Stephanie Zimbalist & Patty Duke in The Babysitter (1980)

My friend Carol introduced me to this made for TV thriller. It's creepy and has a slow build, but a great pay-off. Joanna Redwine is hired by the dysfunctional Benedicts as a housekeeper. As she settles in to the home she begins to manipulate the family members, encouraging Liz's (Patty Duke) drinking, trying to seduce Jeff (William Shatner) and while daughter Tara (Quinn Cummings) initially loves her, she begins to hate her as she sees how Joanna is using them. All along, next door neighbor Dr. Lindquist (John Housman) is observing Joanna and starts investigating her past. What will he discover, and will it endanger him and the Benedicts?

Though not available on DVD, this HBO production was released on VHS and is still available on Amazon. It can also be seen on YouTube in its entirety. The whole film is above, uploaded by TVTERRORLAND.

Obscurity factor: 9 (on YouTube and VHS, not on DVD, largely forgotten)

William Shatner & Yvette Mimieux in Disaster on the Coastliner (1979)

The glut of disaster movies in the 70's included a second tier of television films. In this one, a deranged computer programmer (Paul L. Smith) distraught at the loss of his wife and child, reprograms a rail system's computer to put two trains on a collision course, endangering the lives of the passengers. Will they be able to circumvent disaster? Along for the ride is charming grifter, Stuart Peters (Shatner) and an unhappy Paula Harvey (Mimieux). At home base, trying to solve the problem are Al Mitchell (Lloyd Bridges), Estes Hill (Raymond Burr) and Roy Snyder (E. G. Marshall). Though a fromage fest, this film has a lot of entertainment to offer. If you're a fan of bloated, second tier star spectacles, give it a try.

Though not available on DVD, you can find this film in full on YouTube. It's above in full, uploaded by TheGialloGrindhouse.

Obscurity factor: 8 (not on DVD, available on YouTube, largely forgotten except for a small cadre of fans)

Kim Darby & William Shatner in The People (1972)

So often TV movies are wonderful trash - fun to watch, but campy and without depth. This film is the rare exception. Melodye Amerson (Darby) leaves a complicated life in the city behind to live among an isolated group of people in a rural valley as their school teacher. Upon arrival she finds the children hard to reach and the townspeople closed and uncommunicative. As she tries to make progress with the kids she begins to discover a remarkable truth about the community that sets them apart. Instead of giving in to their fear of her knowledge of their secret, the people find the courage to accept her and grow into their gifts.

This lovely film, produced by Francis Ford Coppola and based on a series of books by Zenna Henderson, has warmth and a gentleness that is uncommon in popular entertainment. Look for a restrained, likable William Shatner as a country doctor. It's available on DVD, though the transfer is very poor quality, according to most of the reviews. It's also above, available in full on YouTube, uploaded by TVTERRORLAND.

Obscurity factor: 8 (on DVD & YouTube, largely forgotten)

William Shatner, Tammy Grimes & Buddy Ebsen in The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973)

There's nothing like a truly classy horror film... and this is nothing like a truly classy horror film. What it is, is a campy scream-fest that doesn't disappoint if you're looking for some wacky laughs. Alan O'Neill (Roy Thinnes) has dismantled an ancient abby from his wife's property in England and chartered a 747 to take it back home to Long Island. The unscheduled flight has been booked with only 10 passengers, including business man Glen Farlee (Ebsen), Dr. Enkalla (Paul Winfield), defrocked priest Paul Kovalik (Shatner), Jodi, a child of 8 (Mia Bendixsen) and a wing-nut who knows the dark history of the abby and is dead set against it being removed from British soil (Grimes). Once air born, strange things start to happen. In the hold, freezing temperatures set in and on the flight deck the pilot (Chuck Connors) and crew are dealing with a disturbing anomaly - the plane is stationary in the air as if they're facing a 650 mph headwind. This condition continues even when they make a 180 degree turn. As the night progresses things get weirder, including brown bubbling ooze, holes in the floor and seriously freaked out passengers. Will they survive this flight from hell?

This wacky film is not available on DVD, though it's occasionally shown on 3rd and 4th tier cable stations. It's also available in full on YouTube, thanks to a sequential upload by 70sHorrorRealm. Above is part one.

Obscurity factor: 7 (not on DVD, available on YouTube, somewhat known for its camp value)