director fred walton know how to grab an audience . the first 15 minute of when a stranger call be powerfully effective a we watch a helpless carol kane slowly be terrorize by a series of strange phone call inquire a to whether or not she have check the child . there be a neat twist which i be sure everyone know anyway but i would not reveal it here . sadly and the preview of the film ( much like the preview for the upcoming remake ) give away the big surprise . after the slam bang open the film ground to a dead halt a babysitter kane try to get on with her life while detective charles durning try track down the killer . the next hour be fill with tedious scene a we get needless character development when what we want be to be scar . the final sequence do provide one really good jolt which be quite unexpected but you may have already fall asleep by then . a i say director walton know how to grab an audience . when he make the sequel when a stranger call back some 14 year later he have another superb open sequence ( even well then the original ) before it fell apart the rest of the way . if only he could find a way to hold on to his audience with the full grip he apply at the beginning of his film .