Nobody but Darren McGavin could have played Carl Kolchak - he was the perfect actor for the role. If you've never seen the Night Stalker or Night Strangler movies you don't know what you're missing. Made-for-TV movies, the former served as the pilot for the series which ran several years and pre-dated the X-Files by 25. It was one of those "don't miss" series in the early '70's....highly enjoyable with just enough touches of horror to keep you on the edge of your seat. You knew it wasn't real, but that didn't stop you from biting your nails if you were so inclined. It also proved you can have outstanding TV and considering what is on today, you have to wonder what happened and where the TV programmers went wrong. If you want a good scare and first-class entertainment - pick this one up now.