Don't Believe the Hype

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

As is the case with many of these movies, I had never heard of "Black Noon" and had it not been for you tube, chances are, I never would have. The movie takes place in the days of the old west and follows a reverend named John Keyes and his wife, Lorna, who find themselves at the mercy of the desert when, out of the blue it seems, they are rescued by folks from a small town. At first, everything seems fine until Lorna starts falling in and out of sickness, until the reverend is seemly bringing "good luck" to the town that had experienced misfortune, and until the wife begins hearing voices and seeing people dressed in strange garb with animal masks in the dead of night. Anyone who's seen enough horror movies probably knows where this is going: its a devil cult and a damn good one too! In fact, I would go as far as to say this probably one of the best devil cult themed movies I have ever seen due to the good acting from Roy Thinnes as the reverend, Ray Milland as the town's leader, the beautiful Yvette Mimieux as "Deliverance", and Hank Worden as old man Joseph. It also helps that the props for the town are very well done and the filmmakers know how to effectively film some creepy, dream like sequences. The only bad thing I can find with the movie is that its been allowed to be forgotten. Still, if you ever get the chance, "Black Noon" is a great way to catch some quality storytelling from an age in which they knew how to do it. P.S. If you should ever find yourself traveling in one of America's great deserts and you come across some people from a town called San Melas, don't accept their help; instead, RUN!!!

Finally got to see this classic TV movie on an unofficial disc recorded from an old VHS, it is a classic piece of horror. Its a pity more of this neglected corner of horror in terms of official releases on DVD and VHS ... the TV horror movie. Recommended for all fans of the 70's TV movie much like trilogy of terror. Those interested should get the book on the subject by David Deal - Television Fright Films of the 70's. Email me for a chance to see it.....its fabulous to see it again.It does have it problems like many TV movies they have to be rather inventive in the effects dept and even at 70 mins it can seem to drag possibly we are all used to more modern editing but still great stuff and far better than many theatrical frights released today.

Like many people on this site, I saw this movie only once, when it was first televised in 1971. Certain scenes linger in my memory and an overall feeling of disquiet is how I remember being affected by it. I would be fascinated to see it again, if it was ever made available for home video.Possible spoiler: I wonder if anyone else would agree that the basic plot setup and characters might have been derived from a 1960 British movie, originally titled City of the Dead, retitled Horror Hotel for the American release? There are some similarities also to a later British film The Wicker Man.One detail remains with me years after seeing the film. It's a small but significant moment near the beginning of the film. As I recall, a minister and his wife have stopped to aid some people by the side of the road, circa 1870, somewhere out West. The friendly seeming Ray Milland introduces himself and his ( daughter?), Yvette Mimieux, a beautiful young mute woman. While the preacher is helping Ray Milland with the wagon, a rattlesnake slithers into view and coils menacingly, unobserved by any of the characters except Yvette Mimieux. She doesn't look scared at all, but stares at the snake with silent concentration, until it goes away. With this strange little moment, we already realize there's something highly unusual about these seemingly normal folks, though the possible danger to the minister and his wife remains vague and uncertain for a long time.That one little scene stays with me vividly after all these years, along with many others. The film has a haunting quality about it that won't let go, and it's not surprising that people remember it so vividly. Someone ought to make this available for home video!

This one is a classic late sixties,early seventies horror flick in that the bad guys win in the end. Reminds me a lot of the Orsen Welles's picture "Necromancy". I remember Yvette Mimieux from the film "H.G.Wells' The Time Machine. One of the main characters is played by Roy Thinnes. He starred in a classic Science Fiction TV show "The Invaders". He also starred in a Science Fiction Movie called "Journey to the Far Side of the Sun". Also a favorite of mine. This TV movie came out right about the time that Rod Serling's "Night Gallery" TV anthology,and just prior to Sabastion Cabot's "Ghost Stories" TV anthology. The everyone is in on it Plot Device also sort of reminded me of "Murder on the Orient Express". The dark gloomy bad guys always win was a trend in both film making and especially the Horror segment of the industry in the 1960's to 1978-79. Another movie with the same sort of atmosphere is "The Torture Garden" with Burgis Meredith. My favorite part of this movie is the scene as they are leaving town in a pick-up truck and you see that San Melas is Salem in the rear view mirror.