When a Killer Calls (2006)

Excellent, a Must See

Don't Believe the Hype

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Trisha has a night of babysitting ahead of her and she has no idea that what awaits her is sheer terror in the form of a conscienceless psychopath who we see murdering a family at the beginning of the movie(a mother, her daughter and son). This killer is so cold-blooded and remorseless, he ties up his prey with rope, takes phone photos, and makes them wait out their execution. Like Michael Meyers, the killer breathes across the phone when he's across the phone with Trisha, and this is the device he uses to torment her over the period of the night. She believes that the one calling her repeatedly on the cell phone is Matt, her boyfriend. The parents of the child Trisha's babysitting actually know the killer(which means he's a local citizen and we hear his voice which sounds surprisingly friendly)and they make the unfortunate mistake of stopping off to see if he needs assistance. Ring. Ring. Ring. Prepare to hear a hell of a lot of ringing because the phone jingles over and over in this movie, THE ASYLUM's answer to WHEN A STRANGER CALLS which might also bring to mind SCREAM. Matt brings over his pal, Frank, and Frank's girlfriend(some victims to stab and slice)after Trisha specifically ordered him to not allow anyone else to come. The killer continues to threaten Trisha on the phone until she Star 57's his ass(the killer also sends her pictures of victims he butchered). Frank is a rabble rouser, a trouble maker who made a previous baby-sitting job for Trisha a disaster, smashing the parents' china cabinet. His gal, Chrissy, is also a bit of a bad girl and when the two go into the basement, a little surprise will be in store for them, interrupting their make-out session.There's a murder similar to what you might remember from BLACK Christmas(the use of a plastic bag to suffocate a victim while he's being stabbed several times). The killer is savage in how he beats and stabs victims, with blunt force, in furious anger, the sound effects on the soundtrack extra loud to emphasize the brutality of his actions. Regarding the endless phone call harassments, I did keep asking myself why she just didn't silence her phone as to keep it from ringing continuously, but then the movie would lose it's purpose, the heart of the terror of the situation is the killer's menacing voice and what he says to the heroine over the course of the running time. There's a particular scene directly lifted from WHEN A STRANGER CALLS which is more than a bit insulting. There's included the typical staircase scene where the killer falls down the steps and the heroine must cross over him, with the usual hand grabbing ankle. The barbarism towards children is especially disquieting in that the killer was just as violent towards them as other more adult victims. One victim takes a shot to the mouth with a lead pipe which knocks his teeth out! And, the killer plays with Trisha by having her rope-tied while slaughtering a victim(not to mention he rips her shirt, exposing her breasts, humiliating her). With Rebekah Kochan(one of several in THE ASYLUM's HALLOWEEN NIGHT, another slasher which ripped off various classics including HALLOWEEN)as Trisha, Robert Buckley as Matt, Sarah Hall as Chrissy, Derek Osedach as Frank, and Mark Irvingsen as the psycho. This came out the same year as the official remake of WHEN A STRANGER CALLS(starring Camille Bell)which proves once again that those of THE ASYLUM have no shame.

To sum it up in a nutshell, this film was disappointing and could have been shortened by twenty minutes.The acting was sub-par, the only decent actors of the bunch being Trisha, the killer and Molly. The music was slightly lame but fitting and the special effects were much too overused. The story/scriptwriting was poor, the unnecessary torture/romantic scenes being dragged on for way too long and a disappointing ending.The start of the film was rather slow, the fake-looking gore not much of interest. Trisha arrived at the house, and there was some premise for a good storyline.Trisha started to receive the threatening phone calls, which heightened the suspense. This momentary suspense, the best feature of the movie began to build, but then the friends crashed the place, wrecking all potential suspense/horror in the film.The plot then becomes obtuse from here on. Chemistry sparks between the two couples, and then the killer picks off Frank and the other girl. This scene was dragged on and unnecessary.The killer then makes her way for Trisha and ties her up. There is an overdone torture scene which goes on for at least ten minutes too long. As the gore is done badly this is not entertaining at all, and it bores more than shocks.In summary, the first thirty minutes of this film sound promising but then poorly written dialogue and general lack of plot ruins this film.3/10.

A lot of people find this movie to be something amazing, but I can't help but feel that the people voting for this film are people upset by the fact "When a Stranger Calls" didn't live up to their horror expectations.The producer must've got the entire cast and crew to come here and make "kick-ass movie!" comments because, unfortunately, no one with human taste would find this movie to be as good as they claim it to be.Watching this movie, I just can't help but feel this is done by a 17 year old dude who just learned a couple of new camera effects. The "special effects" in this film come up as high as weak lighting, twitchy cameras, and rain storms that doesn't even seem to cover an entire patio. Seriously, did these people use lamps and hose pipes for these effects? The deaths come up very short to today's standard creative deaths. Nothing but stabbings and slitting throats. And when I say nothing but, I mean it literally. It's 2006, at least someone could've burned! These stabbings (which looks VERY fake, by the way) just don't do for anyone anymore, it's not 1980 anymore.The characters are all predictable, and unlike it's alternate, "When a Stranger Calls" (which I think this title is only a lure for the emo-kiddies who were upset with the lack of gore from it's alternate), you have no reason to care for these characters. The protagonist, Trisha, comes up nothing bigger than the average blue-eyed teenage blondie with a hottie boyfriend, slutty attitude, and mistaken rep from the adults. She is the character we used to love to see get killed back in the early "Halloween" series. You know, back when characters were stereotyped. The only thing this movie is missing is the shower scene that literally turns into a blood bath.I do like the idea that this movie gives no mercy to the children. You rarely get to see children die, and if they do die, then you never get to see them actually get killed. It was actually disturbing but never done before. I doubt it'll start a new wave for the horror genre, but it's a good moment to look back on.The acting was... it was... unnoticeable. It's hard to throw a compliment or a complaint because I doubt you'll be paying attention. Not because the film itself is so engaging but because no one really cares about no name cast. I could easily talk about how the protagnist's, scared reactions and frightening faces come up super short but that would be like trying to prove to someone that a pickle is green.Overall, the only reason I might've given it this high of a number is because I was air-drunken enough to watch the fake ass looking slashes.

When A Killer Calls has got to be the biggest ripoff released by Asylum so far. It's about a sexy babysitter on duty who receives spooky calls from a creepy voice who asks her repeatedly, "Have you checked the girl?" Naturally she has the calls traced by the cops (after having to perform some realistically unnecessary tasks -- hanging up when "he" calls, waiting ten seconds, and dialing *57). Sound familiar? Yeah, that's why I rented it, too.Well, it should. And I hate to say it, but this could've been more entertaining than the big-screen crapfest that was released around the same time if not for one fatal mistake -- Rather than revelling in B-movie ripoff glory, it tried to do something original. It tried to make the lead character sympathetic, rather than having clichéd, campy fun with her. Mind you, this could've worked with a talented actress. But she wasn't. Sure, she looked good, and she screamed, and cried, but . . . oh well, whatever.Then came the horrific ending. Not horrific in that it was horrifying, horrific in that it was BORING. The pacing up until that point (about an hour in) was campy, clichéd, and fun. Then it heads in another direction, and it veers away from just another dumb, fun slasher movie with a sexy "teenage" cast to a Hostel-esquire gore/borefest.I guess this falls into the "Oh well, whatever" category. The lead actress flubbed a line? Oh well, whatever, I don't feel like reshooting it. We forgot to give the killer motivation? Oh well, whatever, I don't feel like rewriting it. The pacing completely changes halfway through? Oh well, whatever, I don't feel like shaving fifteen minutes off. Continuity errors? Oh well, whatever.If you like this kind of movie (dumb, cheesy, predictable, campy splatter movie with sexy cast), then you'll be fine up until the ending. The ending is stupid, it's not fun, it's not scary, it's not campy or cheesy or quickly-paced. In fact, there was almost exactly five minutes of the character doing nothing but being tied up (and that's not a spoiler because it's on the back of the DVD) and looking around at the stuff in the room, then screaming, and . . . whatever.