Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

I remember seeing this movie a couple of times in the late 60's. A very profound movie that was ahead of its time. It had a very great effect on me as a teen growing up. Gene Hackman and Jackie Cooper did great jobs in their roles. The raising of the American Flag was the most important scene in this movie. The dictator in this movie, as played by John Forsythe, smacks of what this county would be like under fascist or communist rule (both of which are on the left, people!): AKA Obama and his administration. The Society of Man in this movie is very much like the Tea Party movement of today: Both were vilified by the mainstream press and the dictator in power.

When it aired, "Shadow on the Land"'s premise was barely credible: an unexplained national emergency so terrifies the country that Congress grants the President virtually unlimited emergency powers, which he promptly uses to establish a national security agency charged with hunting down the nation's external and internal "enemies." Soon the country is awash in curfews, traveling papers, checkpoints and managed news. Dissent is unpatriotic and quashed in the name of security and national harmony. In response, a small underground emerges dedicated to revealing the corruption and our loss of freedoms. Run as a TV movie, "Shadow on the Land" should have done better than it did, and might have made an interesting series had it received better viewer response. Unfortunately, its cautionary message of a fearful America willing to surrender basic freedoms seemed preposterous. Not helping was a fairly plodding script, generally heavy-handed characterizations and an absence of any sense of impending menace or danger. Still, "Shadow" featured such dependable lead actors as Jackie Cooper, John Forsythe, Gene Hackman, Carol Lynley, Marc Strange and Janice Rule, supported by a strong cast of future character actors including Scott Thomas, Bill Walker and Ken Swofford. All the actors -- Cooper and Hackman especially -- gave solid performances despite the script, which must have seemed something of a fantasy to everyone involved. While many of the casting decisions were predicable, there was one truly inspired piece of casting that set the show apart: John Forsythe as General Wendell Bruce, head of West Coast security and the resident villain. Setting his likable "Bachelor Father" (1957-1962) persona on its head, Forsythe created a disturbingly complex and believable nemesis: intelligent, dedicated to his duty, sophisticated, articulate and likable, with a ready smile and well-tailored suits. It was truly chilling to watch him, and helped build a case for the type of people who might someday convince us they were only there to "protect" us. Given the current political and social climate, "Shadow on the Land" was clearly a show forty years ahead of its time – an unusually cautionary tale raised in a television era still dominated by fare such as "Beverley Hillbillies," "Batman," "Death Valley Days: and "Hawaii Five-O." Someone ought to find it in the archives, dust it off, and either run it or redo it; I think we'd be far more willing to believe its vision of America than we were in 1968. Still, given that same climate, one has to wonder if the show could be done today. The premise strikes far too close to home, and patriotism isn't what it used to be. We've clearly demonstrated that as a people we are now perfectly willing to sacrifice a little freedom for security and safety, just as were the citizens of "Shadow." On a final minor note, one has to wonder if our Homeland Security folks realize that their eagle logo bears a haunting similarity to "Shadow"'s homeland security agency emblem. If we don't learn from history – even fictional ones – we are somehow doomed to repeat it.

I too saw this when I was a teenager (I'm almost 49 now). I only saw it once, but I remember enough of it very well. The idea that through apathy or lack of controls, our government could be hijacked from us left a lasting impression on me as a young teen. I remember the resistance movement, the concentration camp, the flag at the end... Now, I'm telling everyone about it in light of the events unfolding in our nation today. People need to pay attention to what's going on... If anyone can provide me with a copy of this movie in any condition, on any media (VHS, DVD, .mpg file) let me know please. Does anyone find it "weird" that you can't find a copy of this anywhere to buy? Not on Amazon or on Ebay? [email protected] - Barry

Chalk me up as another view who saw this movie decades ago, and never forgot it. The parallels to the Bush regime are haunting.Unfortunately I have it on good authority that this movie will NOT be released on DVD unless an independent company is willing to take it on, a la Shout Factory! and SCTV.The problem is that SotL probably isn't well known enough. The potential sales are too low. On the plus side, the master film DOES still exist...and there has definitely been an increase in interest lately, thanks to Mssrs. Bush & Cheney.It has been a long time, but I still remember the final scene, when the flag was raised...the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. What a powerful moment! A remake would be pretty mind-blowing, don't you think? I'm rating it a "9", because it has been so long since I saw it. There's a lot that I don't remember.