Someone's Watching Me

Veteran director John Carpenter made a tiny, low-budget television movie thriller a mere few weeks before he filmed his classic 1978 "Halloween" horror classic. "Someone's Watching Me!" was Carpenter's homage to "Rear Window" and other thrillers that take place in a high-rise building. In fact, "High-Rise" was the film's original title and even though it's quite dated, "Someone's Watching Me" still keeps a viewer on the edge of their seat.

Like most John Carpenter films, the emphasis is on suspense and not bloodshed. The plot concerns Leigh (Lauren Hutton), new to Los Angeles, who moves into a towering building with many residents. She soon discovers that a maniac has been watching her through his telescope in the adjacent complex and starts leaving her menacing phone calls and notes.

As in Carpenter's "Halloween" film, the killer is hidden in mostly shadows until the final few scenes. And his heroine mimics most of the strong female characters from his other movies.

Those looking for a 40-year-old nostalgia trip are encouraged to pick up Shout Factory's "Someone's Watching Me" Blu-ray. There's one vintage special feature to watch (courtesy of the prior DVD release). In "John Carpenter: Director Rising," the horror auteur talks about the three films he made in 1978, of which "Someone's Watching" was one of them. He doesn't seem to be a huge fan of this film, as he was disappointed that it didn't become the studio motion picture he wanted, versus the TV movie it ended up becoming.

Two brand new separate interviews with Adrienne Barbeau ("Looking Back at Someone's Watching Me") and Charles Cyphers ("Carpenter's Enforcer") are entertaining and detail the careers of both cult actors. Barbeau specifically emphasizes that this film was one of the first on TV to feature an openly lesbian character.

"Horror's Hallowed Grounds," the Sean Clark-hosted staple of much horror Blu-ray releases lately, takes the viewer on a guided tour of the filming locations of "Someone's Watching Me." It was a surprise that the actual dual-facing high-rises in the film were not city buildings in Los Angeles, but rather two beach-front locations in Santa Monica, CA.

"Someone's Watching Me!"
Blu-ray
$29.99
www.shoutfactory.com