Bette Davis & Rosanna Arquette in The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978)

When Nick and Beth Constantine (David Ackroyd and Joanna Miles) stumble upon the charming town of Cornwall Coombe, CT, they think they've discovered the perfect haven for themselves and their daughter Kate (Arquette). They're told the house they've fallen in love with isn't for sale, but several weeks later they get a call from a couple they met in town who tell them that the owner would like to meet them. When they meet Widow Fortune (Davis) she warmly welcomes them to the town and makes them an offer on the house they can't refuse. The Constantines pull up stakes in New York and settle in the charming town to start anew. All is idyllic until Nick starts to feel uneasy about some aspects of the traditions and history of the town. It's people have eschewed modern methods and stick to farming styles practiced since ancient times. There's some tension between residents interested in change and the majority of the townsfolk who stick to "the way." As the family experiences the quaint festivals surrounding the growing season Nick's uneasiness deepens. Is something sinister going on in Cornwall Coombe?

This television film was actually a two part mini-series, based on the book Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon. It's never been released on DVD or VHS in a complete version, though you can find an edited version on both formats that leaves out much of the plot. It's also available in full on YouTube, thanks to an upload by TVTERRORLAND. The sound is low and there are a few jumpy cuts here and there, but you get the full story with all the subplots.

Obscurity factor: 8 (no full versions available on any media, on YouTube, not well remembered)

Valerie Harper & Ruth Gordon in Don't Go To Sleep (1982)

Laura and Phillip (Harper and Dennis Weaver) have just lost their oldest daughter Jennifer (Kristin Cumming) in a terrible automobile accident. In an attempt to pick up the pieces of their lives they move from Los Angeles to a small town north of the city with their two other children Mary and Kevin and Laura's mother, Bernice (Gordon). The first day in their new house proves unsettling to Mary who begins to hear voices calling her name. After the family has retired, Mary is heard screaming. Upon bursting into her room her parents discover her bed engulfed in flames. She's rescued, but is understandably shaken. As the story develops, the voices Mary hears begin to take on the physical form of her sister Jennifer. Jennifer is seeking revenge for her death, which she blames on the family. One by one, they're picked off in strange accidents. Is Mary having a psychotic break and acting out her feelings about Jennifer, or  is it really her and will she claim the entire family before she can be stopped?

This supernatural thriller has a bleak, eerie quality to it that's heightened by its utterly ordinary setting in a typical suburban home. It's interesting to see Dennis Weaver playing a flawed dad after his signature role of McCloud. This television film has never been released on DVD. It did get a VHS release 9 years after it was made and tapes can still be found. It's also available in full on YouTube, thanks to an upload by Kreechum. The entire film is above.

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

Ruth Gordon & Patty Duke in Look Whats Happened to Rosemary's Baby (1976)

The elaborate machinations of the coven to control and influence the life of Satan's child is the subject of this sequel to the 1968 film. It's divided into three parts, the first takes place when Adrian (Phillip Boyer) is 8 years old. His mother (Patty Duke) absconds with him, trying to save him from the influence of the coven. Part two  takes place 20 years later when Adrian (Stephen McHattie) is a young man and part three continues after a traumatic incident in Adrian's life that leaves him with amnesia. The story is a bit muddled, but the suspense is maintained. Look for Tina Louise, Broderick Crawford, Donna Mills and Ray Milland in roles and look for Ruth Gordon reprising her role as Minnie.

This television film has never been commercially released on DVD. It can be found in full on YouTube, however, thanks to an upload by 70sHorrorRealm.

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

Robert Foxworth, Stefanie Powers & Elke Sommer in The Astral Factor (1976)

Roger Sands (Frank Ashmore) hates his mother so much... He was put away for murdering her and after a spree as a strangler of celebrity women six years ago. In the intervening time he's studied up on psychic phenomena for which he has quite a talent; he's learned to make himself invisible. He uses this skill to escape from the locked ward he's been kept in and goes about the LA basin wreaking havoc on the witnesses who put him away. On the case is Lt. Charles Barrett (Foxworth, looking very foxy) and Detective Holt (Mark Slade) a newbie detective Lt. Barrett takes much pleasure in breaking down. They have quite a time tracking Sands down because of the invisible thing, eventually witnessing a killing right before their eyes. As the witnesses are picked off one by one, can Barrett and Holt stop Sands before he kills Chris (Elke Sommer)?

This film is one of the wackiest I've featured this month. It's chock full of cliches, questionable acting, bad special effects and general camp - in short, it's wonderful! Barrett is from the Starsky and Hutch mold of detectives - blustery, sarcastic and quirky. He's shacked up with Candy (Powers) who refers to herself in the third person, calls Barrett "teddybear" and sees him off to the murder investigations with a cheery "have fun!" It has a very TV movie vibe to it, which is only mitigated by the nudity of both Foxworth and Powers in a scene where they're awakened by Det. Holt. If you're a fan of movies that are so bad they're good, then this is for you. It's, oddly enough, available on DVD under this title and it's alternate title (Invisible Strangler) in two separate releases. It's also available in full on YouTube thanks to an upload by FlixUniverseMovies2.

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

Paul Williams & William Finley in Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Obscurity factor: 2

This rock and roll opus by director Brian De Palma has garnered a cult following, but still remains somewhat obscure to the general public. It tells the story of naive composer Winslow Leach (Finley) and his destruction and ultimate redemption at the hands of maniacal music mogul Swan (Williams). It's told in an epic style with references to many film and literature classics from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) to Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.

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The film is a comment on the excesses of the music industry of the 70's and is filled with grotesque imagery and outlandish scenes of hedonism. Under the spectacle, however, are some incisive insights into greed, desire and the dark side of love. Listen for Rod Serling's voice in the opening sequence of the film.

This film has something of a cult following, though it's somewhat unknown to people not versed in De Palma's work and rock and roll cinema. It's available on DVD and BlueRay and can be seen in full on YouTube. Part one is above, uploaded by bvseediermedia19.

Obscurity factor: 2 (known to many cult fans, available on DVD & YouTube, unknown to the uninitiated)

Joan Collins & Donald Pleasence in I Don't Want to be Born (1975)

Obscurity factor: 6

This wacky entry into the demon child sub-genre of horror films is more of an unintentional comedy than a horror film. Life is not easy for Lucy (Collins). She bumps and grinds nightly at a cheap London strip joint. One of her routines involves a dwarf named Hercules (George Claydon), who makes unseemly advances toward her after the show one night. She resists and is rescued by the stage manager (John Steiner) who then proceeds to make love to her. Upon leaving the club she encounters Hercules again and he curses her, telling her that she will give birth to the devil. Flash forward, and Lucy is now married to a wealthy Italian (Ralph Bates). She's pregnant and gives birth to a 12 pound baby boy, who begins to cause trouble immediately, scratching her and drawing blood the first time she holds him. The trail of terror escalates when the couple bring the baby home, eventually leading to murder and mayhem.

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This film was roundly panned by critics, calling it derivative drivel. It has since found a place in the hearts of people who love campy, over the top, bad horror films and seeing otherwise respected actors in over their heads. Look for Eileen Atkins as the avenging angel, Sister Albana.

Thought it hasn't been released on DVD, you can find it as a streaming title on Netflix and in full on YouTube, thanks to an upload by 70sHorrorRealm. Part one is above.

Obscurity factor: 6 (not on DVD, available on YouTube & Netflix, has developed a cult status)

Joan Crawford in Dear Joan: We're Going to Scare You To Death (1972)

This episode of the television program, The Sixth Sense was a departure from the standard format of the show. Instead of taking part in the action, Gary Collins acted as host for the episode, interviewing Joan before and after the story. Joan Fairchild (Crawford) has an automobile accident at night outside an imposing old house. The people gathered there are kind enough to give her shelter until her car can be rescued and fixed, however, they have ulterior motives when they sense that Joan is psychically receptive. They intend to use her as a guinea pig for their experiments in extra sensory torture. Will she be able to resist the messages they send to torment her?

This was Joan Crawford's last role, and though subdued, she gives a good performance. The episode was cut down to 26 minutes or so for syndication (in Rod Serling's Night Gallery), which left a lot unexplained, but the version above is the original 52 minute version. It was uploaded to YouTube by SixthSense1972.

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

Barbara Stanwyck & Barbara Parkins in A Taste of Evil (1971)

Susan Wilcox (Parkins) is finally coming home to San Francisco, after 7 years in a Swiss sanatarium. She's come to terms with being sexually attacked as a child and has come back to her loving mother, Miriam (Stanwyck). Upon arriving home she's met by her step father, Harold (William Windom) and the handyman on the estate, John (Arthur O'Connell) All is well until Susan starts to feel haunted by the past. She senses someone watching her in the woods, hears a man breathing in a dark room at night. She starts to feel as if she's coming unhinged when she sees her stepfather drowned in her bathtub and faints, only to find out that nothing is amiss when she comes to. Will Susan be able to leave the past behind her or is someone making that impossible?

This thriller has some unexpected twists and turns to it and it's fun to see Parkins in something other than Valley of the Dolls (1967). She looks great here in a hippie-chic kind of way. Look for Roddy McDowell as a doctor who's trying to help. This title has never been released on DVD. It is available in full on YouTube, however. Part one is above, uploaded by TVTERRORLAND.

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

Kim Darby & Jim Hutton in Don't be Afraid of the Dark (1973)

Sally and Alex (Darby & Hutton) inherit a beautiful, old, Victorian mansion and set about restoring it to its former glory. In the process, she finds a bricked over fireplace in the basement. Mr. Harris, the handyman (William Demarest) tells her to leave it alone, but she jimmies open the coal scuttle, which leads, unexpectedly, to a subterranean room. She closes it back up and goes about her business, unaware that she has freed a group of murderous goblins who are obsessed with taking her back with them into the room. She goes through a series of near misses, as the creatures try to claim her soul, though her pleas for help fall on unconvinced ears - nobody will believe her. Will she defeat the underworld creatures and survive?

This film has become something of a cult classic, inspiring a remake that was released under the same title just this past August. There are interesting sociological undertones to the plot line, with Sally's failure to convince others of her peril representing women's frustration at being unheard in society at the time. You can find this film in the Warner Archive Collection on DVD. A fan-made trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by brutallodotcom.

Obscurity factor: 3 (available on DVD, considered a cult classic by some)

James Franciscus & Lee Grant in Night Slaves (1970)

Clay Howard (a very sexy James Franciscus) has decided to chuck it all and drop out of the rat race. He sells his part of the business to his partner and heads home to tell his wife Marjorie (Lee Grant). On the way he has a terrible accident that kills two people and severely injures him. Once recovered, with a metal plate in his head, he and his wife leave on a vacation. They stop in a small town in rural California and decide to stay over night in a charming guest house. That evening Clay wakes up to find a strange girl in his room and his wife missing. He looks out the window and sees the townspeople climbing into the back of a pickup truck. Among them is his wife. When he tries to stop her, they throw him to the ground and drive off. The next morning he wakes to find his wife next to him in bed acting as if nothing strange had happened. He's inclined to think it's all a dream until he finds burrs on his wife's dressing gown. When it happens the next night he tries to get some answers out of the strange girl, but she's very vague and cryptic. Is he suffering from hallucinations or is something strange happening in this small town?

This sci-fi thriller is a kinder, more pensive version of the classic B movie It Came from Outer Space (1953). Look for Leslie Nielsen as the sheriff. It's not on DVD, but can be found in its entirety on YouTube, thanks to an upload by TVTERRORLAND. The entire film is above.

Obscurity factor: 9 (not on DVD, not well remembered, available on YouTube)

Hope Lange & Paul Burke in Crowhaven Farm (1970)

Maggie and Ben Porter (Lange & Burke) inherit a beautiful old colonial farm in Massachusetts and move from New York to live there. On their first day there Maggie starts to remember curious things about the old house. This is particularly odd because she's never been there before. Spooked, she decides she can't live there, but is talked out of leaving by her husband, who thinks it's just the place to help them through a rough patch in their marriage. As the couple settle in to the home, Maggie starts to have more intense memories of a past life as a witch. She's haunted by these memories and by various townspeople who seem kind, but have an uncanny knack of unsettling her. Is she hallucinating or are there mysterious forces out to cause her harm?

You might recognize Paul Burke from his best known role of Lyon Burke in Valley of the Dolls (1967), or if you're a fan of this blog or Joan Crawford, from Della (1964) Look for John Carradine in a small role. This film is not available on DVD, though it's been uploaded to YouTube in its entirety by TVTERRORLAND. Part one is above.

Obscurity factor: 8 (has developed something of a cult status, not on DVD, available on YouTube)

Barbara Stanwyck in The House that Would Not Die (1970)

Ruth Bennett (Stanwyck) and her niece Sara Dunning (Kitty Wynn) are delighted to see the beautiful old colonial home they've been left by a reclusive relative. It's full of antiques, charm and - as they discover after a few harrowing experiences - ghosts. With the help of Pat McDougal (Richard Egan), a local professor and one of his students, Sam Whitman (Michael Anderson Jr.), they delve into the history of the home and find a scandal that involves a revolutionary war general and his daughter who's spirits take possession of Sara and Pat's bodies. Will they solve the mystery and murder at the heart of it before the spirits reenact it in the guise of their possesed bodies?

This atmospheric story is fun to watch, thanks to screen legend Stanwyck and some great elements of suspense. Look for veteran character actress Mabel Albertson in a small role. It's not available on DVD, though it's been uploaded in full to YouTube by TVTERRORLAND. Part one is above.

Obscurity factor: 9 (not well remembered, not on DVD, available on YouTube)

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)

Julie Christie in Demon Seed (1977)

Just like Hal 9000 in 2001, this film features a homicidal computer (Proteus IV), but unlike misunderstood Hal, this one is cruel and willful. Susan Harris (Christie) is the wife of Alex (Fritz Weaver), a computer programmer working in the area of artificial intelligence. Because of his total immersion in his work, Susan thinks he's becoming dehumanized and they've decided on a trial separation. Meanwhile, the project Alex is working on - a super computer designed to mimic human reasoning and abstract thought - is starting to become somewhat difficult to handle. Little does Alex know that it's taken over his highly computerized home and is holding his wife captive as it tries to convince her to submit to heinous experiments into the human condition.

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This disturbing film has has some scary moments in it, and has an extremely bleak outlook on our relationship with technology. It also has some far reaching plot points that tend to bend ones ability to suspend disbelief. The computer is voiced menacingly by Robert Vaughn

This film is available on DVD and is moderately well known, though not a classic by any stretch of the imagination. The trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by warnerarchive.

Obscurity factor: 6 (somewhat known, on DVD)

Richard Burton & Lee Remick in The Medusa Touch (1978)

Obscurity factor: 7

Author, John Morlar (Burton) has a peculiar gift. He can induce calamity and disaster at will. Perhaps that's why someone bludgeoned him to within inches of death. By all accounts he should have died but he's kept alive on machines in a hospital where his brain scans are remarkably active. Inspector Brunel (Lino Ventura) leaves no stone unturned in his search for Morlar's assailant. His search eventually leads him to Dr. Zonfeld (Remick) who gives him accounts of their sessions to try and help Brunel find leads. It's through her that we learn, in flashback, of Morlar's gruesome past.

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My thanks to Oliver Hazen for suggesting this title. It has a dark outlook that's heightened considerably by taut performances by the leads. The quality of the acting covers up some inconsistencies in the plot, such as why a psychiatrist is counseling her patient on the circumstances and not the motives of the past. All in all, it's a good thriller with some fun disaster sequences and edge-of-your-seat tension.

It's available on DVD, though only in a format playable on region 2 players. You can also watch it in full at StageVu.com. The trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by hideseek124.

Obscurity factor: 7 (known better in Great Britain than the US, on DVD, available on line)

Olivia deHavilland & James Caan in Lady in a Cage (1964)

To round out this week of "Grand Dame Guignol" films we turn to Olivia deHavilland. My friend Matt Maranian suggested this one. Mrs. Cornelia Hilyard (deHavilland) is a wealthy widow who has some temporary ambulatory problems because of recent hip surgery. Because of this she has an elevator in her home. After seeing her son off on a long weekend vacation she finds herself trapped in the elevator due to a power failure. She's alone in the house with no one expected home until the following Tuesday. In her calls for help, she attracts the attention of an derelict who enters the house, ignores her predicament and steals from her. He fences her belongings and brings his friend Sadie, a prostitute back with him to take more, but they are followed by a trio of psychopathic hoodlums lead by Randall Simpson O'Connell (Caan) who proceed to terrorize her beyond her wildest nightmares.

The bleak and hopeless tone of this film is a bit off-putting. The impression of humanity that it presents is one of complete and total selfishness and disregard for life, so it must be taken with a grain of salt. It's notable in that this is James Caan's first credited big screen role. Also in the film are Ann Southern and Scatman Crothers. This film is available on DVD, though is out of print. It can also be seen in full on YouTube, though the uploader has disabled embedding. Click this link to watch it.

Obscurity factor: 8 (on DVD, but largely forgotten)

Homebodies (1974)

Obscurity factor: 8

This is a curious little film that reflects the spirit of rebellion that was prevalent at the time it was made. The residents of an old building in an unnamed city are about to be evicted to make way for a shiny new sky scraper with luxury rentals. They've watched as the residents of the whole block are relocated without care or compassion and are grimly determined not to let it happen to them. Meanwhile, the construction site of the first building in the complex starts having fatal accidents that result in work stoppages. Are the residents of the tenement waging war on their evictors?

This film is one part social commentary and one part horror film. The murderous impulses of these octogenarians are at once comical and repulsive and the graphic depiction of the gruesome acts, while minimal is effective. The deeper, melancholy message about how we dispose of our aged is also on full display. Look for Ruth McDevitt and Ian Wolf as the super and his wife.

This film is not yet available on DVD, though you can find it over at iOffer.com. You can also watch it in full on YouTube. The first installment of it is above, uploaded by dalekenbuck. I forget who brought this one to my attention. Whoever you are, thank you...

Obscurity factor: 8 (not available on DVD, known to horror buffs, available on YouTube)