Spectre was an entry into the horror/fantasy genre that was already waning on television in the late 1970s. It's a pilot that wasn't sold into a series, which was too bad, because it was intelligent, spooky, and for its time frame a bit shocking. Sebastian, the lead character, was excellently played by Robert Culp and Gig Young was great as his partner, an alcoholic doctor. Majel Barrett was Sebastian's housekeeper; heck, it was a Gene Rodenberry production, wasn't it, and that means she had to have a role. She was actually very well-suited for the part of combination witch and protectress of her boss and his friend. We really liked how she cured the doc of his drinking problem by slipping him a potion that would cause nausea in him every time he tried to consume alcohol.
The plot was well-written, with nice twists here and there. Sebastian has done paranormal investigations long enough to know to trust nobody. Even the most innocuous-appearing person may be evil or even an evil spirit. When approached by a beautiful and seductive woman, he dispatches her by pressing an ancient holy text (the Book of Tobit) over her heart and changing her back into a hideous succubus. Taking a case is taxing for him; Sebastian alludes to an ongoing thorn in his side, which means he suffers some sort of chronic pain, and his work is draining on him. However, he accepts a difficult case involving a young man who's undergone a marked personality change. To Sebastian, such behavior means either possession or something even worse. When he unravels the mystery, oh, yes, it's something way worse. . .
The effects are pretty good, considering the limitations of both budget and time frame; the smoke and flashes are way better than stuff seen on Dr. Who or Space: 1999. There are also some fairly sleazy scenes at the satanic worship bits which pushed the envelope, somehow making it past the television censors. But the acting still remains the best reason to watch this. The cast, from leads to bit players, all did a great job. The script was intelligent and suspenseful, with a fine twist at the conclusion of Sebastian's investigation and a climatic scene involving an attempt to fix a broken seal. All in all, this was a great movie, whether pilot or stand-alone, and we highly recommend it for fans of spooky horror.
The plot was well-written, with nice twists here and there. Sebastian has done paranormal investigations long enough to know to trust nobody. Even the most innocuous-appearing person may be evil or even an evil spirit. When approached by a beautiful and seductive woman, he dispatches her by pressing an ancient holy text (the Book of Tobit) over her heart and changing her back into a hideous succubus. Taking a case is taxing for him; Sebastian alludes to an ongoing thorn in his side, which means he suffers some sort of chronic pain, and his work is draining on him. However, he accepts a difficult case involving a young man who's undergone a marked personality change. To Sebastian, such behavior means either possession or something even worse. When he unravels the mystery, oh, yes, it's something way worse. . .
The effects are pretty good, considering the limitations of both budget and time frame; the smoke and flashes are way better than stuff seen on Dr. Who or Space: 1999. There are also some fairly sleazy scenes at the satanic worship bits which pushed the envelope, somehow making it past the television censors. But the acting still remains the best reason to watch this. The cast, from leads to bit players, all did a great job. The script was intelligent and suspenseful, with a fine twist at the conclusion of Sebastian's investigation and a climatic scene involving an attempt to fix a broken seal. All in all, this was a great movie, whether pilot or stand-alone, and we highly recommend it for fans of spooky horror.