When A Stranger Calls
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Review #26 of 365
Film: When A Stranger Calls [PG-13] 97 minutes
WIP: $3.00
When 1st Seen: 5 February 2006
Where Viewed: Lincoln Square Cinemas, Bellevue, WA
Time: 10:50 a.m.
Review Dedicated to: Jay Dedrick of Littleton, CO
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DVD | soundtrack |
Ah, February, this is usually the most diverse month of the year for film releases—that was written, in case you missed it, with some heavy sarcasm. Last year February brought us such classic delights as Son of Mask, Pooh's Heffalump Movie, Constantine (not the American Idol® Constantine, the movie Constantine) and Boogeyman. Hmm, it would seem like this would be a great month to release almost anything and do well at the Box Office with that sort of flaming hot competition. Fortunately, this year, I am seeing what I believe will be some really good releases coming in February, however, if When A Stranger Calls is any indication of what’s really to come, my predictions could be a bit off. Honestly, I had thought this February scary movie showed some promise. And, to be fair, it actually is pretty scary. Unfortunately, it’s the same scare over, and over, and over, and over, and over. Scary statue down the hall, on the landing, around the corner. Scary shadow on the wall, behind the curtain, outside the window. Phone call—deep breathing. Phone call—scary static and then breathing. Phone call—scary voice. Repetitive, redundant, and recycled. And that’s not the worst of it. If the idea of a movie about a babysitter that keeps getting calls from a stranger asking her to “check on the children” sounds familiar, well, guess what, it should because this is a remake of the 1979 movie of the same name. This version stars Camilla Belle (surely you remember her as the young Sally Owens in the Sandra Bullock classic, Practical Magic—my apologies, but once the sarcasm spigot is opened, it’s difficult to turn it off) as Jill Johnson the babysitter tormented all evening. Now, I didn’t see the original. So, I cannot say which is better. I can only say this one is not that great. So, if it is faithful to the original, I can only wonder why anyone thought a remake was in order. Lately, I’ve been concerned with the idea of remakes. Sometimes, I don’t quite see the point. Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, for example, the remake brought us nothing really essential that the original didn’t already do. Anyway, I am utterly lost as to why there was a remake of When a Stranger Calls unless the studios are utterly out of ideas for movies—in which case I wish they would call me, I’ve got a ton of ideas. I’d be willing to give half of them away for free, and I guarantee they would make better movies than this one. Anyway, poor Jill Johnson gets tormented, the audience gets tormented—except Camilla Belle got paid to be in this film, and the audience had to pay to see it. The one redeeming thing about this sort of scary horror film is that…oooops, wait, no, I guess they did kind of leave it open for a sequel, darn. Oh, maybe it’s that they kind of broke new ground in that the evil character doesn’t wear a mask or use a hideous instrument of death like other more famous horror films. But, then again, those things added to the dimension of terror, didn’t they? I mean who could forget Freddy’s glove or Michael Meyer’s hockey goalie mask? Scratch that then. Maybe it was the element that in this film we have absolutely no clue as to why this maniac is a maniac? But, would that make the movie even unintelligible, not more ground breaking? Ok, I give up. Boo, so good it’s scary?
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When A Stranger Calls [DVD](2006) DVD
When A Stranger Calls [DVD](1979) DVD
When A Stranger Calls (UMD For PlayStation Portable)(2006)
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