Mysterious Two (1982) (TV)

Director:

Gary Sherman

Writer:

Gary Sherman (writer)

Release Date:

31 May 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Mystery

Plot:

Two Aliens visit the Earth in an effort to enlist converts to travel the universe with them. |

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Colony | Brainwashing | Cult | UFO

Cast

John Forsythe	...	He
Priscilla Pointer	...	She
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Sheriff Virgil Molloy
Vic Tayback	...	Ted Randall
James Stephens	...	Tim Armstrong
Karen McLarty	...	Natalie (as Karen Werner)
Robert Englund	...	Boone
Robert Pine	...	Arnold Brown
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
E.J. André
Harry Bartron	...	Preacher
Lee Bryant
Ed Call	...	Jasper
Bruce French
Lauren Frost
Jerry Hardin
Mo Malone	...	Martha
Candy Mobley	...	Amanda
James R. Parkes	...	Air Force Captain
Georgie Paul	...	Woman on Bus
Constance Pfeifer	...	Sarah
Bill Quinn	...	Tom
Dale Reynolds	...	Reporter
Renny Roker	...	Williams
Bill Smillie	...	Smilin' Jack
Shannon Wilcox

Directed by
Gary Sherman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gary Sherman		writer

Produced by
Gary Credle	....	producer
Sonny Fox	....	producer
Alan Landsburg	....	producer

Original Music by
Joe Renzetti

Cinematography by
Steven Poster

Film Editing by
Corky Ehlers

Art Direction by
Elayne Barbara Ceder

Set Decoration by
Rick Simpson

Makeup Department
John Norin	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carl Dubliclay	....	second assistant director
Edward Ledding	....	first assistant director

Production Companies

• Alan Landsburg Productions

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Also Known As:

Follow Me If You Dare (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:15 (video premiere)

Company:

Alan Landsburg Productions

Trivia:

Filmed in 1979, but not aired until 1982.

Lost Cult in Space!

This has to be one of the oddest TV-movies of all time. Not only is it a blatant allegory (some might even say exploitation) of the horrible Jonestown Tragedy of the year before, but it has all the earmarks of a vicious propaganda piece against religious cults (considering most of them, this may be a good thing). The Jonestown connection is strong and very tacky (isolation, brainwashing, followers comprising a cultural cross-section, deception, mind control, etc). The cult followers are even called "The People of Tomorrow," in a brash allusion to "The People's Temple." There are scenes that are truly disturbing, like when an old man walks through a what appears to be a field full of corpses (an image right out of the New York Times front page the day after the Jim Jones/Leo Ryan massacre). Turns out the folks were only hypnotized, but the effect is jarring and chilling all the same. There are some effective animated sequences, and an unusually large cast for a TV Movie of the Week. John Forsythe and Priscilla Pointer are kind of goofy in their white-and-silver space suits, looking alot like Martin Landau and Barbara Bain from SPACE:1999. Vic Tayback (remember ALICE?) plays a nosy reporter who's trying to find the secret behind the cult, but he mostly just sits around and looks at everyone funny. Sonny Fox, who also produced, plays a Madison Avenue jerk who comes along for unclear reasons. (Fox was the beloved host of Channel 5's long-running kidshow, WONDERAMA.) Robert Englund (aka Freddy Kruger) has a meaty, early role as a skeptical deputy sheriff. Apparently, this bizarre TV film (made in 1979 but not shown until 1982) also served as the pilot for a proposed NBC-TV series called FOLLOW ME IF YOU DARE. This would have been one weird series...