When a Stranger Calls DVD Review:

Just in time for the release of the theatrical release of the new remake of When a Stranger Calls, the original 1979 cult classic has been re-released on DVD. There is no telling how the remake will do, and whether or not it will even resemble the original, but fans can take comfort in being able to buy the classic regardless. It is a horror film which is filled with scares without ever needing to be graphically violent. The film ends up feeling more like cat and mouse than Freddy Krueger. When a Stranger Calls has a premise which sounds more like a scary story which would be told at a campfire more than a movie, and in fact there are moments where the material seems a bit stretched, but the moments that work in this film are far better than most films ever achieve.

Carol Kane stars as a babysitter who happens to take the wrong job. Her night starts slow and easy until the phone starts ringing. She begins getting creepy phone calls from a man she doesn’t know. At first she is just angered, but when it persists she decides to call the cops. The cop which comes to her rescue (Charles Durning) finds that the phone calls are coming from within the house and they are being made by a wanted killer. Seven years later the babysitter is a mother of her own, and one night when she leaves her own child with a babysitter, she finds that the killer may still be around. Her only hope is that the same cop will come to her rescue once again.

When a Stranger Calls is a slow burn thriller, which may make it harder to appreciate for younger fans, but it is a classic especially for those who have already seen it. The beginning of the film and the conclusion are thrilling, and have some extremely scary scenes, but there are a number of scenes in the middle which are somewhat slow. Durning is great as the compulsive detective that is determined to catch the killer.

The DVD is somewhat roughly put together, and could have used a make-over before it was re-released. The cover art is somewhat blurry and doesn’t look great, but it gets the idea of the film across decent enough. The menus are pretty much the same, and there are no real special features aside from the trailer. Fortunately the picture still looks rather good, although a digital touch–up would have been nice.



Ryan Izay