When a Stranger Calls (2006)

Director:

Simon West

Writers:

Jake Wade Wall (screenplay)
Steve Feke (1979 screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 February 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Evil Hits Home

Plot:

During an otherwise routine babysitting gig, a high-school student is harassed by an increasingly threatening prank caller.

Plot Keywords:

Guesthouse | Alarm | Underwater Scene | Security System | Arrest

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Camilla Belle	...	Jill Johnson
Katie Cassidy	...	Tiffany Madison
Tommy Flanagan	...	Stranger
Tessa Thompson	...	Scarlet
Brian Geraghty	...	Bobby
Clark Gregg	...	Ben Johnson
Derek de Lint	...	Dr. Mandrakis
Kate Jennings Grant	...	Kelly Mandrakis
David Denman	...	Officer Burroughs
Arthur Young	...	Will Mandrakis
Madeline Carroll	...	Allison Mandrakis
Steve Eastin	...	Detective Hines
John Bobek	...	Officer Lewis
Brad Surosky	...	Boom Boom
Karina Logue	...	Track Coach
Rosine 'Ace' Hatem	...	Rosa
Escher Holloway	...	Cody
Molly Bryant	...	Parent
John Waugh	...	Man Calling Dog
Owen Smith	...	Officer
Jessica Helmer	...	Additional Officer (as Jessica Faye Helmer)
Lillie West	...	Voice of Stacy (voice)
Lance Henriksen	...	Voice of the Stranger (voice)

Directed by
Simon West

Writing credits
Jake Wade Wall		(screenplay)
Steve Feke		(1979 screenplay) and
Fred Walton		(1979 screenplay)

Produced by
Paddy Cullen	....	executive producer
John Davis	....	producer
Wyck Godfrey	....	producer
Ken Lemberger	....	producer

Original Music by
James Dooley

Cinematography by
Peter Menzies Jr.

Film Editing by
Jeff Betancourt

Casting by
Nancy Nayor

Production Design by
Jon Gary Steele

Art Direction by
Gerald Sullivan

Costume Design by
Marie-Sylvie Deveau

Makeup Department
Dee Dee Altamura	....	makeup artist: additional photography
Medusah	....	hair stylist (as Anne Medusah Aulenta)
Kimberly Meyer	....	key makeup artist
Vickie Mynes	....	key hair stylist
Kristina Vogel	....	key makeup artist
Gigi Williams	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Wendy Cox	....	production supervisor
Bill Wohlken	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dieter 'Dietman' Busch	....	second assistant director
Steve Danton	....	first assistant director
Shawn Pipkin	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Jason Bartolone	....	on-set carpenter
Mychael Bates	....	property master
Bruce Bisbey	....	art department coordinator
Sharleen Bright	....	paint coordinator
Matthew Chevlen	....	art department assistant
Liz Chiz	....	set decorating buyer
David Eckert	....	assistant art director
Jim Heritage	....	plaster foreman
Gregory S. Hooper	....	set designer
Steven Kissick	....	carpenter
Richard A. McCarthy	....	plaster gangboss
Brett McKenzie	....	art department assistant
Christopher Morente	....	gang boss
Richard 'Rocky' Nichols	....	assistant property master
Joe Ondrejko	....	construction coordinator
Noah Plunkett	....	key greens foreman
Roger Prater	....	stand-by greens foreman
Joel Ruiz	....	set dresser
Paul Sonski	....	set designer
Smokey Stover	....	model maker
Patrick M. Sullivan Jr.	....	set designer
Tim R. Lafferty	....	construction gangboss (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Barbee	....	sound effects editor
Glenn E. Berkovitz	....	sound mixer
David Betancourt	....	foley mixer
Courtney Bishop	....	adr recordist
Matt Colleran	....	sound re-recordist
Robert Deschaine	....	adr mixer
Marc Fishman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Flinchbaugh	....	digital assistant editor
Darlene Gorzela	....	additional sound
Mark C. Grech	....	boom operator
Glynna Grimala	....	sound effects editor
Arda Gulesserian	....	additional sound
John Hays	....	utility sound
Tony Lamberti	....	sound re-recording mixer
Duke Lim	....	additional sound
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Glenn T. Morgan	....	supervising sound editor
Tom Ozanich	....	sound design supervisor
Tom Ozanich	....	supervising sound editor
John Rodd	....	sample mixer
Bob Rosenthal	....	additional sound
Matthew Sordello	....	sound
Peter Staubli	....	dialogue adr editor
Peter Staubli	....	sound editor
Alicia Stevenson	....	foley artist
Paul Stevenson	....	foley artist
Tami Treadwell	....	adr recordist
Carl D. Ware	....	sound engineer
David Young	....	additional sound

Special Effects by
Jack Jennings	....	special effects technician
Edward T. Reiff Jr.	....	special effects technician
Garth Steinheimer	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Andy Barrios	....	Inferno artist: Asylum
Mitchell S. Drain	....	visual effects supervisor
Eric Evans	....	paint/roto artist
Scott Gregory	....	digital film colorist
Joe Ken	....	Inferno artist: Asylum
Michael Lori	....	compositor
Nathan McGuinness	....	senior visual effects supervisor
Steve Muangman	....	digital compositor: Asylum Visual Effects
Kosta Saric	....	visual effects editor: Asylum Visual Effects
Hilary Sperling	....	Inferno artist
Brad Sutton	....	digital restoration
Wilson Tang	....	digital restoration
Aaron Vest	....	digital artist
Everette Webber	....	digital intermediate editor

Stunts
Danielle Burgio	....	stunt double
Jennifer Caputo	....	stunt double
Danny Downey	....	stunts
Rosine 'Ace' Hatem	....	stunt performer
Jeff Imada	....	stunt coordinator
David Leitch	....	stunts
Randall Archer	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Stacey Carino	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Kris A. Jeffrey	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Hiro Koda	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Matthew Rugetti	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Steve Upton	....	stunt rigger (uncredited)
Marcus Young	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Bartolini	....	electrician
Craig A. Brink	....	rigging gaffer
Eric Budlong	....	dolly grip: "b" camera
Eric Budlong	....	key grip: additional photography
Alan Caudillo	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Alan Caudillo	....	director of photography: second unit
Thomas Enright	....	rigging electrician
Jon Epstein	....	rigging electrician
Ryan French	....	rigging electrician
Sean Ginn	....	electrician
Russell Griffith	....	electrician
Russell Griffith	....	gaffer: additional photography
Russell Griffith	....	gaffer: splinter unit
Harold Groshon	....	rigging best boy electric (as Hal Groshon)
Miles Gutkin	....	grip
Gene Hara	....	dimmer board operator
Gregory Irwin	....	key first assistant camera
Milan Janicin	....	film loader
Michael L. Lewin	....	grip
Damon Marcellino	....	set lighting technician
Niles McElroy	....	rigging best boy electric
Jeff Murrell	....	chief lighting technician
Jerry Patton	....	key second assistant camera
John Pingry	....	first assistant camera
Brian T. Pitts	....	additional camera operator
David Presley	....	video assist operator
Robert Presley	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Robert Presley	....	steadicam operator
Michael C. Price	....	key grip
Chris Rauch	....	grip
Robert Reid	....	grip
Steve Reinhardt	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Landon Ruddel	....	best boy grip
Christopher A. Schenck	....	first assistant camera
Frank Sims	....	key rigging grip
Brooks Tomb	....	rigging best boy electric
Eddie Tucker	....	electrician
Aaron G. York	....	libra head operator

Casting Department
Matthew Jon Beck	....	additional casting
Jennifer Bender	....	extras casting
Micah Dahlberg	....	casting associate
Kevin Mockrin	....	casting associate
Cindy Sciacca	....	background casting
Jeff Mitchell	....	casting: New York (uncredited)
Jennifer Rudolph	....	casting: New York (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tamsin Costello	....	wardrobe assistant
Yulia Gershenzon	....	costumer
Meg Matthews	....	set costumer
Lori Stilson	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
David Berman	....	assistant editor
Dylan Firshein	....	first assistant editor
Julia Nessling-Douglas	....	digital intermediate producer
Jim Passon	....	color timer
Lawrence Howard Williams	....	post digital media operator

Music Department
Tiffany Biscayne	....	orchestrator
Leland Bond	....	orchestrator
Tim Davies	....	conductor
Tim Davies	....	lead orchestrator
James Dooley	....	conductor
Greg Hamilton	....	music preparation
Kory Kruckenberg	....	scoring assistant engineer
Pilar McCurry	....	music supervisor
Alan Meyerson	....	music scoring mixer
Robert Puff	....	additional music preparer
Brandon Roberts	....	music preparation
Ceiri Torjussen	....	orchestrator
Tom Trafalski	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Robert aaron Brown	....	driver: production van
Oliver Eisenger	....	transportation captain
Mike Shannon	....	transportation coordinator
James Waitkus	....	driver

Other crew
Nicole Treston Abranian	....	production assistant
Crisoforo Aguilar	....	key set production assistant
Kyle Alexander	....	location scout
H. Leah Amir	....	craft service (as Hila Leah Amir)
Lillian Madere Andrade	....	studio teacher
John Arbuckle	....	boat operator
Lamonte Bell	....	payroll accountant
Brooke Brooks	....	assistant: Mr. Davis
Grant Brostrom	....	assistant: Mr. West
Curtis Collins	....	location manager
Bennett DeCarlo	....	set production assistant
Claire Doré	....	dog trainer
Derek Ferguson	....	production assistant
Arlene Ferrer	....	assistant: Ms. Cullen
Russell Geltman	....	production assistant
Flax Glor	....	publicist
Adrienne Hamalian-Mangine	....	script supervisor (as Adrienne Hamalian)
Jason Hariton	....	studio stage manager
Tom Heigl	....	production assistant
Elek Hendrickson	....	assistant: Mr. Godfrey
Ryce Hetherington	....	production secretary
Elizabeth Himelstein	....	dialogue coach
Cheri Jacobs	....	first assistant accountant
Cory Johnson	....	production assistant
Christian Krieger	....	key assistant location manager
Richard McConaghey	....	assistant: Mr. Davis
Carl McDowell	....	additional production assistant
Brett McKenzie	....	production assistant
Brian McMillan	....	animal supplier
Vikki McMillan	....	animal trainer
Laura Morgan	....	production assistant
Valerie Morris	....	second assistant accountant
Jason Neudecker	....	production assistant
David Nico	....	assistant production coordinator
Melanie Orlinick	....	assistant: Mr. Lemberger
Tanoa Parks	....	production accountant
Jeremiah Pitman	....	production assistant
Paul Rathburn	....	caterer
Matt Reitsma	....	textile artist
Marci Rosenberg	....	production coordinator
Jacqueline Sanders	....	animal trainer (as Jacqueline Denise Sanders)
Ron Segro	....	post-production accountant
Charisse St. Amant	....	animal trainer
Nancy Sykes	....	craft service
Dawn Terashima	....	set production assistant
Christopher Tipton	....	assistant: Mr. Davis
C. Ransom Walrod	....	marine advisor

Production Companies

• Screen Gems (presents)
• Davis Entertainment

Distributors

• Screen Gems (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (2006) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2006) (Argentina) (all media)
• Kaskad (2006) (Russia) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Nordisk Film Theatrical Distribution (2006) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2006) (Singapore) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Asylum VFX (visual effects)
• Technicolor Digital Intermediates (opticals)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Executive Assurance  security
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• Molinare Studio  international deliverables
• Northwest Sinfonia  orchestra
• Remote Control Productions Inc.  score mixed at
• Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton  legal services
• Skatedolly  camera dolly
• Soundelux  post-production sound

Also Known As:

Bell Ringer (Philippines: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense terror, violence and some language.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Brazil:14 | Norway:15 | Malaysia:U | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:13 | Hungary:16 | Ireland:15A | South Korea:12 | UK:15 | Iceland:16 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13 | Netherlands:16 | Germany:16 | Australia:M | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Screen Gems

Trivia:

Even though the stranger is played by Scottish-born actor Tommy Flanagan, the voice in the phone-calls is actually Lance Henriksen's. Henriksen fit the voice, whereas Flanagan fit the build of the stranger.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the shot where Tiffany is talking to Jill in the kitchen, her hair is slightly tucked on her right side. When the shot returns back to her seconds later, her hair is perfect and not tucked at all.

Quotes:

Jill Johnson: Where is he?
Officer Burroughs: We got him. He's in that police car right over there. In ankle cuffs, handcuffs. Enought sedatives to kill a horse. We're gonna take him to the hospital. We'll have four cops guarding him around the clock.
Jill Johnson: That's not enough.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "30 Rock: Corporate Crush (#1.19)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Lock It

Man oh man, am I in the minority on this one!

Critics and audiences both pretty much panned this movie, but I actually didn't think it was too bad! Even the critics I normally agree with thought it was crap, and I normally despise PG-13 "horror films." So this means one of two things: either (1) I'm too easily pleased, and my taste in movies has dwindled over the years, or (2) 'When a Stranger Calls' isn't nearly as horrible as it's made out to be. Now, to be fair, some of the criticisms of the movie are true--there's not much character development, and not much happens in the story. But man alive folks, how much were you expecting from a movie about a babysitter being stalked? Cut them some slack! As a former babysitter who was watching this flick late at night with the lights out, I can safely say the stalker dude was one creepy mofo! Who knows? I guess stuff like this just gives me the willies.

Yes, I admit I had fun watching this, and I don't care how big of a minority that puts me in. ;)