Terry's Reviews
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When A
Stranger Calls Sony Pictures Home Entertainment – 1979 Written by Steve Feke and Fred Walton Directed by Fred Walton
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| A babysitter keeps
getting creepy, whispered threats "Have you checked the children?" This
eventually leads the babysitter (Carol Kane) to call the police, who instruct her to keep
the caller on the phone so that they can trace where the call is originating. As most of
you have seen or heard (there was even a beer commercial with the same situation) when the
truth is revealed that the call is coming from inside the house, it is truly unnerving and
terrifying. There is no question that this set up was inspired by the late Bob Clark’s BLACK CHRISTMAS. Knowing that now, doesn’t take away the suspenseful power Director Fred Walton is able to manufacture in this film, especially the amazing opening sequence with the babysitter getting the call while watching the kids. For this scene alone you should watch this film. It’s almost a master class in directing suspense. Walton rackets up the tension by starting with wide shots that build to close-ups and using silence, the sound of a phone gets louder as the scene progresses to bring you to nerve shattering payoff. After the first scene, the movie does fall a little flat because it basically climaxes early. Carol Kane was a perfect choice to play with babysitter. With her diminutive stature and big eyes, she makes an excellent displayer of someone who is vulnerable. Charles Durning is cast right as the cop who won’t let the case slip away, even seven years later when the killer returns to stalk the babysitter who ends up married with her own kids. Tony Beckley is surprisingly creepy as the whispering killer because he’s not large physically but uses his voice and eyes to maximize his performance. I would have loved to see a making of documentary or had an audio commentary with cast and crew. This movie deserves that kind of recollection because of its effectiveness and influence over the genre. Believe it or not because this was more mainstream it might have influenced more people than BLACK CHRISTMAS. Fred Walton went on to direct a sequel WHEN A STRANGER CALLS BACK, which had another brilliant opening scene that could serve as a master class in suspense for all filmmakers. I’d pick up this DVD up to play one night when you want to get a chill and experience first-rate suspense. In that way, I’d consider it a classic. |
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