FILM REVIEW: SPECTRE (1977)
“It’s impossible for something to feel evil to the touch… am I imagining it?”
Directed by Clive Donner
Written by Gene Roddenberry & Samuel A. Peeples
Starring Robert Culp, Gig Young, John Hurt, James Villiers, Jenny Runacre, and Majel Barrett
An above average made-for-TV horror flick, originally aired on NBC, SPECTRE was one of several 1970s potential pilots by STAR TREK creator Gene Roddenberry that failed to make it to series. But unlike Roddenberry’s other efforts at the time (sci-fi adventures with familiar TREK themes including PLANET EARTH, GENESIS II, and THE QUESTOR TAPES), SPECTRE was an entirely different affair; a dark, scary tale of the supernatural.
Culp plays William Sebastian, a brooding, intense criminologist and occult expert who, along with his skeptical colleague Dr. Hamilton (Young), travels to London to investigate a wealthy financier who may be under the influence of a nasty demon called “Asmodeus.” Almost immediately upon arriving, Sebastian and the Doctor experience several inexplicable, life-threatening events, and soon Sebastian is convinced they are up against a powerful satanic force intent on destroying them both…
SPECTRE is an effective blend of eldritch horror and detective-style mystery, filled with black magic, witchcraft, human sacrifices, and a variety of monsters. Sure, some of the special effects are a bit cheesy (especially by today’s standards), but the genuine London locations and lurid story elements are a refreshing change for a film by Roddenberry - the producer/writer’s usual optimism and utopian outlook are nowhere to be found in these grim proceedings.
The lead characters are nicely drawn; the arrogant but brilliant Sebastian, expertly played by the always reliable Culp, is missing part of his heart due to a devilish curse, giving him all the more reason to battle the supernatural and find a cure to his debilitation. And Gig Young’s Hamilton is more than just a “Watson”-like sidekick; the Doctor is an alcoholic whose medical career is in question, and his relationship with the moody Sebastian is often a strained one. It’s too bad a weekly series didn’t come to fruition, because further spooky exploits of these two would have been very fun to follow. (In fact, X-FILES agents Mulder and Scully owe a lot to SPECTRE’s demon hunting duo.)
SPECTRE also stars a pre-ALIEN John Hurt (in a key role), and STAR TREK alumnus Majel Barrett (also Roddenberry’s wife at the time). Although it was a TV-movie here in the States, SPECTRE was released theatrically overseas with brief moments of female nudity added during the rather tame black mass “orgy” sequence (!) Such debauchery, Mr. Roddenberry!
Why this monsterific gem has yet to see the light of day in digital format when so many other less reputable productions have is beyond me. The now defunct Fox Movie Channel, which ran unedited and commercial-free films back in the late 90s/early 2000s, actually showed the “naughty” overseas cut of SPECTRE, which is where I recorded my copy from. (There are several crappy looking versions streaming currently on YouTube; definitely not an ideal way to watch it.) Come on, Severin, or Arrow Video, or Vinegar Syndrome, or Kino – release this sucker on blu-ray!
There was also a novelization of the telefilm published by Bantam Books in 1979, which is said to expand upon the characters and their backstories. The publication is long out of print and hard to come by nowadays, but it’s the only example of official SPECTRE “merchandising” that I’m aware of.
Have you seen SPECTRE? If so, whaddya think? Send me a message and let me know!
--- Shawn ‘Spectre’ Sheridan
