When a Stranger Calls (2006)

Director:

Simon West

Writers:

Jake Wade Wall (screenplay)
Steve Feke (1979 screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 February 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Evil Hits Home

Plot:

During an otherwise routine babysitting gig, a high-school student is harassed by an increasingly threatening prank caller.

Plot Keywords:

Children | Police | High School | Babysitting | Babysitter

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Camilla Belle	...	Jill Johnson
Tommy Flanagan	...	Stranger
Katie Cassidy	...	Tiffany
Tessa Thompson	...	Scarlet
Brian Geraghty	...	Bobby
Clark Gregg	...	Ben Johnson
Derek de Lint	...	Dr. Mandrakis (as Derek Lint)
Kate Jennings Grant	...	Kelly Mandrakis
David Denman	...	Officer Burroughs
Arthur Young	...	Will Mandrakis
Madeline Carroll	...	Allison Mandrakis (as Madeleine Carroll)
Steve Eastin	...	Detective Hines
John Bobek	...	Officer Lewis
Brad Surosky	...	Boom Boom
Karina Logue	...	Track Coach

Also Known As:

Bell Ringer (Philippines: English title)
Cuando un extraño llama (Argentina) (video title) (Venezuela) [es]
Terreur sur la ligne (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Chiamata da uno sconosciuto (Italy) [it]
Cuando llama un extraño (Spain) [es]
Ismeretlen hivás (Hungary) [hu]
Kad stranac pozove (Serbia) [sr]
Kravges agonias (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
Quando um Estranho Chama (Brazil) [pt]
Stranger Call (Japan: English title) [en]
Telefondaki yabanci (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Unbekannter Anrufer (Germany) [de]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense terror, violence and some language.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Australia:M | UK:15 | Singapore:PG | Ireland:15A | Norway:15 | Brazil:14 | Malaysia:U | Sweden:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Hungary:16 | Argentina:13 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:12 | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Screen Gems

Trivia:

Director Simon West opted not to show the crime scene Detective Hines has to see at the beginning of the movie to secure a PG-13 rating.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jill is lying in the hospital bed a pink balloon pops. In the next scene where it shows the floor, there is no popped balloon there.

Quotes:

Guy: Hi... What are you wearing?
Jill Johnson: Combat boots and a parka, you jerk. Who is this? This isn't funny!
Guy: Yes it is!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "HBO First Look: '10,000 BC': The Making of an Epic World (#15.4)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Lock It

Just as good as the original

Having seen the original when I was 13 (and, yes, I was stupid enough to watch it while babysitting!), I was excited to see this remake.

Camilla Bell did a great job as Jill Johnson. And the fact that a teen horror flick could be made in the year 2006 without tremendous vulgarity and gore, made it even that much stronger of a film. I had a great time trying not to chew my fingernails off!

This film won't win anyone an Oscar, but it is entertaining and worth the matinée price ticket I bought to see it. I think girls around the world should watch the original and the remake...and then determine to never babysit again.

All I can say is, I'm glad I'm too old to babysit! There's just something about being in a dark creepy house with sleeping kids that makes this movie classic. No blood, no gore...just good psychological fun! WINNER!