TransWikia.com

Looking for TV show or movie with monsters that came to life from old film reels

Science Fiction & Fantasy Asked by Max Newman on August 16, 2021

I am trying to remember the name of what I think was a TV show. This episode featured a film warehouse where monsters were coming to life from the old films. If I remember right, the hero saves the day by burning the warehouse, and as the film burns the monsters vanish.

I think this was in black and white, I remember seeing it more than once when I was kid so probably back in the 70s.

I think it was from an anthology program like Twilight Zone or Outer limits.

I think that various bad guys came to life from the film reels inducing classic movie monsters.

3 Answers

"Circle of Fear" (1972-1973 TV series)? Episode: Graveyard Shift

This sounds like episode 19, starring Patty Duke and John Astin, called "Graveyard Shift", although it's in color. The plot details seem to match up and the decade is the right one. It's also an anthology series as you remembered. This series only lasted 1 season. Below is a user review of this episode from IMDb:

Not the best the series had to offer, but not the worst either. It's a fun concept---the idea that classic film horror characters have come to life and haunt their old studio. Actually, I felt a bit sympathetic toward them! It's always enjoyable to see Patty Duke and John Astin (who were married in real life at this time), though the script doesn't really give them a whole lot to do. And I got a kick out of seeing series creator William Castle make a brief cameo as the head of the studio.

I remember finding this very scary indeed when I watched it as a eight-year-old, but re-watching as an adult I'm afraid the five film monsters just aren't all that frightening---they're more silly than scary, in fact. Overall, I'll give this an "eh..." sort of rating; it isn't terrible, but its primary charm is the result of nostalgia, rather than from being a solid, creepy story.

I didn't think they had too many episodes available, but I found this one on YouTube. You can watch the entire episode below, the film burning scene starts at about 46:50.

Correct answer by the guest on August 16, 2021

This was done in an episode of Charmed (Season 2, Episode 18: "Chick Flick").

Answered by Nicole Sharp on August 16, 2021

Are you sure it wasn't Monster Squad ? from 1987 ?

Answered by TecnoPope on August 16, 2021

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question

Get help from others!

© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP