Robert F. Lyons
West Point graduate lieutenant Jeff Knight meets cynicism when taking command of sergeant Michael McNamara’s tour veterans platoon in a Vietnamese trench camp. Unlike his predecessor, who hid till the end of his tour, Jeff takes charge, experiences the manual doesn’t allow coping with all realities and gets wounded. He returns, now fully respect by men and superiors. Besides the Vietcong, the platoon wrestles with the inscrutable villagers, which the G.I.’s officially protect, but also fear as some collaborate with them, other covertly with the Cong, either way subject to bloody reprisals.
Based on the real-life Richard Speck murders, amoral, nearly psychotic killer Warren Stacey (Gene Davis) is a serial killer who has murdered a number of women; he stabs them while they are naked to minimize leaving any physical evidence. Police detective Leo Kessler (Charles Bronson) is convinced of Stacey’s guilt and, over the objections of his partner, plants evidence to get him behind bars. When Stacey is released on a technicality, he threatens to go after Kessler and his family, leaving Kessler to defend himself against a killer with little help from the police.
Samantha and daughter Blake invite Chloe, a foreign exchange student from Britain, into their California home. The two girls become close friends but Samantha’s uneasiness begins with the suspicious death of Blake’s boyfriend. Samantha sets out to prove her daughter’s innocence, discovering Chloe’s ultimate plan is to “adopt” Samantha as her “mum”.
Bubba, an intellectually disabled man, is falsely accused of attacking a young girl. Disguised as a scarecrow, he hides in a cornfield, only to be hunted down and shot by four vigilante men. After they are acquitted due to lack of evidence, the men find themselves being stalked by a mysterious scarecrow.
Ed Altman is a psychiatrist who relocates to Palm Springs, Calif., in order to avoid a lawsuit. However, he happens to wander directly into more trouble when he begins an affair with the rich and beautiful Ally Mercer (Annabel Schofield), who has her own reasons for becoming involved with Ed. Soon Ally’s other lover, the volatile Nick, is caught in the intrigue, which results in murder, betrayal and numerous shady dealings.