TV Snow Monster

 

 (themoviedb.org)

SNOW BEAST-1977-At the Rill ski lodge winter carnival owned by Emma (Sylvia Sidney), a snow monster kills a skier. Her grandson, Tony (Robert Logan) wants to report it but Emma is afraid it will hurt business. Then a ski patrol member is killed. Meanwhile, former Olympic gold medal winning skier, now disillusioned, Gar Seberg (Bo Svenson) and his unhappy reporter wife Ellen (Yvette Mimieux), Tony's former lover, come for a visit (Gar is looking for a job). Tony believes in the monster and wants to hire Gar to kill it but Gar is more sympathetic. They try to convince the sheriff (Clint Walker) that a Bigfoot is running around. The white hairy creature attacks the lodge and Ellen gets lost in the woods. Gar and Ellen get trapped in a cabin with the monster outside. The sheriff kills a bear and that seems to close the case even though everyone at the lodge saw the attack! Gar, Helen and Tony convince the sheriff to go hunting just in case. After the sheriff is killed, Gar has a snowdown, I mean showdown with the monster. 

The dumbest part of this made for TV movie is the monster POV shots including one with a ski pole. Written by Joseph Stefano (PSYCHO (1960) and directed by Herb Wallerstein who directed many TV show episodes but Snow Beast is his only full-length movie.

 Unfortunately, he was killed in 1985 by his live-in maid who claimed self-defense.

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Devil Kids

 

 

 (imdb)

THE HORRIBLE HOUSE ON THE HILL-(aka PEOPLETOYS)-1974-A van crashes, but 5 kids who were passengers survive. Meanwhile, a crude dictatorial jerk nicknamed Papa Doc (Gene Evans) bosses everyone around: his wormy assistant Harvey (Sorrell Brooke) and his alcoholic wife, his own bitchy wife Lovely (Carolyn Steller), his daughter Julie (Joan McCall) and her fiancé Rick (Taylor Lacher) and dimwitted servant Ralph (John Durren). The kids trudge through snow not knowing that one of the adult passengers didn't die and is following them. When he catches up with them, the kids kill him in a long very slow-motion scene. It's obvious these aren't your average kids. In fact, they are homicidal and have escaped from a mental institution! One girl (Gail Smale) thinks she's a nun and another likes fire. A young black kid (Tierre Turner) talks like he's an army officer. Another boy David (Leif Garrett) just seems weird, and a very young girl Moe (Dawn Lyn) seems normal. Poor Ralph gets hanged trying to fix the generator. Then Harvey gets an axe in the back courtesy of David. Later the nun and Moe put piranhas in Lovely's bubble bath. Harvey's wife is set on fire. After killing Doc and making a snowman out of him, they kill Rick & Julie, and go off to find "new toys". 

This very strange but pretty well-made horror film (with good acting) was directed by Sean MacGregor (CRY BLOOD, APACHE (1974)). Leif Garrett had a brief career in the late '70's as a teen pop idol. His sister Dawn Lyn had played Dodie on the later seasons of TV's MY THREE SONS. This played on cable TV as THE DEVIL TIMES 5.

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Sgt. Preston

SGT. PRESTON OF THE YUKON-This color series featured the adventures of Sgt. Preston of The North West Mounted Police who patrolled The Yukon in Canada during the gold rush. 78 episodes were produced over 3 seasons. 

Richard Simmons played the by the book but fair Mountie who always got his man usually with a minimum of killing. In all 78 the Sarge was accompanied by his wonder dog Yukon King. In the first season he rode Rex, a wonder horse. In this season there was no snow. Apparently it was the summer months where it was always daylight. The second and third seasons took place entirely in the snow bound winter. No Rex as Preston traveled by sled but Yukon King was there to pull his master's fat out of the fire many times. 

There were some guest stars and some unusual points. One episode "Gold Rush Patrol" (S 3 Ep 16) was co-written by Ron Ormond. Another was written by comic book writer Arnold Drake. Coleman Francis, the director of THE BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS acted in 4 episodes. Other guest stars: Richard Powers (aka Tom Keene), Almira Sessions, I. Standford Jolley (2), Dan Blocker, Frank Scannell, George Cisar, Keene Duncan (3), Don Red Barry, Gene Roth (2), Michael Mark, Iron Eyes Cody, John Hart, Dick Wilson (2), Harry Lauter, Bud Osborne, Fred Graham, Richard Devon, Syd Sayor, Lane Bradford (2), X Brands, Jason Johnson (2), Hank Patterson, Rusty Westcoat, Guy Williams, Jody McCrea, William Fawcett, Glenn Strange, Robert Shayne, Steven Ritch. 

                                            Coleman Francis in disguise!

The show's sponsor for most of its run was Quaker Oats. Preston ended nearly every episode saying : "Well, King this case is closed". Coincidentally Simmons had already played a Mountie in KING OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED (1940) though in an uncredited role.

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