The Kolchak Tapes
“The Night Stalker” AKA “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” is a seminal show that has lead to an entire subgenre of entertainment, “The Paranormal Investigator.” From “Scooby Doo” to “Supernatural” (and beyond), the paranormal investigator came to prominence with “The X-Files” but this show and many others owe a debt to the man in the blue suit, Carl Kolchak.
Episodes
September 8, 2022 • 32 mins
Professor Kendall R. Phillips discusses his work, focusing on his latest book, Kolchak: The Night Stalker from Wayne State University's TV Milestones series. The book discusses the origins and impact of the short-lived TV series and its landmark TV movies.
Get your copy today at https://amzn.to/3cToURw
Get your copy today at https://amzn.to/3cToURw
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December 22, 2019 • 66 mins
Chris and Mike wrap up The Kolchak Tapes with their special guest Richard Hatem. The three discuss the unmade Night Stalker episodes, "Eve of Terror," "Get of Belial," and "The Executioners" as well as a Marvel Comic parody of Kolchak from "ARRGH!"
Thanks again to everyone for listening and coming with us on this three year journey.
Thanks again to everyone for listening and coming with us on this three year journey.
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November 25, 2019 • 23 mins
We discuss the last filmed episode of Kolchak The Night Stalker, The Sentry. It's a tale of a lizard man who lives deep in the recesses of the earth that causes havoc (and death) at a massive data warehouse.
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November 4, 2019 • 47 mins
We wrap up talking about The Night Stalker (2005) with a discussion of two scripts for the show that were scrapped -- Ascendant and The M Word. However, The M Word would gain new life when it was re-adapted for the X-Files reboot as Mulder & Scully Meet the Weremonster. Mike and Chris talk about the changes between the original draft and the X-Files version.
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September 29, 2019 • 34 mins
On the penultimate episode of The Night Stalker, Carl takes on Helen of Troy (Cathy Lee Crosby) who has stayed alive all this time by stealing the vivacity of young hot single people. Carl is helped by his old friend Gordy the Ghoul (John Fiedler) and cabbie Kaz (George Savalas).
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August 26, 2019 • 47 mins
Richard Hatem joins us again to discuss The Knightly Murders (1975) in which an animated suit of armor menaces those who want to form a "historical discotheque". Could it be that Hans Conried is behind it? And how did Kolchak end up in the loony bin? (Or did he?)
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July 20, 2019 • 60 mins
Richard Hatem returns to The Kolchak Tapes to talk about the last episode of the Kolchak reboot that "aired". Written by Vince Gilligan, this is Mike's favorite episode of the Kolchak reboot as it includes some effective scares and even has Stuart Townsend showing some emotions in one scene.
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June 22, 2019 • 37 mins
Nanautzin, an Aztec god, needs to be sated every 52 years with five human sacrifices. In 1975 it was up to Carl Kolchak to end the cycle of violence by stopping the final sacrifice of Pepe (Erik Estrada).
Chris Stachiw and Mike White also discuss the bizarre mash-up of "Legacy of Terror" and "Demon in Lace" called "The Demon and the Mummy" which unsuccessfully marries the two episodes.
Chris Stachiw and Mike White also discuss the bizarre mash-up of "Legacy of Terror" and "Demon in Lace" called "The Demon and the Mummy" which unsuccessfully marries the two episodes.
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May 19, 2019 • 27 mins
When a series of mysterious deaths take place at a college campus, Carl uncovers the true nature of the crimes -- a Mesopotamian succubus is seeking revenge for the translation of an ancient stone tablet.
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March 31, 2019 • 27 mins
The penultimate episode of "Night Stalker" was one of a handful dumped onto iTunes in 2006. In this episode we get the return of Titus Berry (played by Stephen Tobolowsky here and Wally Cox in The Night Strangler) as Carl and the Scooby gang chase down a "vampire" who eats three pituitary glands every 35 years in order to extend her life.
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March 25, 2019 • 36 mins
In an updating of The Headless Horseman tale, Carl uncovers the past of a motorcycle gang who had a member decapitated and the consequences of his head being separated from his body. The episode includes a bevy of supporting actors including Larry Linville, Jim Backus, Jesse White, and more.
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January 4, 2019 • 31 mins
On this episode of The Kolchak Tapes, Chris and Mike discuss The Trevi Collection. Carl Kolchak gets entangled in the worlds of haute couture and hocus pocus when he discovers witchcraft behind the scenes of Madame Trevi's latest fashion line.
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December 2, 2018 • 30 mins
We return to Frank Spotnitz's Night Stalker with a "monster of the week" episode in which office workers are killed by a man (Michael Shamus Wiles) with the power to desiccate their bodies.
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November 7, 2018 • 37 mins
Reporter Carl Kolchak gets the runaround from an oil company when samples from an ice core defrost, besetting Chicago with primal beasties. Directed by Robert Scheerer and co-written by David Chase and Bill S. Ballinger, the episode is stolen by Jamie Farr as a disgruntled high school teacher.
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October 2, 2018 • 40 mins
Hailed as one of the best "Night Stalker" episodes, Mr. R.I.N.G. has Carl Kolchak writing an obituary for a scientist who happened to be working on a cutting-edge robotics experiment for the Tyrell Corporation. Under the guise of defending America's taxpayers, Carl tracks down Mr. R.I.N.G. (Craig R. Baxley), the titular Frankenstein monster.
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September 2, 2018 • 39 mins
Mike & Chris discuss the two-part story The Source and The Sea that brought the Kolchak mythology roaring back on the back of the Four Cyclists of the Apocalypse. It's the story of a DEA agent whose wife is on the run from the same forces of evil that plagued Carl and his dead wife.
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August 4, 2018 • 94 mins
A Jewish neighborhood in Chicago is the new hunting ground for an Indian Rakshasa, a creature that masquerades as the person its victim trusts most. But that's the Rakshasa's problem when Carl is on the case... he doesn't trust anyone.
Screenwriter Richard Hatem (Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, The Mothman Prophecies, Supernatural) join Chris and Mike to discuss this solid episode of The Night Stalker.
Screenwriter Richard Hatem (Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, The Mothman Prophecies, Supernatural) join Chris and Mike to discuss this solid episode of The Night Stalker.
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July 1, 2018 • 36 mins
On this episode we discuss Malum (2004) which exemplifies everything Mike & Chris felt was wrong with the re-boot series as well as The Energy Eater (1974) in which Carl battles another invisible monster, this time with the help of William Smith as Jim Elkhorn.
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June 3, 2018 • 32 mins
Richard Kiel returns as the monster-of-the-week in "The Spanish Moss Murders". This time he's a Peremalfait, a creature springing from the dreams of a man deprived of sleep in a study by Dr. Aaron Pollack (Severn Darden). Carl has to get around police-captain-of-the-week Joe 'Mad Dog' Siska (Keenan Wynn) to investigate the the Cajun busker underbelly of Chicago.
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May 29, 2018 • 99 mins
Carl pursues the malevolent Native American spirit of The Diablero (Richard Kiel), a shape-shifter who's stealing the riches of Chicago's dowagers.
We're joined by guest co-host Mike Wallace. This episode features an interview with Night Stalker writer John Huff.
We're joined by guest co-host Mike Wallace. This episode features an interview with Night Stalker writer John Huff.
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