Films: Madame Sin (1972), Killdozer (1974), The UFO Incident (1975)
Directors: David Greene, Jerry London, Richard A.Colla
Starring: Bette Davis, Robert Wagner, Clint Walker, James Earl Jones, Estelle Parsons
Country: USA
Imprint has included a trio of delightfully weird 1970s made-for-television-films in their TV Movie Of The Week: Collection Five (1972/1974 /1975).
These include 2K restorations of Madame Sin (1972), Killdozer (1974), and The UFO Incident (1975). All three movies are presented in 1080p high-definition.
The boxset comes beautifully packaged in a sleek box with funky colourful new cover designs for each movie. It also includes a card, providing a blurb for each movie, along with the special features.
The first two films have commentary track, and the final movie has an accompanying feature length documentary about the film’s composer.
Picture and Sound
The picture and sound quality is fantastic across all three films. Each film is presented in 1.33:1. The transfers bring out the bold rich colours of the 1970s. We see the warm earthy tones of the era with their intense earthy hues. In darker scenes, there are deep shades of black, enlivening shadows and dimensions of the picture.
The sound is presented in LPCM 2.0 Dual Mono which brings a rich sound and depth, and an all encompassing effect in some scenes as layers of sound come from each direction. The score was particularly eerie in The UFO Incident.
Madame Sin
Madame Sin (1972) starred Hollywood royalty Bette Davis as the eponymous supervillain when she was in her mid-60s. It’s a zany off-beat Bond-esque spy thriller which has the tone of a good old-fashioned giallo. Davis is fiendishly wicked in the role which seems designed for her talents. Robert Wagner also stars as an ex-CIA agent who Madame Sin has abducted to carry out her ambitious plot to steal a nuclear submarine.
Davis has wonderful chemistry with co-star, and Brit, Denholm Elliott, who features as Madame Sin’s advisor. They chew up the scenery conspiring together. There’s also thrilling North By Northwest-eque moment where Wagner dodges an attacking helicopter in the middle of the Scottish highlands where it was shot on location. On location shoot really elevated the high concept elements of the story.
Film:
Special Features
- 1080p high-definition presentation on Blu-ray from a NEW 2K scan of a 35mm interpositive by Imprint Television
- NEW Audio commentary with film historian Gary Gerani
- Interview with Robert Wagner (2.52 mins)
There’s a brief interview with Wagner (2.52 mins) which is mostly clips of the film with a few snippets of Wagner speaking about how the project came about and getting Davis involved. He also mentions not getting on well with director David Greene. This is a topic that’s explored in the excellent audio commentary with film historian Gary Gerani which delves into why the film was made for ABC television, why it was given a theatrical release in Europe, the behind-the-scenes drama and plans for it become a TV series.
Killdozer
Killdozer (1974) is a bizarre small-scale proto-slasher movie about a killer bulldozer. It’s based on a short novella by science-fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, the only feature length movie adapted from his works.
The cult film takes place on an island where a small production crew must complete their project. While they’re toiling away, an alien life force which seems to have been trapped in al rock manages to transfer itself to one of the bulldozers. Strangely, while the bulldozer is causing mayhem and killing off the workers one-by-one, the workers have no option but stay put and complete their task.
The film meets expectations with some funny vaguely menacing set pieces, more goofy than scary, involving the killdozer. Although, between these moments, there are constrained moody scenes between the workers, filled with tension. Western star Clint Walker features as the flawed hero who must take down the engine and fills the role with a sense of pathos and realism.
Film:
Special Features
- 1080p high-definition presentation on Blu-ray
- NEW Audio commentary with Amanda Reyes, Dan Budnik and Nate Johnson from the Made For TV Mayhem podcast
The film comes with a commentary track by the Made For TV Mayhem podcast. I’ve listened to commentaries by this group before and once again it has a chilled-out hang-out vibe that makes for a pleasant listen. They speak in-depth about author Sturgeon, the actors and the other creatives involved in the project.
The UFO Incident
The UFO Incident (1975) is a peculiar character study with the tone of The Twilight Zone (1959).
It’s based on a real-life event where a middle-aged American couple believed they were abducted by aliens while out driving on a rural road in the state of New Hampshire. The film is effectively a three-hander as it follows a psychologist investigating the case, of Barney and Betty Hill, using hypnosis to get the couple to recount the unnatural and eery tale.
Some of the special effects are a bit naff, but that’s to be expected from a 51-year-old production. Though some of it does remain unsettling, especially some of the medical equipment the alien use. The success of this movie comes down to the superb acting. An interracial couple is at the centre of this drama so it’s fascinating to see how the racial fears and anxieties manifested in this era.
It stars James Earl Jones, three years before the first Star Wars movie was released in 1978, and Estelle Parsons, who’d won an Oscar for her performance in Bonnie and Clyde (1967).
Jones gives an intense pent-up performance, portraying a man dealing with anxiety and trauma from racial strife. Parsons also delivers a convincing performance which feels lived in and authentic, showing the strength in a vulnerable character. Barnard Hughes delivers a steady performance as the psychologist, anchoring the drama.
Film:
Special Features
- 1080p high-definition presentation on Blu-ray
- Romantic Mysticism: The Music of Billy Goldenberg – a 2022 feature-length documentary by Gary Gerani in a NEW 2026 remaster
I wasn’t pleased in the way of extras for this one, particularly as the film leaves you with quite a few questions. This package would have benefitted from some sort of documentary on the couple or similar UFO claims. The feature length documentary (1hr41mins) on composer Billy Goldenberg is impressive, however, with lots of famous faces talking about the musician who has had a star-studded career.
Overall disc/package:
Imprint released TV Movie Of The Week: Collection Five on 10th June, 2026.