to a supernatural story, nor is it one, but nonetheless one was added unnecessarily."Malum" is superb. The guest cast of actors are simply phenomenal, the story has many twist and turns and keeps you guessing right until the brilliant and surprising finale."The Source" and "The Sea" is a magnificent two-parter where the show really begins to fufil it's potential. The story behind Kolchak and what the mark could possibly mean are explored and developed brilliantly and it is so madening when you watch these episodes realising where the show could've gone."Into Night" is a very fine episode."Timeless" is an interesting one because it's very creppy, very disturbing and grusome with lots of intrigue and mystery yet it seems to lack a certain something to really make the episode complete. I like the fact the audience is left to join the dots at the end but even though it's not the story still feels slight unfinished.Keep the best till last! "What's The Frequency, Kolchak?" is written but Vince Gilligan who was responsible for many of the finest episodes of The X-Files and here he delivers an absolutely phenomenal piece of television. It's an absolutely brilliant story and psychological horror at it's absolute best. It's a tour de force for Stuart Townsend as an actor and brilliantly casts doubt once again on the sanity of the lead character. It's thrilling, origional, edge-of-your-seat drama at it's absolute finest.I was so impressed by this show. Granted it lacks a certain origionality, and the mysteries wont have you asking as many questions as "Lost" and of course fans of The X-Files will see subtle similarities in the stories but make no mistake this is no X-Files copy and is definitely worth seeking out. For very obvious reasons you will be left with lots of questions when you finish the set but the within the commentaries Frank Spotnitz reveals many of the shows secrets and where the show would have gone so you gain some sort of resolution. Highly reccomended.
