Expert: 7devonapes - 3/30/2007

Question
This film was a made for TV movie c 1970-1976. A man goes after a family for revenge.(Can't remember motive.)He torments the family in a variety of ways . The most memorable is when he attacks the daughter and her friend while they're swimming in a lake-he runs over them with a motor boat, while the girls tread water and scream for help. At the hospital, we are told that "They think they can save her leg." Later the stalker seems to be dead, the family goes home-and finds a box which may contain long-stemmed roses on their porch. The voice over says,"If you believe in the power of good, the box contains flowers. If you believe only in the power of evil, the box could contain....anything." The end. We never know what's in the box or if the stalker's still alive. In retrospect, it's a Cape Fear rip off. I'd still like to see it again, though.

Answer
Hi Diana,

The made of TV movie you're looking for is actually a movie-length (100 minute) pilot called "Force of Evil" for the 1977 television series "Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected." The plot is as follows:

"A man terrorizing a family who would send them boxes in the mail with pieces or personal items from the family members that were disappearing... the last shot is a delivery man at the door with a package & the remaining family afraid to open the box...

It ends with a deliveryman arriving at the lead female's home with a long white box. Earlier in the film she received the same box with what I believe was her husband's arm in it. As she stares at the box a voice over comes on that says something like 'If you believe in the good of mankind then the box only contains flowers. However, if you believe in evil'...”

The following two imdb.com links contain further information about this title:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285569/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125648/

There are currently several VHS copies of "Force of Evil" for sale on eBay.

Best of luck,
Ryan