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What to do 'When a Stranger Calls'? (Review)
It’s time to trek through some vintage features that still merit occaonal conversation. In this case, we’re talking one of the earlier and creepier slashers to hit the market, Fred Walton’s, When a Stranger Calls. While the premise had already been tackled prior to release, the picture boasts one of the finest first acts in genre history, and that alone justifies the time invested in writing this piece.
Walk with me as we head straight through the story and into the opinion…
Jill Johnson (Carol Kane) meets with the Mandrakis family to see that their children are looked after while they head out for dinner and a movie; piece of cake condering the children are already sound asleep upstairs. But Jill’s seemingly mundane evening of studies and telephone banter takes a turn for the worse, when Jill begins receiving a string of eerie telephone calls from some anonymous caller in which she is unable to identify. Have you checked the children? The caller asks repeatedly. Hetant to check on the children, anchored by fear - Jill telephones the police, who in turn arrange to have any future calls traced. As Jill continues to catch the creepy incoming calls, she begins hearing strange sounds from within the house. Before Ms. Johnson has the chance to learn the fate of the children upstairs, police phone her to inform her that those mysterious calls she’s been receiving, are originating right there, within the home.
Patrol cars are dispatched, and manage to get to the Mandrakis redence before Jill herself can become a victim, but it’s too late for the children she never checked upon. They’ve both been slaughtered, and the mysterious caller/killer, who we come to know as Curt Duncan (Tony Beckley, who died of cancer shortly after filming WHEN A STRANGER CALLS) is captured and… almost punished for his heinous crimes. Upon trial Duncan is declared legally insane and, rather than being shipped off to the pen to rot in a cell for the remainder of his twisted life, gets a ticket to an insane asylum in which he’ll call home for seven years… until he manages to escape.
 who he…meets at a bar. Tracy clearly wants nothing to do with this nut-job, and her attempts to shake the ominous nomad fail miserably. Curt tails Tracy back to her apartment where once again the two come face to face. This time however, Tracy is able to manipulate the tuation by agreeing to a coffee date. Fortunately for Tracy, that coffee date never comes to fruition. Instead private investigator John Clifford (Charles Durning), who worked the Mandrakis case for local police seven years ago is hired by Dr. Mandrakis himself to find the escaped madman and exorcise long overdue justice - by any means necessary.<br /><br />While Curt Duncan may be bat-guano-crazy, he’s not ignorant (and Tony Beckley does a wonderful job nodding to the camera, ensuring we realize just where he truly stands mentally), and he quickly catches wind of Clifford’s pursuit. John’s intervention is a great break for Tracy, as it throws the lunatic off her trail, but ultimately it could spell disaster for someone else all-together; remember Jill Johnson? Well, after all these years Jill’s moved on with her life, married and had two children of her own. And tonight, she’s gone out to dinner, leaving her two young ones at home, with the babytter…<br /><br />Much to praise here I declare! Charles Durning leads an impresve cast including the aforementioned veterans Colleen Dewhurst and Tony Beckley, as well as fresh faced Carol Kane in what remains one of her greatest roles to date. Fred Walton who directed the film, co-wrote the screenplay with Steve Feke who also produced the picture, and the two make quite the duo. Dana Kaproff provides a spine tingling score, and Donald Peterman’s cinematography is mplistic but brilliant in execution. WHEN A STRANGER CALLS is a fine example of utilizing minimal visual effects and camera trickery while remaining a deeply disturbing atmosphere, and legitimately terrifying<br /><br />mood.<br /><br />
http://i56.tinypic.com/2zp1bo1.jpg)
While I love some of the shocks this old treasure has to offer, I’d be a liar if I told you the film was perfect. The first half hour is absolute genius; the remainder of the film is a rollercoaster. There are a few noteworthy sequences in the final act, but for the most part, the film unloads its haymakers in the first act. To follow up on a near palpable tenon created in the first act of the film with a dull second frame and inconstent finale is a little sketchy. Thank the Hollywood gods the first half hour is so intense; this one could have potentially disappeared in history’s chapters, never to be seen again.Grade: C+
Walk with me as we head straight through the story and into the opinion…
Jill Johnson (Carol Kane) meets with the Mandrakis family to see that their children are looked after while they head out for dinner and a movie; piece of cake condering the children are already sound asleep upstairs. But Jill’s seemingly mundane evening of studies and telephone banter takes a turn for the worse, when Jill begins receiving a string of eerie telephone calls from some anonymous caller in which she is unable to identify. Have you checked the children? The caller asks repeatedly. Hetant to check on the children, anchored by fear - Jill telephones the police, who in turn arrange to have any future calls traced. As Jill continues to catch the creepy incoming calls, she begins hearing strange sounds from within the house. Before Ms. Johnson has the chance to learn the fate of the children upstairs, police phone her to inform her that those mysterious calls she’s been receiving, are originating right there, within the home.
Patrol cars are dispatched, and manage to get to the Mandrakis redence before Jill herself can become a victim, but it’s too late for the children she never checked upon. They’ve both been slaughtered, and the mysterious caller/killer, who we come to know as Curt Duncan (Tony Beckley, who died of cancer shortly after filming WHEN A STRANGER CALLS) is captured and… almost punished for his heinous crimes. Upon trial Duncan is declared legally insane and, rather than being shipped off to the pen to rot in a cell for the remainder of his twisted life, gets a ticket to an insane asylum in which he’ll call home for seven years… until he manages to escape.
While I love some of the shocks this old treasure has to offer, I’d be a liar if I told you the film was perfect. The first half hour is absolute genius; the remainder of the film is a rollercoaster. There are a few noteworthy sequences in the final act, but for the most part, the film unloads its haymakers in the first act. To follow up on a near palpable tenon created in the first act of the film with a dull second frame and inconstent finale is a little sketchy. Thank the Hollywood gods the first half hour is so intense; this one could have potentially disappeared in history’s chapters, never to be seen again.Grade: C+
Matt_Molgaard
Sunday 10/09/2011 at 08:35 PM | 84098
The first half of 'WHEN A STRANGER CALLS' had a lot of suspense built into it. It's Also based on that urban legend- The Babytter and the Man Upstairs.
The ending was a little weird. I didn't care with all the detective work though. But overall the movie was good.
The ending was a little weird. I didn't care with all the detective work though. But overall the movie was good.
horror3747
Sunday 10/09/2011 at 09:24 PM | 84100
The first half of 'WHEN A STRANGER CALLS' had a lot of suspense built into it. It's Also based on that urban legend- The Babytter and the Man Upstairs.
The ending was a little weird. I didn't care with all the detective work though. But overall the movie was good.
totally agree
The ending was a little weird. I didn't care with all the detective work though. But overall the movie was good.
totally agree
Matt_Molgaard
Sunday 10/09/2011 at 09:35 PM | 84102
The Remake takes the best part of the original (the first 10 minutes) and turns it into a full movie... thats why i like the remake better,
even though there is lil gore....... the original is more of a crime/suspense drama, because it was influenced by that late 70s era where magnum PI & in the heat of the night
era
even though there is lil gore....... the original is more of a crime/suspense drama, because it was influenced by that late 70s era where magnum PI & in the heat of the night
era
JBM2005
Monday 10/10/2011 at 08:53 PM | 84380
The Remake takes the best part of the original (the first 10 minutes) and turns it into a full movie... thats why i like the remake better,
even though there is lil gore....... the original is more of a crime/suspense drama, because it was influenced by that late 70s era where magnum PI & in the heat of the night
era
unfortunately i can't even begin to agree. The remake had about as much suspenon and tenon as Peter Pan. Completely soulless effort imho.
even though there is lil gore....... the original is more of a crime/suspense drama, because it was influenced by that late 70s era where magnum PI & in the heat of the night
era
unfortunately i can't even begin to agree. The remake had about as much suspenon and tenon as Peter Pan. Completely soulless effort imho.
Matt_Molgaard
Monday 10/10/2011 at 10:03 PM | 84386
