Why is this movie so scary? Others have mentioned the isolated farmhouse, the hazy atmosphere, the feeling of being alone, and the naiveté of the girls. Although some have criticized the teen-age actors, I think the story holds together because Libby and Kit's silly behavior (trying to appear sophisticated while really looking childish) is believable of 15-year-old girls then and now. Crawford, as a domineering neighbor, adds the camp. The slam-the-car-door scene is priceless! And have you ever seen a made-for-horror-movies necklace like the one Joan wears here?

This is not a movie which could be made effectively now (a poor remake was made in 1988) because the plot devices demand a 1960s-type telephone system. Today, a parent calling up to check on a child could almost always ring through on "call waiting"; ripping a telephone out of a wall is meaningless in the age of cell phones; and "Caller ID" and "Call Return" should make phony phone calls a thing of the past. Even at the time, it required viewers to suspend logic to believe that Mrs. Mannering, hearing non-stop busy signals, would not demand an "emergency cut in," which did exist at the time, or that this middle-class family lacked an extension phone. But these are minor nits.

The letterbox version now being sold is excellent. Make sure you see the trailers before and, especially, after the film. If you like this film, you will also like Strait Jacket, another Castle-Crawford pairing.


IF YOU WANT 'CAMP', THIS IS THE MOVIE FOR YOU!   February 7, 2000
John T. Howton (Atlanta, GA United States)
23 out of 26 found this review helpful

If you want chilling, hilarious fun, this is most definitely entertainment at it's CAMPIEST best! Joan Crawford, as 'Amy', is totally filmed through gauze to soften the effects of her hard living & hard drinking years in Hollywood. Be sure to catch the scene where she is serving a cocktail & almost falls on her face! (And it wasn't even edited out! ) Notice the scene where she slams the car door & her beehive hairdo literally falls apart! When she screams, "Get outta here!", her voice sounds like an outraged truckdriver! The overacting is just priceless - every scene is better than the one before! Her long, dramatic death scene is done to the hilt! This is 'Mommie Dearest' to the MAX! I love this movie! Get out the popcorn, mix the cocktails, & get ready to be scared & to LAUGH your head off! We love you, William Castle! I give this film 5 Wire Hangers! It's absolutely TERRIFIC!


If Hitchcock had directed The Patty Duke Show...   September 30, 1999
Steven Lambert (Arlington, TX USA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

In the days before caller ID when I was in my early teens, my friends and I would sometimes fight boredom by making prank phone calls: "Is your refrigerator running?", that sort of thing. That was when I first saw this movie on TV, so it really hit close to home. Did it teach me any lessons? Not unless you include a few new phone ideas, but it did give me a favorite guilty pleasure movie. After over 20 years of waiting it's finally on home video. Some of the humor and acting seem a little dated now, but most of the suspense scenes are very intense even by today's standards, and it's as much fun to watch as ever.


Pretty scary when you're 8 or 9!   July 23, 2002
'70s survivor (South Dakota,United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

My sister and I saw this at a Saturday matinee over 30 years ago. I was never so scared in my life. Two images that will FOREVER stay in my mind are when the killer is looking in the window and the girl sees him in a mirror...and then when she's trying to start the car...oh my goodness! I have not seen the DVD, but had purchased the video. It is much easier to watch now, but that scene of him peeking in the window still weirds me out!! Of course, it's pretty comical watching it now. But in its day it was pretty darn scary!!


Entertaining Movie   August 12, 2001
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This movie shows how an innocent prank can turn into horror if you do it to the wrong person.Even though the acting was a little weak(the 2 teenage girls),it was suspenseful.The shower scene was too much of a copy from psycho,but it did have some good moments.I loved the funky 60's music and there were some funny prank calls they made,my favorite was to Mr.Burger when the girl said, " I'm hungry, can I eat you".Buy this movie!!