Five TV-movies you haven't seen (but should)

This is a guest post by Amanda Reyes, the author of Are You in the House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium 1964-1999.

It would probably not be an understatement to declare most made for TV movies as lost. With over 5,000 telefilms in existence, to call just a few of them “obscure” might be opening up a can of worms since this list could probably be compiled of hundreds of titles that came and went during the golden age of the telefilm (by my count, that would entail several decades, encompassing the mid-sixties until the end of the nineties). But, here I am, shaving down the list to five films that have been forgotten, and which, in my very humble opinion, deserve to be rediscovered. That’s all to say, lists are difficult. I’m sure I’m missing something noteworthy, but I do think these TV movies would play really well to new eyes, so if you haven’t seen them, give ‘em a shot.

Women in Horror and the TV Movie Genre that Embraced Them

This is a guest post by Amanda Reyes, author of the book Are You in the House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium 1964-1999 

Rising from the ashes of the slasher heyday of the early 1980s, academics and fans alike have embraced the notion of the female-centric horror film. The term “Final Girl” has become part of the genre’s everyday lexicon, and the character has evolved in many different and fascinating ways. Charting the direction of the Final Girl from Laurie Strode in Halloween (1978) to Neve Campbell in Scream (1996) communicates the ways in which horror filmmakers have addressed female spectatorship. And if you were to dig even deeper (and may have already if you read Richard Nowell’s excellent Blood Money), then you can see how second-wave feminism played a part in cultivating the types of images and themes that might attract a female viewer. This goes all the way back to the mid-seventies when Bob Clark’s Black Christmas (1974) gave Olivia Hussey a chance to demand independence, foster female friendships, and direct herself in ways that spoke to the self-aware women in the audience. But even before that seminal proto-slasher set the tone, television was already doing the same work, in an attempt to reach that female demographic, most notably in the made for TV movie, where women were considered the most desirable viewer.

Book tip - Are You in the House Alone? by Amanda Reyes

Do you feel nostalgic when it comes to old-school TV movies? Do you want to know more about the subject? In that case, I have the perfect book for you: Are You In The House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium 1964-1999 by Amanda Reyes.

If her name sounds familiar, it's probably because you read her website Made for TV Mayhem or her essay on Locusts in When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals. If there's one thing we should say about Amanda Reyes, it's that she's extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the subject.

The first half of Are You In The House Alone? consists of essays focusing on several aspects of genre TV movies, including famous TV heroes and heroines, eco-horror, rape-revenge and rape-response films, Cold War films, Stephen King on TV, small screen exploitation, forgotten gems, the USA World Premiere Movie, and much more.

The second part is compiled of mini-reviews. After a little overview of TV mini-series (such as The Dark Secret of Harvest Home, Helter Skelter, V, etc.), we are treated to mini-reviews of made-for-television movies divided by era: 1964-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999, until cable and the 2000s. Each review starts with a small description of the plot, so you immediately know whether the film is right up your alley or not.

Would you like to know more about Are You in the House Alone? We had a chat with Amanda Reyes about her new book.