When a Stranger Calls

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IrateTyrant C From short film to short story, should've been kept shorter Based on Fred Walton's short film, The Sitter (1977), the beginning of this movie is truly unnerving and well done. Later, it returns to its original effectiveness and has a great finale. However, the entire second act drags and is not nearly as exciting. Walton obviously had a great idea for a good scare and wanted to expand on it. The story here was reused a couple of years later in the book series 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,' Alvin Schwartz. The story from the book was not reused in the movie of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019). The flashbacks near the end of the movie, here, are very effective, too, and some of the effects of the strange chanting by the antagonist are good. Other than that, I recommend watching for the first act, and then turning off. Or just watching the original short. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/25 Full Review CodyZamboni Z Terrifically intense, scary beginning and ending, Carol Kane is amazing, But major misstep is movie's middle section, spending so much time focusing on the pathetic psycho, Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/01/24 Full Review Alain E A genuine suspense movie. Until the very end the viewer has no idea what is coming next. Maximum impact will be the first time someone watches this, when you wonder what fate awaits the babysitter. The middle section is also good, as it is not clear what plans the guy has for the woman drinking in the bar. The finale is kind of lame. Like the director decided, ok, we have 90 minutes running time. Wrap it up! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/29/24 Full Review Stanny R The single most boring film I’ve ever wasted my time watching. Everyone hypes up the opener and guess what?… it’s not even that good. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/27/24 Full Review Cathy P I just watched an old review of this movie by Siskel and Ebert. They both hated it. I remember seeing this movie in 1980 and I found it filled with impending doom and very scary. I was a babysitter at the time which added to the fear. I have seen it many times over the years, and I enjoyed it every time. The 2006 remake I did not like as much. The sequel When A Stranger Calls Back is also a great movie in my opinion. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/10/24 Full Review Dave S The premise is pretty straightforward: a convicted killer of two children escapes from a mental institution after 7 years of incarceration with the intent of continuing with his evil ways. When A Stranger Calls is a frustrating mixed bag of a movie. The first twenty minutes are stellar, creating a tangible sense of dread. The final act, while a bit overplayed at times, also manages to build some suspense. The middle act, however, is an unmitigated disaster, a crime procedural filled with poorly executed scenes that border on the absurd, some terrible acting, and tinny audio that makes some of the dialogue incomprehensible. It's never a good sign when a movie starts going downhill after the first twenty minutes. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 11/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews

When a Stranger Calls

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