Remember the story of the boy who cried wolf? The little brat who got a kick out of screaming "Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!" and all the villagers would show up to kill the beast, and there was no wolf. The kid just wanted to get everyone worked up? And after awhile, the villagers started calling the little brat's bluff?
Well, When a Stranger Calls is that annoying little loudmouth brat. "What's that in the kitchen? Creep closer closer. I heard a sound! Something's there gasp oh, it's just a cat. Wait!!! What's that shadow over there? Gasp! Oh, it's only the coat rack. Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! What's that?! Oh, it's only (fill in the blank)." Yes, it's an hour of false-scares on parade, and before too long I started calling the film's bluffs.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! I see a light on in the guest house"
No one's there.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! But I have to go through the dark windy jungle-ish trees of this gigantic property"
So what? No one'll be over there.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! The phone rang! Who is it?! The stalker or a friend"
Oh, who the hell cares?! It doesn't matter either way.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! There he is"
Yes, just standing there in 'creepy' silhouette doing absolutely nothing.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! But"
Oh stop it. This film doesn't have the courage or the balls to look me in the eyes, much less let anything bad happen on screen (or let "anything" happen on screen period.) It's a PG13, politically correct, safe "horror/thriller."
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! But"
Now you're just being annoying. You're bluffing. You know it. I know it. We both know it. The killer will remain in deliberate silhouette, walk slowly, and do nothing more than reach out and grab Jill. And once he has a hold of her she'll get free. I repeat: this screenplay doesn't have the balls to let anything bad happen on screen. Knock it off already.
Let's revisit Hitchcock's famous analogy for suspense there's a bomb under the table, and it goes off that's surprise. There's a bomb under the table and it doesn't go off that's suspense.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Just kidding! There's no wolf, and I didn't really have a bomb under the table."
I know.
Well, When a Stranger Calls is that annoying little loudmouth brat. "What's that in the kitchen? Creep closer closer. I heard a sound! Something's there gasp oh, it's just a cat. Wait!!! What's that shadow over there? Gasp! Oh, it's only the coat rack. Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! What's that?! Oh, it's only (fill in the blank)." Yes, it's an hour of false-scares on parade, and before too long I started calling the film's bluffs.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! I see a light on in the guest house"
No one's there.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! But I have to go through the dark windy jungle-ish trees of this gigantic property"
So what? No one'll be over there.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! The phone rang! Who is it?! The stalker or a friend"
Oh, who the hell cares?! It doesn't matter either way.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! There he is"
Yes, just standing there in 'creepy' silhouette doing absolutely nothing.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! But"
Oh stop it. This film doesn't have the courage or the balls to look me in the eyes, much less let anything bad happen on screen (or let "anything" happen on screen period.) It's a PG13, politically correct, safe "horror/thriller."
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! But"
Now you're just being annoying. You're bluffing. You know it. I know it. We both know it. The killer will remain in deliberate silhouette, walk slowly, and do nothing more than reach out and grab Jill. And once he has a hold of her she'll get free. I repeat: this screenplay doesn't have the balls to let anything bad happen on screen. Knock it off already.
Let's revisit Hitchcock's famous analogy for suspense there's a bomb under the table, and it goes off that's surprise. There's a bomb under the table and it doesn't go off that's suspense.
"Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Wolf!!! Just kidding! There's no wolf, and I didn't really have a bomb under the table."
I know.