MovieChat Forums > The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975) Discussion > Strange TV Broadcast

Strange TV Broadcast

posted 14 years ago by millere-2
6 replies | jump to latest

I was a kid when the film was shown on broadcast TV. Back in that brief period of the mid seventies, strange films like this received special "exclusive" broadcast television premiers. The US seemed to be going through some post-hippy fascination with the occult so it was not uncommon to see things like my older brother reading "Fate" magazine and I remember being fascinated with finding out if witches were "real" or not. It wasn't the kind of modern "Ghost Hunters" or "Blair Witch" fascination with the paranormal like we have today; this was more some strange surrealistic fascination with beautiful women and strange states of being. When the film premiered on TV, it was a very dreary, atmospheric mess that would not be at home on TV today. I remembered being disturbed more by the film's atmosphere than it's content and my parents kept making me change the channel so I only saw about half of it. I can't wait to get the DVD, put on a mood ring, play Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, fire up a purple lava lamp and groove to this strange time as a lay on a white fake fur rug. Does anyone else remember this bizarre and short lived "fad" in America's pop culture past?

[–] lazarillo 14 years ago

Yeah, I remember that. As a matter of fact, I thought this was a made-for-TV movie for a long time until I saw it on video a few years ago.

That was about the same time, they also started having all those bigfoot movies. Maybe, I'm prejudiced, but that seems like a lot better time to have been a kid than today is.

[–] soulshake37 9 years ago

I really like how you described this film especially when it aired on Television in the 70's . I was about 9 back then and Everything from the way the announcer used his voice to set the tone to the dark atmosphere of the music , the 1970's t.v was the best at gripping the viewer so you wanted to tune in to this very creepy movie especially us kids . This *beep* they call T.v now is a joke I feel very sorry for the kids today . Lol the 70's scary t.v rules

[–] indy_go_blue44 9 years ago

I was smack in my mid-20s when this came out; I can't say I remember it well or where I was when I saw it, but it was on tv, not a theatre, and certain things I remember well (especially "I'm going to wash your stink off of me."

I still love the movies and especially "documentaries" of the 70s. I won't use the word respect, but there always seemed a kind of love for the mysteries of the world like UFOs, supernatural phenomena, bigfoot, Bermuda Triangle and stuff like that when they at least acted like they were real and were trying to "prove" such things really existed. "In Search Of" with Leonard Nimoy is still one of my YouTube favorites.

I think it was '75 when The Legend of Boggy Creek came out, which is another of those fantastic bigfoot movies, probably mostly forgotten, that I've always loved for the atmosphere, if not the story and the acting. Maybe it was the grainy film that made them so fantastic? (Not the same thing, but I love those "Walking Tall" movies for the same reason.)

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[–] preppy-3 9 years ago

I was 13 when this came out and I conned my mom into taking me to see it (it's R rated). She was shocked by all the nudity but I was more interested in the supernatural aspect. When it came on TV about a year later I saw it again. Naturally all the nudity was cut out but that was good cause it played up the supernatural angle even more. As the OP said TV was always playing ghost, horror or supernatural movies or specials back then. Not sure why myself but I enjoyed it:) As for the movie itself it's OK. However it's pretty obvious they're more interested in female nudity than anything else:)

[–] arthurab 8 years ago

The vibe is heavy, weird and almost dreary. The music helped with that I think.

I'm still stunned by the almost soft core nature of the film. I'm amazed this was even made. There are so many beautiful women in this movie it's startling (in a good way). Jeff was bagging them left and right. But there's always a price to pay for that kind of
lifestyle, sooner or later. Jeff probably would have gotten AIDS had it taken place in the 80s or later, or shot by a jealous husband or boyfriend.

[–] cookiela2001 9 years ago

[b]"....can't wait to get the DVD, put on a mood ring, play Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, fire up a purple lava lamp and groove to this strange time as I lay on a white fake fur rug". [\b]

This made me laugh.