One of the more amazing artifacts from the 60s, this Altman film (shown in two parts on Kraft Suspense Theater) anticipates David Lynch's deadpan industrial style of film-making and the serial killer phenomenon (in both real life and movies). A wild cast, Phiilip Abbott (later Efram Zimbalist Jr's boss on The FBI) is Georgie Peorgie the Tri-State Killer, who casually strangles a woman in crowded strip club (originally shown on television in about 1963!) and triggers car crashes on the highway for his own amusement. Appearing are Ted Knight (yes, Ted Baxter) Robert Ridgely, Charles McGraw (Narrow Margin? Anyone?). This movie is intense and truly nightmarish, since the on-location production took the crew to Chicago, the actual freeways and freeway rest stops in and around the "Tri-state" area. It only exists as a film shown on television, since I have been looking for it for years and no known commercial copy is in distribution. It used to show up on television in the 70's, but it hasn't been seen for a long time. Think "Carnival of Souls" in color with Chicago and crowded streets and highways subbing for deserted Kansas. Don't miss it if you get the chance!
UPDATE I've since acquired the superhappyfun DVD of this movie, most of the cast (Carrol O'Connor, Andrew Duggan, Michael Murphy) are NOT in this film as listed here in IMDb. Neither is Mary Frann. The main highlight of the visual style is still the on-location filming on the streets and in a strip joint in Chicago, several scenes set in cars as Georgie drives around on the freeways and in the highway oasis above the freeways. My original remarks were based on my own last viewing sometime in the late 60s or early 70s and my memory was little hazy as to the cast. Still pretty socko. Highly recommended.
UPDATE I've since acquired the superhappyfun DVD of this movie, most of the cast (Carrol O'Connor, Andrew Duggan, Michael Murphy) are NOT in this film as listed here in IMDb. Neither is Mary Frann. The main highlight of the visual style is still the on-location filming on the streets and in a strip joint in Chicago, several scenes set in cars as Georgie drives around on the freeways and in the highway oasis above the freeways. My original remarks were based on my own last viewing sometime in the late 60s or early 70s and my memory was little hazy as to the cast. Still pretty socko. Highly recommended.