When A Stranger Calls Back

"The call is coming from inside the house" became a horror catchphrase back in 1979 after the release of the horror/thriller "When a Stranger Calls." Babysitters everywhere were afraid to babysit alone or answer the phone whilst on the job of sitting for children. "When a Stranger Calls" was a successful film, but with its killer firmly dead at the end there was nothing that could follow it up.

That is, until, the film's director and writer Fred Walton came up with a fresh new concept, added in a new killer, and brought back two of the original film's cast members. "When a Stranger Calls Back" was one of the first made-for-cable movies for Showtime after major studios passed on the screenplay, thinking that actress Carol Kane wasn't a big enough star.

Kane returns to her role as Jill Johnson, the terrified babysitter from "When a Stranger Calls." She's now the head of a women's trauma center after her ordeal in 1979 left her traumatized. Let's look past the plot hole that Jill was married with children at the end of "When a Stranger Calls," a fact that's never mentioned in the sequel.

"When a Stranger Calls Back" mimics the iconic opening sequence of its predecessor, putting babysitter Julia (Jill Schoelen, "The Stepfather") in jeopardy while she's on the job, terrorized by someone ringing the doorbell. Five years later, Julia fears she's being stalked by the same man, and it's up to Jill to help her. Charles Durning also returns as sympathetic retired detective John.

Besides its hokey ending (a fact that director Fred Walton agrees with), "When a Stranger Calls Back" is mostly a taut thriller.

There are also three separate interview segments on Scream Factory's Blu-ray and they make up a generous special features section:

"Directing a Stranger" – an interview with Fred Walton, who reveals many things including how there was supposed to be a third "When a Stranger Calls" film that never came to fruition

"Process is Everything" – actress Carol Kane sits down for an interesting interview, one where she explains her acting process

"A Stranger's Prey" – Jill Schoelen opens up about how this film role was her favorite

The short film "The Sitter" was written/directed by Fred Walton and gets nicely included here on the Blu-ray. You can watch the differences and similarities between this and the final 1979 movie version.

"When a Stranger Calls Back"
Blu-ray
$29.99
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