When a Stranger Calls

[Digifruitella]

So what's up? How come no thread on this..it's not THAT bad.

I saw this tonight and I actually enjoyed it. The atmosphere was definitely there and I did not mind the pace at all, somehow it might sound weird but I didn't feel like I was bored. Not the best psychological horror movie but it was decent. Call me crazy, I dug it. about 6/ or 7/10. Nice atmosphere, once again. I dug the house set and the overall outside location. Pretty effective. Got that "soundstage" feel too.

The audience I was with helped it. The first time we see that shot of the "stranger" on the ceiling looking down on JIll, this girl a row down from me unveiled what was probably the single most loudest and longest scream that I had ever witnessed with my own ears, ever. It was insane. Some obnoxious blacks people behind me kept laughing, It fueled my fire so much that I wanted to tell them to STuFu, but I was alone, so had to take it all in. Argh., hate obnoxious teens.

[ilovemovies]

I'm actually looking forward to this. I HATE the original movie. It was really, truly boring! So this is a remake that makes sense to me. It makes much more sense to remake a bad movie than to remake a good one. The trailer is pretty good though I must confess that I've seen this movie advertised SO many times on television that it's starting to turn me off on the movie.

[SpikeDurden]

My friend and I went to see this yesterday truly as a joke, and boy was it awful. I will admit that the movie has a decent 'air' about it, and Camilla Belle will be a nice leading lady, but the film is a plodding mess that throws you red herring after red herring with nothing actually exciting or remotely suspenseful happening until the last 15 minutes. Also, if the entire purpose of the first two acts of a film is to build up to the finale, both the build up and the finale need to be a bit, well, better. The sum of one shitty part and one slightly decent part does not a good movie make. I would like to note that the house, especially the absoultey fucking amazing bird/water garden in the middle is simply one of the coolest houses I've seen in a long time, and I would love to have that sort of garden in my own house one day.

Stay away unless you have absoultey nothing better to do, or you plan to attend simply to laugh at it.

*/****

[Sigur509]

Nay this trailer.

I see it 10,000 times a day it seems.

[chinton]

I dont understand why t his movie was made. The idea to stretch a five minute to a whole movie is so stupid. And it really shows. The first hour is dead air as we all know the guys in t he house and we just got very boring scenes of her either answering the phone or going into a spooky room. And we also get to sit through boring teenage drama and lots of lame scares.

The movie actually s tarts about 20 minutes from the end. Then it gets relatively exciting. The preceding hour is very lame though.

5/10 (More forgettable than bad)

[EDsoulsurvive*]

The performances look terrible and the previews show too much. And According to critics and the people I know who've seen it, When a Stranger Calls sucks. It's going to drop like a rock next weekend, IMO.

[slasherfan]

Originally posted by EDsoulsurvive*
The performances look terrible and the previews show too much. And According to critics and the people I know who've seen it, When a Stranger Calls sucks. It's going to drop like a rock next weekend, IMO.

Yeah, way to many movies opening next weekend, FD3 and Firewall should steal a lot of WASCs audience.

[Digifruitella]

Originally posted by slasherfan
Yeah, way to many movies opening next weekend, FD3 and Firewall should steal a lot of WASCs audience.

Well, Firewall sucks anyways, considering the review that was posted on AICN..so I see that dropping fast too.

The one movie I can't wait for in the coming month is...

The Hills Have Eyes

now that looks like a remake that's 100x better than the original. Alxendre Aja is gonna make it big in the horror community, i sense it.


Left: Aja.

[jolanar]

I saw this movie and it was pretty freaking awesome.

7/10

[CreeperBEATNGU]

It was pretty weak.

The bulk of the flim just goes in tedious circles. A slow build is fine, but they didn't build any more after an hour than they did after 15 minutes. The lead actress is horrid. Her acting is like something out of a spoof. There are too many false scares and not enough real ones.

Much like Hostel, this is a film with potential that wasn't realized thanks to poor execution(though this one is nowhere near as bad as Hostel).

[chinton]

At least Hostel had something going on it. Since there is nothing in this movie f or the firs t hour it makes significantly better than hostel for me

[The Prowler]

So I am guessing I should use my gift certificate on this one. I still kinda want to see it even though I know exactly what to expect. I have seen some good remarks by other schmoes so I might somewhat like it. I also plan to see this in the afternoon with no punk kids ruining it. I swear one day I am gonna snap at them for ruining so many movies. I have heard major complaints about the teeny boppers on this one. I swear screaming in a movie is dumb.

[Digifruitella]

Originally posted by The Prowler
I have heard major complaints about the teeny boppers on this one. I swear screaming in a movie is dumb.

You know, when that one girl fuckin screamed her intestines out during my show I didn't see what the FUCK was so scary about a quick flash of a scene where the guy is on the ceiling looking down on her. Stupid teens.

As for the movie, I'll say it again. While most people seem to hate it, I don't care I'm sticking to what I thought of it. I dug it. Yeah it was a long buildup but I didn't mind it at all. I didn't feel like "get to the point" I see what West was trying to achieve here with the build up. He wanted to play it out psychologically, get into the girls head. Well, it wasn't the best achievement of course but it was alright. Gotta say, the house was so cool. I wish I had lived in such a house. It's awesome.

[MadsenOMC]

Originally posted by Digifruitella
I didn't feel like "get to the point" I see what West was trying to achieve here with the build up. He wanted to play it out psychologically, get into the girls head.

That is giving Simon West way too much credit. The point of the build up is too drag out the running time to feature length. From the start the audience for this was teens. I don't think West spent much time worrying about whether or not he was successfully playing it out psychologically.

[chinton]

I dont mind build up either but to me repeating two scenes (phone rings girl goes to spooky room to check out) ad naseum isnt build up its padding.

[Mystique963]

I will give this the same reaction that I give most PG-13 horror movies. If it was rated R, it could have been a lot better. Honestly? Not a bad movie. Belle did an okay job, but I think that the script may have been lacking because it seemed that she was only a good actress when she wasn't speaking. I know for a fact that she can act, so I blame the script. Other than that, there really wasn't a whole lot else to the film. I really wish they could have gone into more... stuff, but again with they would have needed the R rating and therefore we're back to square one.

Oh well. Maybe we'll get some unrated version of the DVD.

** 1/2 out of **** or B-

[silentasylum]

This movie is okay, I thought, kind of soft but what could I expect from a pg-13 movie. But even without the gore they could have made this creepier I thought.


6/10

[veddhead83]

Steaming Pile of Travelin' Pants!!!!

*SPOILERS*

Terrible movie, endless flaws(1 - the lights turn on when someone is in the room, but not when the cat is on the kitchen counter 2. security co. calling for one alarm but not for any of the other alarms throughout??? 3. the friend and her car magically appear although there is a giant steel barracade blocking the driveway?? 4. how did the garage door open without making a sound, but she could hear the ice maker from across the house??? 5. when the power goes out, how is there light shining on jill's face throughout the house??? 6. Why didnt Jill check on the kids, isnt she supposed to be babysitting??? 7. Jill barely knew these people, why was she snooping through all of their belongings??? I could go on and on, but I just dont feel like it.) The acting was as weak, if not weaker than Hostel - which is pretty bad. And what was with the climax??? That's it!?!?!?!

[Mystique963]

Weaker than Hostel? Oh come now...

[veddhead83]

Originally posted by Mystique963
Weaker than Hostel? Oh come now...

It's pretty lame....