Lemme tell you, I definitely sensed the power of the cloak this week with the 1990 made-for-TV flick I’m Dangerous Tonight! I do so love a cursed object film, whether the cursed object comes to life to wreak havoc (like, say, your average Trilogy of Terror Zuni fetich doll) or it sits around doing nothing (like, say, your average Annabelle) or it causes people to flip out…like, say, your average (though dazzling) Aztec sacrificial cloak. So you see, the premise alone—you know, the cursed red dress and all that—meant I was more than likely gonna dig this film. But a stacked cast working with one of horror’s greatest (and most confounding) directors meant that I wasn’t just likely gonna dig this film: it’s more that we were destined to be together! You know, like Amy and that cursed red dress.

I’m Dangerous Tonight is based on a 1937 short story by prolific crime writer Cornell Woolrich; he also penned the short story “It Had to Be Murder,” which would become the basis for Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954), as well as the novel The Bride Wore Black, adapted to film by François Truffaut in 1968. Little of Woolrich’s original story—which was full of gangsters, molls, drug runners, cops, and other Dragnet types—remains in this adaptation penned by Bruce Lansbury (yes, brother of Angela!) and Philip John Taylor. The two put their television screenwriting chops to good use, however, delivering a story that’s got familial melodrama, sexy stuff, a few twists and turns, and just the right amount of horror for a basic cable flick.

That last bit is surely heightened by the fact that Tobe Hooper was at the helm. I’m Dangerous Tonight is nowhere near as gonzo as his masterpiece The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, nor his messterpiece Eaten Alive, but at times it feels like the gonzo is maybe lurking just out of sight, if you know what I mean. Hooper was no stranger to working in television, having directed episodes of several shows, including Freddy’s Nightmares and Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories…and his 2-part adaptation of Salem’s Lot remains iconic (and one of my faves). So while it may not have the razzle dazzle of his big screen work, Hooper’s cinematic know-how elevates I’m Dangerous Tonight beyond its basic cable pedigree.

The film is further elevated by that stacked cast I mentioned. Star Mädchen Amick was coasting on a wave of popularity thanks to her role as Shelly Johnson on Twin Peaks—I’m Dangerous Tonight released during the wee break between seasons one and two of the show, when it was ubiquitous in pop culture and the public’s consciousness. Genre legend Anthony Perkins is here, perhaps channeling Norman Bates (or maybe it’s simply his acting style…?), and R. Lee Ermey shows up to chew on both cigars and scenery. Once she enters the picture, though, the entire affair belongs to Dee Wallace, who gets to cut loose (literally) and have a shit ton of fun. She is delightful.

Speaking of delightful, so is my conversation with Mike Muncer of The Evolution of Horror! It’s a real treat to have him in the Manor with me this week to discuss this little gem of a movie. We chat about the good ol’ days of our Twin Peaks podcast The Detective and the Log Lady, cursed garments, the Tobe Hooper of it all, and more. I hope you’ll tune in, then catch Mike on one of the other podcasts on his ever-expanding Evolution of Horror network!