My made
for television marathon continues with this little gem that was an ABC movie of
the week. It stars Robert Culp and Eli Wallach and basically no one else. The
two of them are scientists that have been assigned as a relief team for an
isolated testing facility high in the mountains. There they are to experiment
on chimps in the high altitude to simulate what our astronauts have to deal
with on their missions. The men are replacing another scientist who was acting
irrational and suddenly broke off contact. When they arrive they find him dead,
frozen to death in a room with the window open.
What made
the man kill himself? They don’t know and focus on continuing the experiments.
But soon they start to experience odd occurrences like the heat going off and
the generator just stopping. Windows open and equipment turns itself on as
well. But there are just the pair of men working at the isolated lab, so which
of them is responsible. Or perhaps they are just going crazy. But maybe there
is something more happening that neither of them is ready to admit until it is
possibly too late. Regardless they can’t get any help due to the snowstorm that
has the lab isolated from the rest of the world. Isolated and alone how will
the pair survive?
Be warned
that I’m going to be vague so as to not spoil the payoff. A Cold Death’s Night
could be accused of being boring. While I admit not much actually happens
beyond them fixing broken equipment and keeping the generator running I was
still sucked right in. The movie manages to create an atmosphere of mystery
that keeps the viewers’ attention until the very end. I kept trying to figure
out what the hell was going on and filling in the blanks. But I honestly didn’t
see the ending coming until it was pushed right into my face. Though if I think
about it the movie was hinting at it along while doing away with all the other
possible explanations.
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| Robert Culp was awesome |
Which
brings me to one of the things that the story and plot does well. It gives the
viewer several potential solutions for the odd things that are happening. Did
the original scientist get cabin fever and go nuts? Is that what is happening
to his replacements? That is certainly possible. Could there be someone else
sneaking around the facility causing issues? Again, that is suggested by the
doors closing on Culp’s character. Then again maybe one scientist is using his
colleague as a test subject, which is also brought up during one of their
arguments.
With the
exception of a brief sequence with a helicopter pilot at the start the entire
movie is just Culp and Wallach’s characters. They have to carry the movie with
their performances alone. As mentioned above there are some things hinted at,
but there isn’t much action until the end. And while I love the plot and think
the writing is stellar without two great actors it wouldn’t work. These guys
are great and because of them the movie is successful in creeping out the
audience.
Finally, without
spoiling anything I have to say the ending is “chilling” (pun intended) and
creepy. The little window on the door… holy crap man that freaked me out.
Obviously, I recommend this one. The link above takes you to the movie on
YouTube. Check it out!
© Copyright 2018 John Shatzer
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