Its not based on any reallife incident, so far as anyone knows, but the scenario is plausible. The list of 15 horrror movies based on scary urban legends 1. A slick remake of the 1979 original, simon wests when a stranger calls is a contemporary update of a wellknown suburban legend. The princess bride 1987, scrooged 1988 who, while babysitting, begins receiving unnerving phone calls from an unknown man tony buckley. Kane, durning, and director fred walton would return for.
The legend of the babysitter and the killer who is calling from within the house is such a perfect setup for a horror movie that it has been. The 1974 film black christmas features a murdering maniac hiding in a sororitys attic who telephones after every killing. In the 1998 film urban legend, the folklore professor regales his class with. The movie when a stranger calls is based on which urban legend. The film derives its storyline from the classic urban legend of the babysitter and the man upstairs. In order to list similar films to when a stranger calls weve used various elements such as movie genre, plotline and featuring actors.
The stranger was based off of curt duncan from the original film. The sitter, when a stranger calls, and when a stranger calls back are all the work of director fred walton. When a stranger calls, is a 1979 horrorthriller film starred by carol kane and charles durning, directed by fred walton. This is an ending that appears in some of the movie versions. The character of the disturbed killer was based on a college acquaintance of. When a stranger calls 1979 40th anniversary trivia. The stillunsolved crime inspired the widely told urban legend, the babysitter and the man upstairs, which itself inspired several movies including the 1979 horror film when a stranger calls and its 2006 remake. When a stranger calls follows a high school student jill johnson carol kane. Released on february 3, 2006 is a remake of the former movie, also titled when a stranger. Similar movies like when a stranger calls tastedive. The babysitter and the man upstairs an urban legend. It plays with the urban legend of the babysitter and the man upstairs there are two versions.
When a stranger calls, also known as the babysitter and the man upstairs, is an old urban legend about a babysitter harrassed by a murderer hiding in the house by phone. Our patreon is live please check out our page on patreon for all of the details. Babysitter and the man upstairs and the truth behind it paranormal. Watch the 1979 movie when a stranger calls and the 1993 sequel when a stranger calls back to see how this legend evolved into film. The whole movie is based on an urban legend where the babysitter gets mysterious phone calls, finds out it is coming from inside the house and the kids are gone. Its based on the urban legend babysitter and the man upstairs. This is a partly discredited trope, because the whole urban legend relies on a myth about old analog land lines. The urban legend of a teenage babysitter who receives a threatening phone.
In the 1998 film urban legend, the folklore professor regales his class with this legend. Koven addresses this issue by exploring the convergence. When 16yearold jill exceeds her cell phone minutes, her parents force her to spend the night babysitting instead of attending a huge bonfire bash. I first watched this suspense tale back in 06 and it is now a regular in my dvd collection.
The stranger was based off of curt duncan from the original. A babysitter receives mysterious, threatening phone calls. The stranger is an enigmatic serial killer and the main antagonist in the 2006 american psychological horror film when a stranger calls, a remake of the 1979 horror film of the same name and based on the urban legend the babysitter and the man upstairs. The babysitter and the man upstairs also known as the babysitter or the sitter is an urban legend that dates back to the 1960s about a teenage. Its based on the urban legend babysitter and the man upstairs which has. The film derives its story from the classic folk legend of the babysitter and the man upstairs. When searching for an alternative film to when a stranger calls you might be after another film starring camilla belle or katie cassidy, or even another horror and thriller film. These are familiar phrases, thanks in large part to the 1979 film, when a stranger calls, but did you know they originated from a certain urban. The 1974 film black christmas features a murdering maniac hiding in. According to imdb, the original when a stranger calls movie released on the 26th of october, 1979 in the usa. Ask anything you want to know, or answer other people.
When a stranger calls to ask, have you checked the children lately. The babysitter and the man upstairs an urban legend liveabout. This story has terrified people for years and was successfully brought to the big screen in 1979. The movie is based on some young girls and boys who were college students and classmates. The crime on which this urban legend is based happened in 1950. Indeed, why is the study of folklore in popular film important. After the stranger calls again, the police return her call, advising her to leave immediately. Its not based on any reallife incident, so far as anyone knows, but the. A student babysitter has her evening disturbed when the phone rings.
When a stranger calls questions and answers question. When a stranger calls is a 1979 american psychological horror film written and directed by fred walton and cowritten by steve feke. Fred walton would return for 1993s tvmovie sequel, when a stranger calls back. Is the movie when a stranger calls based on a true story. Based on the infamous urban legend and featuring one of the most famous and gripping opening scenes in horror movie history homaged by wes craven in the opening of scream, fred waltons when a stranger calls is a masterclass in suspense that has rarely been equalled. The stranger when a stranger calls villains wiki fandom. What the original did so well, that its predecessor failed at miserably, was kept a.
Cosmetic sesame the terrifying cosmetic sesame urban. Urban legend, though, is just average, but this scene is great, especially because it explains what an urban legend is. Most of when a stranger calls is a ploddingly realistic, depressingly downcast crime drama. On the evening of march 18, 1950, yearold janett christman 4 was babysitting 3yearold gregory romack at his home on west boulevard and stewart road in columbia, missouri. Alligator 1980, black christmas, candyman, chain letter 2009, dead man on campus, death passage 2017, donkey punch 2008, horror movies based on urban legends, i know what you did last summer, the blair witch project, the hitcher, the mothman prophecies, toad road, turistas, urban legend 1998, when a stranger calls. After the legend went out, babysitting offers went down 15% in the uk. Favourite films that are similar to when a stranger calls. But i guess it isnt urban legend anymore because it has actually happened now.
The babysitter and the man upstairsthe babysitter and the man upstairs. During a babysitting gig, a highschool student is harassed by an increasingly threatening prank caller. So she calls the police and reports that a stranger has been calling her. It doubtlessly influenced the scream series, with the murderer who.
Its not based on any reallife incident, so far as anyone knows, but the scenario is plausible enough to give goosebumps to anyone with a sense of what its like to be young and inexperienced and alone in a big house caring for someone elses. The babysitter story is an unforgettable urban legend, often told at slumber parties. Meanwhile, both body horror cronenbergs the brood and psychological horror when a stranger calls, based on the same urban legend. They trace it and they tell her the calls are coming from inside the house.
When a stranger calls is a horror movie that uses the calls are coming from inside the house as a plot. Remake rewind when a stranger calls double feature. Carrie uses her powers to knife her to death in the movie carrie, how does carrie kill her mother. From alien to when a stranger calls, many films are based on folklore or employ an urban legend element to propel the narrative. The film has developed a large cult following over time because of the first 20. It stars carol kane, colleen dewhurst, tony beckley and charles durning. Based on an infamous urban legend, in this masterclass of suspense a babysitter receives a terrifying call. A babysitter was babysitting two kids on a friday night. Its based on an urban legend which is very similar to movies like scream and its follow ups. When a stranger calls 2006 frequently asked questions.
It is also an american psychological horror film which is directed by jamie blanks. This movie is based off an old urban legend with the same circumstances involved. But once those traditional aspects have been identified, do they warrant further scrutiny. Teenagers have been scaring each other silly with this urban legend since the late 1960s, though most people nowadays are probably more familiar with it as the plot of the 1979 horror film when a stranger calls or the 2006 remake of the same title. The original when a stranger calls was adapted from an urban legend that scared kids home alone for decades. Questions and answers for when a stranger calls 2006. A stranger calls, a remake of the 1979 horror film of the same name and based on the urban legend wikipedia. When a stranger calls helped inspire drew barrymores famous opening scene in wes cravens scream. When a stranger calls 2006 far away from the site of a gruesome murder, a teenager named jill johnson camilla belle arrives at a luxurious home for a babysitting job. A married couple were going out for the evening and called in a teenage babysitter to take care of. With camilla belle, tommy flanagan, katie cassidy, tessa thompson.
Well, i must give the film props for keeping an urban legend alive far longer than it. The 1977 short film inspired by an urban legend that. The whole movie is bringing an urban legend to life. One sudden, they discovered a stranger in the backseat of their car.
The plot of the 1979 movie when a stranger calls is based on this legend. Based on the urban legend from the 1960s called the babysitter and the man upstairs, the babysitter or just the sitter. This is most likely a version inspired by the movie poltergeist. Both films are based on an urban legend known as the babysitter and the man upstairs that dates back to at least the 1960s and exists in many, many versions. What movie is based on the book farewell the stranger by sallie o. This movie came to theaters with the dreaded slasher movie craze that included the original halloween, friday the th, and other rrated fare that centered generally on teens slaughtered by fiends. You all may of heard of this story as an urban legend, but iam not kidding, this is a real, true story. The stranger is an enigmatic serial killer and the main antagonist in the 2006 american psychological horror film when a stranger calls, a remake of the 1979 horror film of the same name and based on the urban legend wikipedia. Two suspensefilled films based upon the popular urban legend of a frightened babysitter and the menacing telephone calls she receives while watching two sleeping children.