Back in the 70s and 80s, Made-For-TV Movies were a big part of the network television schedule. They were quick and easy films that brought in big ratings for the networks. Audiences tuned in to get their horror fix in the luxury of their own home as the genre featured heavily in this format. The problem with a lot of these movies is that after their initial airing they were lost to history. Recently a wave of nostalgia for the Made-For-TV movie has seen some of them getting their due but some of them are still unavailable anywhere but on sites like YouTube. So join us as we re-examine some of these lost TV traumas
Aired on NBC
Coming out the same year as Halloween (1978) this TV movie is written and directed by a young John Carpenter. Lauren Hutton moves to Los Angeles after a bad breakup and starts a new job at a local TV station. She begins to get strange phone calls and deliveries and it becomes pretty apparent that someone is watching her. While starting a new romance the calls become more threatening and lead to the death of one of her coworkers.
With John Carpenter having to attune the suspense and horror to TV standards it helps keep the story from going overboard on violence. It follows the idea that sometimes what you don't see makes a film scarier than just putting everything out there. It was a lost film by the famous director until Warner Bros. put it out on DVD in 2007 and then Scream Factory released a blu ray edition in 2018.
Aired On CBS
This TV film is actually a remake of a 1965 William Castle film. It stars a young Shawnee Smith, an even younger Candace Cameron, and Robert Carradine. When three girls are left home alone they decide to make some prank phone calls. They start calling random numbers and say "I know who you are, and I saw what you did." They find one guy who has just killed his girlfriend. Through various circumstances, he ends up finding out who called him and he decides he has to get rid of them as well before they turn him into the police.
While this film comes off as very dated it is still a chilling look into being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Shawnee Smith comes off as a fun heroine even though the entire movie is her fault. We'd see more of that in the same year in The Blob remake. Sadly it has not made it to home video but can be found on sites like YouTube.
The People Across The Lake (1988)
Aired on NBC
One of the fun aspects of the Made-For-TV movie was taking actors from some of their favorite tv shows and putting them in completely different roles that viewers were not used to seeing. This movie had Gerald McRaney at the end of his run on Simon & Simon and Valerie Harper just after she left The Hogan Family. They are the parents of a few kids but decides living in the city is too dangerous and move everyone to the country. What they didn't know is that the family that used to live in their house was murdered and their body parts were dumped into the lake.
During the next two hours, we're given creepy scenes that see Gerald McRaney going for a swim only to end up with an arm slung over his back. Town secrets spill out and crazy plot twists that you will not see coming. It's a crazy watch that will make you wonder how this aired on regular network TV. Unfortunately, it hasn't had a home video release but is around on sites like YouTube.
Aired on CBS
Bubba is a man depicted as "slow" and is friends with a young girl who gets attacked by a dog. The local town posse thinks he is responsible so they hunt him down. He is hiding dressed up as the scarecrow out in the field. After delivering their form of justice they learn that Bubba actually saved the little girl. They concoct a plan to ensure they won't be held accountable.
After they are acquitted, one by one each man responsible starts to meet a bad end. It is revealed a scarecrow is responsible for what has been going on and the men are getting their own justice. Is Bubba back from the dead or is someone else taking revenge?
This is a fun film that brings some creepy atmosphere along with some interesting visuals. The film did end up getting a VHS release in the mid-80s. After a screening at Texas Frightmare in 2010, the film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray. The restoration is absolutely gorgeous and worth a look.
Don't Go To Sleep (1982)
Aired on ABC
Valerie Harper is back on our list! She seemed to enjoy doing these genre-based TV movies in the 80s. Here she plays a mother who along with the rest of her family is mourning the death of her daughter Jennifer. The family moves in with her mother while they try to overcome the grief that has overcome them. Almost immediately the daughter Mary seems to be seeing strange things and even gets possessed at one point.
The film was heralded by critics at the time for being genuinely scary and having some decent performances by the cast. Even retrospective reviews from the present applaud the film on its atmosphere and creepy imagery. It for sure left many viewers with a pit in their stomachs when they tried to sleep after watching it. It did get a VHS release but no legit DVD release has happened. If you search for one there are some sites that come up with copies but nothing official. It also is on sites such as YouTube if anyone is curious what all the fuss is about.
Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (1973)
Aired on ABC
A family moves into an old house and when looking around she finds an old fireplace in an office that has been welded shut. She insists that it be opened up against the caretaker's wishes. After it is finally opened she begins to hear whispers through the house. As her sanity begins to break down small monsters begin to torture her when no one else is home.
The film did get a VHS release in the 80s and a DVD release in 2009. In 2019 it got a 4K restoration and blu ray release by Warner Bros. The film influenced filmmaker Guillermo del Toro a great deal when he was younger saying, "It was something close to my heart for a very long time … We thought the movie was the most terrifying on Earth." He would produce a remake of the film in 2011 starring Guy Pierce and Katie Holmes.