Product: Kolchak: The Night Stalker Collector's Edition: Fire Fall & Legacy of Terror
Rating: 5.0
Two of the best episodes of the series
I was a big fan of Kolchak when it first aired, although there were some plots that to me demonstrated lameness on the part of the producers and writers. Remakes of old ghost and monster stories that have been told many times are difficult to make interesting. The episodes that I liked the most were those that used elements of non-western horror stories or relatively unknown mythology."Fire Fall" uses as its' basis something that has been reported for some time, namely that under very unusual circumstances humans can spontaneously combust, burning to a crisp in a matter of seconds without severely damaging the immediate surroundings. In this episode, the victim is ignited through the actions of a Doppleganger, a murderous spirit that has taken on the image of a famous symphony conductor. Kolchak is forced to consult a female gypsy seer in order to learn how to combat the Doppleganger as his intervention has now made him a prime target. Unfortunately, his actions in conquering the Doppleganger are little more than yelling at it to "Stop it!"In German folklore, a Doppleganger is a ghostly double of a living person and there is some scientific evidence that it is a genuine phenomenon. By selective stimulation of patient's brains, scientists have been able to produce the impression of a Doppleganger being present. What I enjoyed about this episode is that it was based on a relatively unknown aspect of the mythology of Northern Europe."Legacy of Terror" is also strong because it is based on ancient Aztec beliefs. Someone is cutting out the hearts of strong warrior types and Kolchak is on the scene when the perpetrator knocks him down and out. He regains consciousness and claims that it was a giant bird. An ancient evil Aztec god that wears a feathered costume comes back to life every fifty-two years and claims five humans as sacrifices. As was the case when the Aztec Empire was at its' height, the hearts of the victims are cut out and the people must be impeccable warriors. However, the last sacrifice must be a volunteer, he is selected and treated as a god for a year given the services of three beautiful women."Kolchak" was never better than when it branched out into areas of horror that have not been well traveled. This forced the producers and writers to create more imaginary scenarios as well as give more detailed explanatory background. When the better-known plots were used, the producers tended to rely on routines based on the viewer already knowing certain things. While this is easier, it is also unexciting.