The Suspense Lasted Twenty Years, But Worth It
Why it took me twenty years to complete this movie. And I’m glad I waited, that’s how much I liked it. How, and why, did that happen? We need to go back to the days of the VCR. The VCR, back then, was a game changer. It revolutionized the way we watched television. Instead of rushing home, we could simply program the VCR to record the shows, the news, etc. while we attended to more important matters.
Not Everything goes to Plan
But not everything goes to plan. You could set your VCR to record a show, but will the show air per schedule? If things go off by a few minutes you end up missing either the beginning, or losing the end of it– frustrating indeed. There are obvious workarounds to that. Moreover, with partially recorded video tapes, you could only estimate how much recording time was left on it. So, you kept your fingers crossed hoping it records the set program in its entirety.
Because of these obstacles of the analog world, there was always a chance for messing up. And this is precisely what happened in my case.
Pleasant Surprise and Disappointment
In my case of setting the VCR, I had a pleasant surprise as well as disappointment. I’d set my VCR to record something, and things went as planned. However, for some reason the program ended sooner and the recording went on to record what followed. This extra recording caught my attention, and pulled me in. But then, surprise! I was beyond myself with disappointment as the tape ended in the middle of this unwanted, but interesting recording. That recording happened to be a movie.
The VCR toyed with my emotions as it tantalizingly recorded just enough of the movie, and at the most suspenseful moment, clack! The tape ended, leaving me hanging, on a movie that would not likely be aired again soon, nay decades I may add. What was the movie that grabbed my attention?
A Movie as Suspenseful as They Come
The movie in question was as suspenseful as they come. It was based on a story by Richard Matheson, who’s synonymous to suspense/fantasy/sci-fi genre. And this one was right up his alley.
The movie in question was “Dying Room Only,” a 1973 TV movie directed by the late Philip Leacock, who specialized in television movies, and dramas. Being a TV movie, your expectations might lower. But there are always exceptions, and “Dying Room Only” was definitely one. The film had a stellar cast in my favorite Cloris Leachman, popular TV star of that period, Ross Martin, and bad guy Ned Beatty. Other famous faces in include Louise Latham, Dana Elcar, Dabney Coleman, and Ron Feinberg.
So how did I get drawn into the movie?
“Dying Room Only” – A Synopsis
A bickering middle aged couple driving through the south west desert, are heading back to California. Tired, hot, and angry at falling behind schedule after taking a detour, they make a pit stop at a wayside restaurant.
They moment they pull in, it’s clear things are a bit off. The employees are hostile, unhelpful, and passive aggressive. The husband decides he’ll return the favor, against his wife’s advice.
At one point, the wife goes to the bathroom, and upon returning finds her husband missing. After a bit, the wife gets worried as no one’s really helping her. She checks out the bathroom, and the suspense peaks as she discovers he isn’t anywhere to be found. She demands to check their storeroom, against their protestation. As she peeks through the broken wall at the back with consternation, the recording ends!
Left High and Dry
It is here, where my tape ended leaving me high and dry. You can imagine how disappointed I was!
Where did the husband go? What did the wife see? How does the mystery solve, and the movie end? You would need to watch it for yourself for the answer – as I did when caught the movie again, two decades later. I recognized the name in the schedule immediately, and knew this was my chance to fill in the missing piece to the movie I had long wondered about. And my patience over the decades had certainly paid off.
My Take on Dying Room Only
I was certainly not disappointed. The writing is superb, the direction taught. The location in the middle of the desert with nothing for miles around, and a hostile, indifferent group of people just adds to the tension.
With the cast, I’ve already mentioned, you get very polished performance adding as much realism to the situation as you can get. I especially liked Ross Martin and Ned Beatty’s performances as the frustrating bad guys. Not to mention Louise Latham, who I’ve always enjoyed in past playing either helpless, gentle to downright eerie – as in this case. Dabney Coleman is almost unrecognizable, and Cloris Leachman, who I’ve always been a fan of does tremendous job as the frustrated wife.
Perfect If You Like Suspense Thrillers
If you like suspense thrillers, then this one is for you. With Richard Matheson’s “Twilight Zone” touch, you’re in for a treat. Stop the film at the point where my recording died to experience what I did. Being a genuine 70s movie makes this all the more realistic with the absence of the modern technology we have today.
The cast, the setting, atmosphere is wonderful time capsule of that era. Many of us were around that time, and would likely recognize the ambiance immediately. For those who weren’t, I’d say watch this to get the genuine feel of the 70s.
YouTube/AVショップあらんの40禁DVD紹介とか
And that is how I ended up taking two decades to watch a movie – which just could be a record! All because of the cons of analog recording, and a cool story wonderfully produced and performed by the cast.
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