There are seeds of a good film here in a story about a man, The Monkees' Micky Dolenz, who disowns his sister after learning she is pregnant with boyfriend's baby because her boyfriend is black. The sister is later found murdered, which leads Dolenz and a black priest to investigate the murder, which has been disguised as a suicide, trying to find an individual with a peace-sign belt buckle who they suspect is the culprit. There could have been some interesting commentaries on race relations with this kind of a set-up, but the film is basically a cash grab exploiting the real-life Boston Strangler, who still at-large, and following a big budget Hollywood production a few years before about the Boston Strangler. Never mind that no characters are actually strangled and the story has nothing to do with that case. It's a super cheap production without any real scares or suspense, so there's not a lot to recommend outside of the novelty value of seeing Micky Dolenz is a very un-Monkees-like role. Well, he is still a bit of a 1960s hipster/hippie, but he plays a much darker character than his Monkees Micky character. Overall, "The Night of the Strangler" is a forgettable quickie low-budget picture that offers a darker role for Micky Dolenz, but is a missed opportunity for murder mystery about race relations.
13 Reviews
Well-Intentioned but Wildly Unrealistic 70s Thriller
thalassafischer13 January 2024
Watch out!...this early 1970s anti-racist mystery has more murders than the mafia. I mean I watch giallos on a level that most people wouldn't consider sane and I haven't seen a body count like this outside of a slasher flick from at least ten years later. That's not a good thing, I'm not a gore hound, and the sheer level of murder that people get away with in this cheesy flick in order to make the end "work" is laughably absurd.
People are just dropping like flies from beginning to end despite the victims being regular average folks on college campuses in broad freaking daylight and in the upper middle class white suburbs of New Orleans.
To top it all off, one of the Monkees - Mickey Dolenz, looking just as much like a Monchhichi doll as ever - is a main character yet never once breaks into song. AND...the "night of the strangler" never actually happens, unless you count a drowning. There are however an abnormal number of Asian snakes and poison darts.
People are just dropping like flies from beginning to end despite the victims being regular average folks on college campuses in broad freaking daylight and in the upper middle class white suburbs of New Orleans.
To top it all off, one of the Monkees - Mickey Dolenz, looking just as much like a Monchhichi doll as ever - is a main character yet never once breaks into song. AND...the "night of the strangler" never actually happens, unless you count a drowning. There are however an abnormal number of Asian snakes and poison darts.
An alleged thriller with a message that turns out to be dull
AlsExGal7 September 2020
When college student Denise (Susan McCullough) announces to her brothers that she's dropping out of school to get married, oh and she's also pregnant, oh and the husband-to-be is black, their reactions are somewhat different. Younger sensitive brother Vance (Mickey Dolenz) is shocked yet supportive, while older brother Dan (James Ralston) is enraged, spewing out virulent racist comments between swings of his fists. After Denise's fiancee is shot by an assassin, a whole series of murders begin to occur, leaving the police baffled. Maybe recently returned priest Father Jessie (Chuck Patterson) can put an end to it.
Former Monkee Mickey Dolenz will be the main draw for curious viewers these days, but I warn them: this very low budget effort is a chore to sit through. The acting is bad, the script is worse, and the filmmaking comes in dead last. The film seems to want to shine a light on the destructive power of racism, but it's done in such a stupid, incoherent manner as to minimize any messaging that was intended. That would be perfectly fine if either the mystery or thriller elements were well handled, but they're not. The mystery's resolution is dumb and a cheat, while the suspense is non-existent, since you don't care if these people live or die. I've seen this movie listed in horror books over the years, but it's not a horror film at all, so don't expect one. Oh, and no one is strangled, either.
Former Monkee Mickey Dolenz will be the main draw for curious viewers these days, but I warn them: this very low budget effort is a chore to sit through. The acting is bad, the script is worse, and the filmmaking comes in dead last. The film seems to want to shine a light on the destructive power of racism, but it's done in such a stupid, incoherent manner as to minimize any messaging that was intended. That would be perfectly fine if either the mystery or thriller elements were well handled, but they're not. The mystery's resolution is dumb and a cheat, while the suspense is non-existent, since you don't care if these people live or die. I've seen this movie listed in horror books over the years, but it's not a horror film at all, so don't expect one. Oh, and no one is strangled, either.
A brusque, but serviceable, racially-motivated murders mystery
EyeAskance21 June 2007
Probably the most well-rounded film I've seen from thriftbudget auteur Joy N. Houk, NIGHT OF THE STRANGLER touches on Southern U.S. racial tensions in an otherwise boilerplate whodunit which some may regard as a slasher genre prototype(take note that the "strangler" of the title kills in a variety of ways...none of which are by strangling!). The story in play recounts two at-odds brothers imputing one another in the suspicious deaths of their interracially intimate(and pregnant) sister and her lover. Roused suspicions result in more killings and a muster of potential offenders as the mystery snowballs to a sufficing, though slightly deflating, "surprise" denouement.
While the film never really manages to camouflage its third-string foundations, it works well enough as basal entertainment despite a few flat stretches and uneven scripting(and it features a fun go-go groovy psychedelic opening theme played on some old Farfisa-type organ). MONKEES bandmember Micky Dolenz provides a satisfactory performance, and the rest of the cast follows suit(although, to no derogation of the performers, their roles aren't exactly what one might call "demanding").
A tenantable B film for the general votary of secondary 70s cinema, though far from a crucial one. 5/10
While the film never really manages to camouflage its third-string foundations, it works well enough as basal entertainment despite a few flat stretches and uneven scripting(and it features a fun go-go groovy psychedelic opening theme played on some old Farfisa-type organ). MONKEES bandmember Micky Dolenz provides a satisfactory performance, and the rest of the cast follows suit(although, to no derogation of the performers, their roles aren't exactly what one might call "demanding").
A tenantable B film for the general votary of secondary 70s cinema, though far from a crucial one. 5/10
False advertising is the least of its problems
Wizard-87 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The title of this movie is incorrect in two ways - first, the events of the movie take place over a long period, and the killer in the movie does not once strangle anybody. (Though I admit that the more correct title "Weeks of the Multi-Skilled Killer" doesn't have an attractive ring to it.) Title aside, the movie by itself isn't exactly a grabber. The acting is acceptable, but there's little else of merit to be found, unless you've ever wanted to see ex-Monkee Micky Dolenz cuddling with a naked woman. The movie is kind of slow and sluggish, padded out with a lot of filler, so much so that some characters are off the screen for significant portions of time. The murder sequences aren't particularly memorable, and the rest of the direction is pretty pedestrian. As for the mystery portion of the movie, while the movie tries to throw in some clever red herrings along the way, viewers who are listening and watching carefully will very likely be able to determine who the killer is and what his/her motivations are. Even I was able to do this, and I'm normally clueless with murder mysteries! Though I was confused by the mystery as to why Turner Classic Movies decided to resurrect this forgotten movie on its channel.
Deservedly obscure
ofumalow13 October 2021
I was always kind of curious to see this 70s horror thriller with Micky Dolenz from The Monkees top-billed. Well, it's more bad thriller than horror, and Dolenz is the worst actor in the cast-which is saying something. "Strangler" has plenty of other problems, too, perhaps the least among them being that nobody gets strangled. It's a murder mystery set in the South, yet none of the characters who are supposed natives has a regional accent-not even the bad guy who talks about Black people and those damn "Yankees" like he's in "Mandingo."
That guy is Dan (James Ralston), the supercilious terror of a wealthy family who's stolen his fiance from his brother (Dolenz), and unleashes both the racist invective and the slapping machine when he finds out their sister (Susan McCulloch) is pregnant by an African-American boyfriend she plans to marry. Soon those last two people have been murdered, and the trail of corpses keeps extending because rageaholic Dan, who ordered at least one of them killed, neglects to pay his hired-assassin bill. So eventually various people are killing various other people.
In mood and (lack of) style more like a bad low-budget 70s cop thriller than a horror movie, "Strangler" (which had a lot of other titles before they settled on this utterly irrelevant one) lacks atmosphere, tension, and even the zest to make much of its fairly lurid plotline. Indeed, the bad-movie fun we should be having is further dampened by the film's linguistically dated anti-racism message, which feels pasted-on for a long time, then turns out to be the labored whole point here.
To put it kindly, this isn't a good or serious enough movie to pull off that kind of moral lecturing. In the end, "Night of the Strangler" doesn't prove anything more than that earnest but misplaced good intentions can kill whatever enjoyment is to be had from a cheesy movie. Well, and also that the over-the-top mugging that made Micky Dolenz a good Monkee makes him a very bad dramatic actor.
That guy is Dan (James Ralston), the supercilious terror of a wealthy family who's stolen his fiance from his brother (Dolenz), and unleashes both the racist invective and the slapping machine when he finds out their sister (Susan McCulloch) is pregnant by an African-American boyfriend she plans to marry. Soon those last two people have been murdered, and the trail of corpses keeps extending because rageaholic Dan, who ordered at least one of them killed, neglects to pay his hired-assassin bill. So eventually various people are killing various other people.
In mood and (lack of) style more like a bad low-budget 70s cop thriller than a horror movie, "Strangler" (which had a lot of other titles before they settled on this utterly irrelevant one) lacks atmosphere, tension, and even the zest to make much of its fairly lurid plotline. Indeed, the bad-movie fun we should be having is further dampened by the film's linguistically dated anti-racism message, which feels pasted-on for a long time, then turns out to be the labored whole point here.
To put it kindly, this isn't a good or serious enough movie to pull off that kind of moral lecturing. In the end, "Night of the Strangler" doesn't prove anything more than that earnest but misplaced good intentions can kill whatever enjoyment is to be had from a cheesy movie. Well, and also that the over-the-top mugging that made Micky Dolenz a good Monkee makes him a very bad dramatic actor.
Strangling is about the only technique the killer doesn't use...
Coventry25 August 2021
"Night of the Strangler" obviously isn't the type of movie to win prizes, but I would like to hand out one special kind of award, though, and that is the prize for the film with the most inaccurate and misleading title ever! Admittedly it sounds cool, as well as appealing to horror fanatics, but not a word of the title makes any sense. Night? The events in the film take place in a span of more than a year! Strangler? There's shooting, drowning, death by venomous snake bite, stabbing and a bizarre sort of arrow-shooting device, but not a strangulation in sight! If I had to give an apt title, it would probably be something like: "The random slaughter of a whole bunch of innocent people". Come to think of it, that actually sounds awesome!
Enough with the ranting already, because I honestly enjoyed this obscure and extremely low-budgeted horror/thriller quite a lot! The plot is very original, truly unseen, and - with a healthy dose of imagination - can even be considered as a Blaxploitation effort! Set in New Orleans, homestead of director Joy N. Houck Jr. And one of the most beautiful cities in the world (at least according to yours truly), the film starts with a rich white girl announcing her engagement with a black man to her two brothers. The oldest brother, Dan, is a filthy racist pig and threatens to kill both her and her boyfriend. The younger brother Vance tries to defend his sister, but without much success. Shortly after, the black fiancé is shot dead by a sniper in New York. A year later, and back in New Orleans, the girl - Denise - is drowned in her bath by a vicious killer dressed in black, but he makes it look like suicide. From then onwards, "Night of the Strangler" turns into a bizarrely compelling and unusual type of slasher/murder mystery. While the black town's priest attempts to make peace between the estranged brothers Dan and Vance, a number of vicious murders plagues the community.
What makes this movie so harsh, and simultaneously so intriguing, is that the murder victims are all innocent and very sympathetic people, while the loathsome ones remain alive! Vance (played by none other than Mickey Dolenz of the pop band "The Monkees") is a jealous and aggressive guy, and Dan is the most hateful and disgusting racist thug I've ever seen. But they remain standing, whereas all the friendly characters die painful and cruel deaths. The identity of the killer can be guessed, if you are an experienced slasher-fanatic, but the mystery around his/her persona and motivations are elaborated quite effectively, I must say. The pacing is occasionally sluggish, but the film never gets boring. Definitely recommended.
Enough with the ranting already, because I honestly enjoyed this obscure and extremely low-budgeted horror/thriller quite a lot! The plot is very original, truly unseen, and - with a healthy dose of imagination - can even be considered as a Blaxploitation effort! Set in New Orleans, homestead of director Joy N. Houck Jr. And one of the most beautiful cities in the world (at least according to yours truly), the film starts with a rich white girl announcing her engagement with a black man to her two brothers. The oldest brother, Dan, is a filthy racist pig and threatens to kill both her and her boyfriend. The younger brother Vance tries to defend his sister, but without much success. Shortly after, the black fiancé is shot dead by a sniper in New York. A year later, and back in New Orleans, the girl - Denise - is drowned in her bath by a vicious killer dressed in black, but he makes it look like suicide. From then onwards, "Night of the Strangler" turns into a bizarrely compelling and unusual type of slasher/murder mystery. While the black town's priest attempts to make peace between the estranged brothers Dan and Vance, a number of vicious murders plagues the community.
What makes this movie so harsh, and simultaneously so intriguing, is that the murder victims are all innocent and very sympathetic people, while the loathsome ones remain alive! Vance (played by none other than Mickey Dolenz of the pop band "The Monkees") is a jealous and aggressive guy, and Dan is the most hateful and disgusting racist thug I've ever seen. But they remain standing, whereas all the friendly characters die painful and cruel deaths. The identity of the killer can be guessed, if you are an experienced slasher-fanatic, but the mystery around his/her persona and motivations are elaborated quite effectively, I must say. The pacing is occasionally sluggish, but the film never gets boring. Definitely recommended.
Not just for Monkees fans!
zombie212 November 1999
The biggest reason I had for wanting to see this film is the fact that it stars Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. As anyone could tell by watching it, Night of the Strangler is pretty low-budget but has a good (and, for 1972, very controversial) plot. It centers around a white girl who falls in love with and gets pregnant by a black man. When the two are mysteriously killed, the investigation focuses on the girl's two brothers, Vance, who is kind and was supportive of his sister, and Dan, an arrogant racist who would rather have seen his sister have an abortion than have a black man's baby. A black priest who tries to console the two brothers throughout the film also adds to the increasingly obvious tension. Sort of a "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" meets "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane." A really good film if you're lucky enough to find at your local video store.
An interesting, effective surprise.
Hey_Sweden13 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The presence of ex-Monkee Micky Dolenz will initially be the main draw for people when they hear of this racism-oriented, obscure 70s crime thriller. Shot in New Orleans, it details what happens as a young woman (Susan McCullough) returns home to reveal to her brothers (Micky, as Vance, and James Ralston, as Dan) that not only is she dropping out of school because she's pregnant - the father is black, to boot. This does NOT sit well with the ultra-bigoted attorney Dan, who would rather she get an abortion. Soon, both the lover and the young woman are dead, and this leads to more murders as a pair of detectives (Michael Anthony, Harold Sylvester) work the baffling case.
Although on the surface a seemingly straightforward exploitation-thriller, the script does come up with some interesting comments on race relations in the Deep South. Although this script probably wouldn't hold up to a lot of scrutiny, it IS quite amusing the way that it *constantly* delivers twists and turns, some the audience may predict, and some they may not. It makes for very good entertainment, overall, as we watch this dysfunctional white family always at odds with each other, and as we eagerly await some sort of comeuppance for the despicable Dan. Right from the start, the filmmakers make sure that the audience will NOT like him. A fun & funky score (by Jim Helms) further helps to make the movie watchable for a decently paced 91 minutes.
The cast is variable. Some of the performers come off as amateurish, and some come off pretty well. Both Micky and singer / actor Chuck Patterson ("Hair"), who plays the helpful priest Father Jessie, are certainly likeable enough. Ralston is very good at making you hate his character. Anthony ("Mosquito Squadron") and Sylvester ("Uncommon Valor", "Innerspace", 'Married with Children') work nicely together, and have a fun scene where they discuss the intricacies of the case while shooting hoops. The ladies present (McCullough, Katie Tilley, and Ann Barrett, each making their only feature film appearance) are certainly attractive and appealing.
"The Night of the Strangler" does its job at presenting a couple of viable suspects, shifting suspicion between each of them, and even though the ultimate identity of the killer may not come as a shock, that person will still have some more twists in store for the viewer. The final moment is hilarious.
By the way, there is not ONE strangling performed in this movie.
Eight out of 10.
Although on the surface a seemingly straightforward exploitation-thriller, the script does come up with some interesting comments on race relations in the Deep South. Although this script probably wouldn't hold up to a lot of scrutiny, it IS quite amusing the way that it *constantly* delivers twists and turns, some the audience may predict, and some they may not. It makes for very good entertainment, overall, as we watch this dysfunctional white family always at odds with each other, and as we eagerly await some sort of comeuppance for the despicable Dan. Right from the start, the filmmakers make sure that the audience will NOT like him. A fun & funky score (by Jim Helms) further helps to make the movie watchable for a decently paced 91 minutes.
The cast is variable. Some of the performers come off as amateurish, and some come off pretty well. Both Micky and singer / actor Chuck Patterson ("Hair"), who plays the helpful priest Father Jessie, are certainly likeable enough. Ralston is very good at making you hate his character. Anthony ("Mosquito Squadron") and Sylvester ("Uncommon Valor", "Innerspace", 'Married with Children') work nicely together, and have a fun scene where they discuss the intricacies of the case while shooting hoops. The ladies present (McCullough, Katie Tilley, and Ann Barrett, each making their only feature film appearance) are certainly attractive and appealing.
"The Night of the Strangler" does its job at presenting a couple of viable suspects, shifting suspicion between each of them, and even though the ultimate identity of the killer may not come as a shock, that person will still have some more twists in store for the viewer. The final moment is hilarious.
By the way, there is not ONE strangling performed in this movie.
Eight out of 10.
Gutsy little thriller
Woodyanders28 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Arrogant and intolerant racist Dan (well played to the hateful hilt by James Ralston) throws his sister Denise (an excellent portrayal by Susan McCullough) out on the street after Susan informs Dan that she's romantically involved with a black man. In the wake of Susan being murdered by a mysterious killer, her more sympathetic younger brother Vance (a fine and engaging performance by Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees fame) and black priest Father Jessie (a solid and likable turn by Chuck Patterson) decide to investigate.
Director Joy Houck Jr. relates the engrossing story at a steady pace and maintains a tough serious tone throughout. The bold and confrontational script by J.J. Milane, Robert A. Weaver, and Jeffrey Newton offers an intriguing, incisive, and provocative commentary on the severe damage wrought by both racism and familial dysfunction. The sound acting by the capable cast holds this picture together: Michael Anthony as the hard-nosed Lt. De Vivo, Warren Kenner as vengeful gardener Willie, Ann Barrett as Dan's sweet wife Carol, Katie Tilley as Vance's concerned girlfriend Ann, Ed Brown as pesky lawyer Jack Markam, and Harold Sylvester as De Vivo's hip wisecracking partner Jim Bunch. 70's exploitation cinema regular Patrick Wright pops up in a small role as a long-haired hippie hit-man. The killer's actual identity and motive are genuinely surprising. The groovy organ score by Jim Helms hits the right-on happening spot. Dennis J. Cipnic's rough cinematography provides an appropriately grainy look. Worth a watch.
Director Joy Houck Jr. relates the engrossing story at a steady pace and maintains a tough serious tone throughout. The bold and confrontational script by J.J. Milane, Robert A. Weaver, and Jeffrey Newton offers an intriguing, incisive, and provocative commentary on the severe damage wrought by both racism and familial dysfunction. The sound acting by the capable cast holds this picture together: Michael Anthony as the hard-nosed Lt. De Vivo, Warren Kenner as vengeful gardener Willie, Ann Barrett as Dan's sweet wife Carol, Katie Tilley as Vance's concerned girlfriend Ann, Ed Brown as pesky lawyer Jack Markam, and Harold Sylvester as De Vivo's hip wisecracking partner Jim Bunch. 70's exploitation cinema regular Patrick Wright pops up in a small role as a long-haired hippie hit-man. The killer's actual identity and motive are genuinely surprising. The groovy organ score by Jim Helms hits the right-on happening spot. Dennis J. Cipnic's rough cinematography provides an appropriately grainy look. Worth a watch.
Bland Murder-Mystery
Michael_Elliott28 December 2017
The Night of the Strangler (1972)
** (out of 4)
A woman starts off a wave of murders when she returns home to announce that she's getting married. Her older brother Dan (James Ralston) isn't too happy but he goes balistic when he learns that she's also pregnant with a black man's baby. Soon her baby daddy is dead and the sister is too shortly after. Soon the entire family gets wrapped up in a murder plot.
THE NIGHT OF THE STRANGLER was sold as a horror movie but it's really not one. I guess you could say it was an attempt to tell a detective story based around some racial events but THE BIG SLEEP or GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER it's not. For the most part this will appeal to fans of low-budget films that were made without too much thought, money or talent.
I guess the most notable thing about the picture is that Micky Dolenz plays the younger brother. His performance is certainly lacking and especially during a crying scene he has. Ralston is at least entertaining enough and especially early on with some of his racist rants. The rest of the cast ranges from decent to poor. There's some mild nudity and violence thrown in but nothing overly memorable.
THE NIGHT OF THE STRANGLER somewhat works as the mystery of who is doing the killings is handle well. There are a couple nice scenes but most just fall rather flat.
** (out of 4)
A woman starts off a wave of murders when she returns home to announce that she's getting married. Her older brother Dan (James Ralston) isn't too happy but he goes balistic when he learns that she's also pregnant with a black man's baby. Soon her baby daddy is dead and the sister is too shortly after. Soon the entire family gets wrapped up in a murder plot.
THE NIGHT OF THE STRANGLER was sold as a horror movie but it's really not one. I guess you could say it was an attempt to tell a detective story based around some racial events but THE BIG SLEEP or GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER it's not. For the most part this will appeal to fans of low-budget films that were made without too much thought, money or talent.
I guess the most notable thing about the picture is that Micky Dolenz plays the younger brother. His performance is certainly lacking and especially during a crying scene he has. Ralston is at least entertaining enough and especially early on with some of his racist rants. The rest of the cast ranges from decent to poor. There's some mild nudity and violence thrown in but nothing overly memorable.
THE NIGHT OF THE STRANGLER somewhat works as the mystery of who is doing the killings is handle well. There are a couple nice scenes but most just fall rather flat.
Exploitation With A Message
dodgecameron-430593 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Now, I have to admit up front that the reason I watched this movie is because I'm a Monkeemaniac. However, I didn't let this love for all things Monkees to cloud my judgement regarding this film. Yes, the visual quality is not good. The film is very grainy, and a bit spotty in places. The boom shows up in a few scenes, you can see the shadow of a camera dolly on occasion, little things like that. However, the script was wonderful. This was a great story that shows the effects of hatred, and how hatred and violence are cyclical in nature. Now, to explain further I'm going to have to dive into spoiler territory, so if you haven't seen the film and want to, go do that first.
Anyways, a woman, Denise (Susan McCullough), comes home to tell her two brothers, Dan (James Ralston) and Vance (Micky Dolenz), that she's going to get married, and that she's pregnant. Dan is angry, but he becomes furious when he learns that she's in love with a black man, setting up the movie's themes of racial conflict early on. Later, Denise and her fiance are having a picnic, and an assassin shoots him. While Denise is grieving someone different enters her apartment, drowns her, and cuts her wrists to make it look like suicide. This is very important later.
Father Jessie (Chuck Patterson) has returned to.the local parish, and is asked to help reconcile Dan and Vance. Dan is getting married to Vance's former flame Carol (Ann Barret), who he got with while Vance was in Vietnam, and Vance is now with Ann (Katie Tilley). The two brothers are bitter towards each other, but it's not an all out hatred - yet. Dan fires the gardner Willie for what appears to be no good reason. He also has yet to pay the hitman he hired to kill Denise's fiance, and it's been weeks. Carol is killed by a venomous Asian snake that was hidden in some roses. Dan suspects Vance and disregards any other possibility. The police are baffled, but also secretly suspect Vance.
Gardner Willie attacks Dan on his boat, and Dan shoots him dead in self defense. Then, when he's calling someone about the moneyhe needs to pay the hitman, the hitman is at the dock preparing to kill Dan, but is shot by a guard. Ann and Vance get married, and see dan leaving as they exit the chapel. When Ann gets in their car she is shot by a.curare tipped arrow that had been placed in a spring board in the car. Vance immediately suspects Dan.
Vance goes to Dan's house, and grabs a knife from a nearby coat of arms. He stabs Dan as Dan comes down the stairs. In retaliation Dan shoot Vance three times. Bleeding but still alive, Dan collapses on the stairs. Then, Father Jesse enters, sits down next to Dan, and tells him the truth. His name is Jake, he's the real Father Jesse's twin, and the real Jesse was Denise's fiance. He wanted revenge on the Roberts for his brother's senseless death. As he said, "I had to burn my brother's body". So, he went and killed the nearest Roberts he knew, Denise. He then took over Jessie's identity so he could finish te famihly off.
Now, that's the plot of the film, an odd murder mystery that's not half bad. However, it's the representation of hatred and violence that gets me. The film shows how racism and hatred only begets more racism and hatred, shown when Dan's racist motivation's for Jessie's death lead to his and his family's own deaths at the hand of a hate-filled, vengeance seeking man (who may also be racist, if not quite as explicitly as Dan). It shows how hatred and violence are cyclical in nature, and how one cruel act can turn anyone into a killer. In that regard, it is an excellent story.
Now, as for the acting. Many have said that the acting is terrible, maybe serviceable at best. I have to wholeheartedly disagree with these assessments. On the contrary, considering how low budget the film was, I think the people they got for it are tremendous actors. All the performances are believable, turning these characters into real people with real emotions rather than just some one sided thing from the script of a two bit play/film. It's much better than what one comes to expect from much of the exploitation genre (and this was an exploitation film, make no mistake). Yes, some will point out films like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "Shaft", or maybe even "Blackula" (another film I love that I feel is severely underrated), but movies like that are the exception, not the rule. Of course, Micky is the best of those present, and I'm not just saying that because I liked his former work. He steals every scene that he's in. The performance of Chuck Patterson was also admirable, and I enjoyed every minute he was onscreen.
In the end, "The Night Of The Strangler" is an entertaining, exploitation murder mystery with a good message about hatred and racism, coming in at a solid 10/10.
Anyways, a woman, Denise (Susan McCullough), comes home to tell her two brothers, Dan (James Ralston) and Vance (Micky Dolenz), that she's going to get married, and that she's pregnant. Dan is angry, but he becomes furious when he learns that she's in love with a black man, setting up the movie's themes of racial conflict early on. Later, Denise and her fiance are having a picnic, and an assassin shoots him. While Denise is grieving someone different enters her apartment, drowns her, and cuts her wrists to make it look like suicide. This is very important later.
Father Jessie (Chuck Patterson) has returned to.the local parish, and is asked to help reconcile Dan and Vance. Dan is getting married to Vance's former flame Carol (Ann Barret), who he got with while Vance was in Vietnam, and Vance is now with Ann (Katie Tilley). The two brothers are bitter towards each other, but it's not an all out hatred - yet. Dan fires the gardner Willie for what appears to be no good reason. He also has yet to pay the hitman he hired to kill Denise's fiance, and it's been weeks. Carol is killed by a venomous Asian snake that was hidden in some roses. Dan suspects Vance and disregards any other possibility. The police are baffled, but also secretly suspect Vance.
Gardner Willie attacks Dan on his boat, and Dan shoots him dead in self defense. Then, when he's calling someone about the moneyhe needs to pay the hitman, the hitman is at the dock preparing to kill Dan, but is shot by a guard. Ann and Vance get married, and see dan leaving as they exit the chapel. When Ann gets in their car she is shot by a.curare tipped arrow that had been placed in a spring board in the car. Vance immediately suspects Dan.
Vance goes to Dan's house, and grabs a knife from a nearby coat of arms. He stabs Dan as Dan comes down the stairs. In retaliation Dan shoot Vance three times. Bleeding but still alive, Dan collapses on the stairs. Then, Father Jesse enters, sits down next to Dan, and tells him the truth. His name is Jake, he's the real Father Jesse's twin, and the real Jesse was Denise's fiance. He wanted revenge on the Roberts for his brother's senseless death. As he said, "I had to burn my brother's body". So, he went and killed the nearest Roberts he knew, Denise. He then took over Jessie's identity so he could finish te famihly off.
Now, that's the plot of the film, an odd murder mystery that's not half bad. However, it's the representation of hatred and violence that gets me. The film shows how racism and hatred only begets more racism and hatred, shown when Dan's racist motivation's for Jessie's death lead to his and his family's own deaths at the hand of a hate-filled, vengeance seeking man (who may also be racist, if not quite as explicitly as Dan). It shows how hatred and violence are cyclical in nature, and how one cruel act can turn anyone into a killer. In that regard, it is an excellent story.
Now, as for the acting. Many have said that the acting is terrible, maybe serviceable at best. I have to wholeheartedly disagree with these assessments. On the contrary, considering how low budget the film was, I think the people they got for it are tremendous actors. All the performances are believable, turning these characters into real people with real emotions rather than just some one sided thing from the script of a two bit play/film. It's much better than what one comes to expect from much of the exploitation genre (and this was an exploitation film, make no mistake). Yes, some will point out films like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "Shaft", or maybe even "Blackula" (another film I love that I feel is severely underrated), but movies like that are the exception, not the rule. Of course, Micky is the best of those present, and I'm not just saying that because I liked his former work. He steals every scene that he's in. The performance of Chuck Patterson was also admirable, and I enjoyed every minute he was onscreen.
In the end, "The Night Of The Strangler" is an entertaining, exploitation murder mystery with a good message about hatred and racism, coming in at a solid 10/10.
Old Film
monkeegurl8519 May 2000
For an older movie with less usage of money, the movie was really weird but in a way scared me. I personally thought it was great, but with a sad ending..well just sad together. If you are a Micky Dolenz/Monkees fan, this movie is a must to get.
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