The budgeting was tight and every dime is up there on the screen from a cast of convincing professionals (Cornel Wilde, Jennifer Salt looking fresh, Scott Glenn, good old Woody Chambliss and the scene-stealing Grayson Hall as an irascible drunk), a competently written screenplay by Elinor & Steven Karpf (who would later unleash the lovable "Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell" on unsuspecting audiences), and makeup genius Stan Winston's remarkable gargoyle creations. The film was actually a CBS television production back in the age when made for TV movies were more than just product placement vehicles. It's been a pleasure to re-discover the film now in the digital age and find that not only does it hold up, but is a superior example of low budget horror trends of the era with it's stark southwestern American locations & dusty, arid themes of supernatural horror, ala "Race With The Devil", "The Devil's Rain", "Brotherhood Of Satan", et al. "Gargoyles" is a film that many of us over 30 are familiar with from repeat viewings on late night local creature feature monster movie matinée type screenings, a form of television that has sadly gone extinct. So it's amazing that what emerged is so interesting. Temperatures at the Carlsbad, NM location baked the cast and crew, reaching 100 degrees or more the entire shoot. Speaking of budget, the film was shot with just one camera over 18 days a fact that chased away the original director. It's big budget worthy work on a shoestring budget. And the leader (Bernie Casey (Felix Leiter in Never Say Never Again, UN Washington in Revenge of the Nerds) has the perfect look that balances a regal bearing with an otherworldly aura. The look of the creatures is wonderful, as they don't all look the same. It's one of the first films Stan Winston (Terminator, Aliens) worked on, providing a variety of gargoyle makeup.
Norton (Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, More American Graffiti) and written by Steven and Elinor Karpf (Devil Dog: The Hound from Hell, The Jayne Mansfield Story), Gargoyles may be uneven, but has moments of pure joy. ] Originally airing on CBS on November 21st, 1972, it was directed by Bill L. Even today, it's hard to find on DVD (but YouTube is a whole different story).
It just looked strange and in the late 70s, it wasn't like I could on demand find it. He answered Night of the Living Dead and Gargoyles, so I was always nervous to watch this movie. When I was a kid, I remember asking my dad what movies he thought were scary.
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