TV-to-DVD Roundup

Back in the olden days when television sets were square had these things sticking up from the tops of them called antennas, the three available major networks would often produce and air movies of the week (also known as "MOWs") for their entertainment-starved viewers. And what's more entertaining than a good, old-fashioned horror movie?

Many of these late 60s / early 1970s fright-fests have endured and become classics — Daughter of the Mind, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, and Trilogy of Terror come to wit — while others reside only in the hazy memories of those who might have caught them when they originally aired. But with the advent of home video and DVD, many of these flicks are resurrected and sold at full price… whether they should be, or not.

In the case of 1972's snails pace Crawlspace, I'm thinking maybe not. However, it is a movie based on a novel a lot of people read and liked, and it is actually from the director of one of the aforementioned classics (John Newland, who made mini devils big-time scary in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark) — so if you're a fan of flicks like Bad Ronald and you enjoy watching grown men rattling around spiderweb-festooned basements, then Crawlspace may not be a bum steer.

Personally, in spite of good acting from veteran stars Arthur Kennedy and Teresa Wright, I was bored from practically the first frame. It's not a horror movie, for one thing: it's more a slight creeper, and is about a lonely retired couple who try to adopt a young man (played by Tom Happer, who'd previously been featured on the Dark Shadows soap opera) after they discover him living in their basement. As it turns out, he's hiding in there for a reason (but not a particularly scary reason).

Much better — and cheesier fun — is The Devil's Daughter, also newly released from Wild Eye.

This movie, while considerably more arch and obvious, has a lot more talent behind the camera than Crawlspace. The teleplay was written by Colin Higgins, who'd previously done Harold and Maude and went on to do other favorite features like Silver Streak and Foul Play. It's directed by Jeannot Szwarc, a TV master who's still going strong today with shows like Smallville, Heroes, Without A Trace, and Cold Case to his recent credit.

As far as who's in front of the lens, The Devil's Daughter features Shelley Winters, Robert Foxworth, Diane Ladd, Joseph Cotten, and Jonathan Frid — but it's the immortal Belinda Montgomery who's got the title role. (I kid… but you'll recognize her; she played Doogie Howser's mom. She is actually still working today. Her credits show a guest spot on The Ghost Whisperer.)

The plot is certainly nothing special — a young woman whose mother had sold her soul to Satan when she was born is told by the Big Guy that she must marry a fellow demon or suffer the consequences — but the way in which it's presented is a whole lot of kitschy fun. Kooky characters reminiscent of those in movies like Rosemary's Baby and The Sentinel abound, and they're made even larger than life thanks to stylized cinematography and cool composition by J.J. Jones. The hairstyles, clothing and other accoutrements are just so much more icing on the granola cake.

The only real caveat here is not to expect a clean, sparkling transfer — this TV movie was transferred to disc with warts (and dust and scratches) and all.

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson