It’s Horror With a Touch of Salt (Jennifer Salt) When She and Cornell Wilde Meet "Gargoyles"- Tonight!

Tonight on MeTV, it’s desert disaster when we bring back an early 70s "made for TV" movie that many viewers can’t get enough of! An anthropologist author and his daughter take a trip to the desolate area to work as “mythbusters” and skeptically research creatures that prove to be all too real-and ready to rule over mankind – beware the "Gargoyles"!

The lovely Diana, daughter of Dr. Mercer Boley, writer and investigator/debunker of demonology, meets her dad at an airport in the American southwest. She will act as the photographer on her father’s new book project and depart for the next research destination- but seem to have taken the wrong route. Along their way, they stop at a “tourist trap”- a desert curio shop that verges on being a sideshow. Checking out the place’s inventory, in case -by some miracle-there are any real artifacts there, they meet its grizzled old proprietor, Uncle Willie. The old codger senses that the pair has little regard for his inventory and definitely are not taking his artifacts seriously- so he tries to impress them by revealing one of the bona fide items he stores in the back of the shop.

He shows them the display of a skeleton of some sort of creature, but the doctor scoffs, thinking it’s just a combination of various animal bones, kind of like displays of the mythical jackalope. Diana, however, takes note of Willie’s serious demeanor about the skeleton, and begins to think there's some truth to it all. Sensing that perhaps it isn’t just some ballyhoo to hoax gullible suckers ,Diana rolls tape and records him, as he begins a far too lengthy history lesson about the area and what he’s found;

Day gives way to night, and as Willie continues describing some ancient Indian beliefs, a strong windstorm unexplainably rises. But-is it more than just a windstorm? Something otherwise provides horrible mayhem, ending in a huge destructive fire that proves to be bad news for Willie and his shop. Dad and daughter barely escape the conflagration, dragging with them the skull from that odd creature skeleton display. However, the worst is yet to come, because, as they drive away, their car is attacked and battered by shadowy figures!

They fortunately escape the onslaught, and manage to limp their beat-up car to a gas station where the attendant is shocked by the amount of damage the vehicle has sustained. Since it will obviously take a while to fix it all up, they head to the adjoining motel, run by a boozy woman who obviously has not just fallen off the wagon, but possibly been run over by it!

When day breaks, Dad and Diana head out to report the previous night’s mishaps to the police- who are currently busy apprehending a pack of local young men on motorbikes (watch for one of the squad cars to miraculously change from a Chevy to a Ford in the proceedings!). The officers believe these “no-good punks” are responsible for the tragic blaze at the old museum-but Doctor Boley and his daughter know better. Yet, they are reluctant to reveal the truth about what they experienced, because they just don't think the cops will buy their story- at least not yet.

Back at the motel that night- Diana and Dad get some frighteningly unexpected visitors- actual gargoyles, seemingly in search of the skull from the museum! After a confrontation, the gargoyles escape, but one is killed- and Doc takes it back to their room (there goes the security deposit!) to study, believing it was these very gargoyles that were behind the museum incident- and that the skull may have belonged to one of their ancestors!

The next day, Diana heads out alone to the police department- hoping to convince the cops that the boys they've locked up are not to blame for the destruction of the shop -but the police and , rudely, even the guys she's trying to help laugh off her story of odd creatures.

No good deed goes unpunished, as, after darkness falls, she returns to the motel- as do the gargoyles, intent on reclaiming their dead comrade’s body-and even more! Before long, it’s up the doctor- and anyone he can convince of the gargoyle threat- to protect his daughter- and stop the weird creatures before they launch their sinister plans for the human race!

This 1972 movie’s cast includes big screen star Cornell Wilde, the alluring Jennifer Salt, notable "Dark Shadows" TV show cast member Grayson Hall, and a very young Scott Glenn- plus, the late Bernie Casey as the head of the gargoyles. Along with information about the movie, its make-up artist, and its cast, we again bring you a takeoff on a popular 80s TV show, a questionable commercial product, a song based on a tune by a friend of ours (a talented musician whose group got its start in- BERWYN!) -plus- an encore of a chat with one of our very nice, very evil wrestling pals, and a new conversation with our friend the great Joe Bob Briggs about the history of the drive-in from last year’s Flashback Weekend- as well as that year’s costume contest- and some vintage fun!!

"Gargoyles" fly onto your screen tonight on MeTV at 8 pm eastern/pacific, 7 central, or check time and channel in your area in local listings or at www.metv.com . You can join us on Twitter as we again trend nationally due to our viewers’ live-Tweeting during the program, using the hashtag #svengoolie. Chicago area viewers will geta second look at Jack Palance as “Dan Curtis’ Dracula"- at 11 am on our main local station, CW 26.

Coming soon- information about our first public appearance of 2024! We will once again be a guest at the C2E2 Comics and Entertainment Convention in Chicago- watch for details!

And- be watching tonight for Cornell Wilde’s encounter with the even wilder “Gargoyles”!