Is the opening scene of When a Stranger Calls one of the most tense pieces in cinema history?

[Guestx]

A while back I took an Intro to Film class and the instructor liked to show various scenes from movies to illustrate whatever he was talking about. For an example of how to effectively build tension, he used the opening scene of the original When a Stranger Calls from 1979.

After watching the scene, I had to agree with him. I'm not sure how it would play to younger audiences, but I did indeed find it very effective. Out of everything that we watched in that class, this is probably the thing that stuck with me the most.

Has anyone here watched it? If so, what did you think?

If you haven't seen it, wait until you can shut the lights off and avoid all distractions--turn your fucking phone off!--and check it out:

 

[Guestx]

lol

no

Stop post-whoring.

 

[Guestx]

It was done to add dramatic effect

Then it was like a scene right out of a Uwe Boll script.

Drama failure, bro.

Besides, you're wrong if you don't respect the hands of When a Stranger Calls.

 

[TheRuthlessOne]

Ok lets redo this

When i think of tense moments in cinema the first thing that comes to my mind is a recent movie

Sicario and the freeway shoot out

 

[Guestx]

Ok lets redo this

When i think of tense moments in cinema the first thing that comes to my mind is a recent movie

Sicario and the freeway shoot out

That was a great scene. But a different kind of tension.

It was more like . . . action tension. Gun shots could ring out at any moment.

When a Stranger Calls is more like . . . the accumulation of dread.

 

[BisexualMMA]

Absolutely.

Great scene, great movie. Great performances from all four leads. Unfairly forgotten over time.

 

[Guestx]

Absolutely.

Great scene, great movie. Great performances from all four leads. Unfairly forgotten over time.

I've actually not seen the whole film. My instructor showed us both the beginning and the end, and said the middle isn't particularly good. Having already seen the way the film begins and ends I never felt compelled to go back and watch it all the way through.

But that opening was some edge-of-your-seat shit for me. The 70s-era aesthetic, which I have always found to be unnerving in and of itself, only added to my discomfort.

 

[BisexualMMA]

I've actually not seen the whole film. My instructor showed us both the beginning and the end, and said the middle isn't particularly good. Having already seen the way the film begins and ends I never felt compelled to go back and watch it all the way through.

But that opening was some edge-of-your-seat shit for me. The 70s-era aesthetic, which I have always found to be unnerving in and of itself, only added to my discomfort.

The middle is slow, but meaningful in that 1970s sort of way. The stuff that happens involving the killer is quite interesting to me. Makes him one of the more intriguing and even sympathetic villains of his type.

 

[Guestx]

The middle is slow, but meaningful in that 1970s sort of way. The stuff that happens involving the killer is quite interesting to me. Makes him one of the more intriguing and even sympathetic villains of his type.

Maybe one day I'll go back and check it out from beginning to end.

I know they remade this movie but from what I've heard they fucked it up pretty badly.

 

[BisexualMMA]

Maybe one day I'll go back and check it out from beginning to end.

I know they remade this movie but from what I've heard they fucked it up pretty badly.

I didn't bother to watch the remake. I was pretty sure it would suck balls.

 

[Zer]

I only saw the remake. Strong jailbait in that one

 

[Guestx]

I didn't bother to watch the remake. I was pretty sure it would suck balls.

From what I understand they basically took the first 25 minutes of the original, remade it, and then tacked on another hour of slasher movie to finish things out.

Here's the trailer. Can you believe they give away the big twist from the opening? What a bunch of assholes.

 

[Guestx]

I only saw the remake. Strong jailbait in that one

Was it worth a shit?

Jailbait aside.

 

[Zer]

Was it worth a shit?

Jailbait aside.

It was pretty rubbish. Jailbait aside.

 

[TheRuthlessOne]

From what I understand they basically took the first 25 minutes of the original, remade it, and then tacked on another hour of slasher movie to finish things out.

Here's the trailer. Can you believe they give away the big twist from the opening? What a bunch of assholes.

is the asshole being inside the house really the big twist?

 

[Guestx]

It was pretty rubbish. Jailbait aside.

I might have to give it a look at some point just out of morbid curiosity.

 

[Guestx]

is the asshole being inside the house really the big twist?

YES!

 

[BisexualMMA]

From what I understand they basically took the first 25 minutes of the original, remade it, and then tacked on another hour of slasher movie to finish things out.

Here's the trailer. Can you believe they give away the big twist from the opening? What a bunch of assholes.

 

[dawnignited]

Yeah, that shitty remake giving away the twist in the trailer pretty much spoiled this movie for me before I ever got a chance to watch it for myself. It's still a strong opening for a horror movie, even if the rest of the film doesn't really live up to it.

 

[EvilDDS]

I was young when this came out and it freaked me out. Should watch it again to see how it holds up