Richard Matheson's Kolchak Scripts
by Richard Matheson

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Book Reviews of Richard Matheson's Kolchak Scripts

Book Review: THE KOLCHAK SCRIPTS!
Summary: 5 Stars

Occasionally, a book will cross my desk that simply DEMANDS that I drop everything and give it my full attention. This happens very rarely, but when it does, the world simply stops as I lose myself within the pages of the text. I am happy to report that RICHARD MATHESON'S KOLCHAK SCRIPTS is one such book. As I read the adventures (and mis-adventures) of journalist Carl Kolchak, as he stumbled across vampires, serial killers, and government conspiracies, the outside world paused, and I was literally enthralled until I had read the book cover-to-cover.

As the title implies, this 400-page volume contains all of the scripts that Richard Matheson (author of I AM LEGEND, HELL HOUSE, and numerous others) wrote in the early 1970's using the character Carl Kolchak. The first two scripts, THE NIGHT STALKER and THE NIGHT STRANGLER were produced by Dan Curtis (of DARK SHADOWS fame) and televised as TV-movies, which eventually led to Kolchak's short-lived ABC TV-series. As an exceptional bonus, the book also contains Matheson's third script, co-written by William F. Nolan (co-author of LOGAN'S RUN), which was never produced.

In addition to the three scripts, editor Mark Dawidziak has supplied a plethora of supplemental information, placing the scripts in their proper historical place, enlightening the reader to all the background struggles of producing and writing the show, and also examining Kolchak's continued popularity. The lengthy appendix offers rare photographs, a glimpse at Richard Matheson's lengthy writing career, and an episode guide to THE NIGHT STALKER TV-series. These supplemental materials help to illuminate the scripts, and are also quite entertaining and informative in their own right.

The scripts themselves, which are reproduced from the original script pages, are fascinating. Matheson is completely in his element here - his dialogue is crisp, his pacing is sharp, and, using only the written word, he is able to create scenes that play in the readers mind just as they would on a television screen. In some respects, the scripts read even better than they were eventually filmed. The original scripts for the produced TV-movies offer an unadulterated view of the storyline as it was originally intended, and offer not only additional dialogue, but occasionally whole new scenes!

The unproduced script, titled THE NIGHT KILLERS, is worth discussing in its own right. Sometimes, when reading unproduced scripts, it becomes quickly apparent why they were left on the shelf. THE NIGHT KILLERS, however, is superior to THE NIGHT STRANGLERS, in my opinion. It breaks from the formula of the first two TV-movies, and veers into X-FILES territory, over 20 years before The X-FILES was even on the air! A brilliant mix of conspiracy and intrigue, it showcases both Matheson and Nolan's imaginations, as well as their ear for clever dialogue.
In the end, Carl Kolchak will probably never be a household name. He deserves recognition, though, because he was the forefather of all the supernatural and conspiracy themed TV-shows, movies, and novels that would follow. TV-series such as the X-FILES and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER owe Kolchak a great debt, as THE KOLCHAK SCRIPTS proves, time and again. Ultimately, this is a fascinating look at a fascinating character, and well worth your attention. Any fan of Kolchak, Matheson, or Nolan owes it to themselves to check out this book.

RICHARD MATHESON'S KOLCHAK SCRIPTS is limited to 552 copies, which helps to explain its $150 price tag. (A brief sidenote: at 400 pages, that comes out to almost 38 cents per page. After reading the book, I had to ask myself if I believed I got 38 cents of enjoyment out of each page, and, in the end, I decided that I did. Yes, it's a big investment, but when one considers the limited nature of the book, in addition to its content, I think its worth the price of admission. Besides, a quick look at ebay reveals that you can't even find the DVD of THE NIGHT STALKER for less than $125!)

Summary of Richard Matheson's Kolchak Scripts

"The Night Stalker" and "The Night Strangler" were two "Movies of the Week" in 1972 and 1973, respectively, and led to the Kolchak television series (1974-1975). "The Night Killers" is an unproduced script written by Matheson and Nolan, whose rights are still retained by director/producer Dan Curtis.

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