Verführung am Telefon

Diverting and fun, with a few thrills thrown in. Mixes two plot lines cleverly, if with a little too much coincidence! Very atmospheric with hidden corners of New York City, especially at night. A really cool, nicely executed look - sort of film noir in color. Good work by the DP and production & costume designers. (look at all the oranges & blues)

Fun cast - young Steve Buscemi, David Strathairn, Boyd Gaines (double Tony winner on B'way!), Patti D'Arbanville. Patricia Charbonneau is attractive in the lead, and Stephen McHattie is coolly creepy as the chief baddie.

Not great, but a solid B movie - a guilty pleasure. (It's even a little erotic - but watch out for strong language, if you're squeamish about 'bad' sex words.)

A film you really don't enjoy. The premise is very odd, mostly about a series of obscene phone calls a woman has been receiving, she also finds herself being hunted by thugs after getting mixed up in a murder, though throughout the movie the thugs are utterly useless, it's almost laughable how inept they are. The main character also makes so many bad choices in the movie it's so frustrating, it also doesn't help you're so far ahead of her. The characters are very tiresome and the pacing drags a lot too. The film has a weary toughness to it, and makes some good use of its gritty urban locations but I can't recommend this film.

One day the measured everyday life of a girl working as a journalist in one of the publishing houses is interrupted by a strange call. For some obscure reason, she, without any ulterior motive, takes the stranger for her friend, with whom she has a rather contradictory relationship. Starting from this, at first glance, insignificant detail, the further cycle of events begins. At the insistence of the caller she arrives at a nearby bar and becomes a witness to a spontaneous murder. Then there is a generally typical set for any simple thriller - a corrupt policeman, dark streets of an average city somewhere in the USA, a friend who will always give a couple of useful (and not so useful) pieces of advice, indifferent colleagues, as well as a couple of moderately colorful criminal elements. In essence could have finished here, but some components of this picture taken separately allow it to stand out a little against the background of numerous, often completely faceless, brothers in the genre, which especially gained popularity in the second half of the eighties and the following nineties of the twentieth century.

Probably everyone knows the combination of good cop - bad cop. Here is a more unusual layout using the example of the «other side of the barricades». The first figure is the melancholic, taciturn and thoughtful Stephen McHattie, who dyed his hair a slightly acid-blond color. The second is an unbalanced psychopath in a leather jacket, occasionally (and without) waving a switchblade and wearing slicked-back hair, aka Steve Buscemi in one of his early roles, several years before Tarantino's creation, which made him famous to a certain extent. This explosive combination of incompatible opposites needs to find the wayward person at all costs, not without difficulty maneuvering in the discrepancies between plans and approaches to solving this, as it turns out later, not the easiest task.

In addition, as the action progresses, the three main characters mentioned will continue to be accompanied by a mysterious lover of frank conversations, the final alignment with whom will be revealed from an unusual side only closer to the end, as well as, acting as a kind of separate actor, the brick gateways of New York.

As a result it can be noted that watching the twists and turns of all the mentioned elements turns out to be quite interesting, therefore a positive review and a rating relevant to the genre specifics of category "B" thrillers.

Call Me (1988), directed by Sollace Mitchell, is a violent and erotic thriller that attempts to capture the gritty, sordid atmosphere of late 1980s New York. The story follows Anna, a young journalist who receives an obscene phone call she believes is from her boyfriend. When she agrees to meet him at a bar, she inadvertently becomes a witness to a murder. From there, Anna's life spirals into a dangerous web of mystery, suspense, and encounters with dark, menacing characters, including a killer.

Mitchell's direction makes effective use of urban locations to heighten the sense of danger and claustrophobia, while Zoltan David's cinematography employs stark contrasts of light and shadow to emphasize the film's thriller tone. The portrayal of New York as a cold, grimy, and chaotic environment feels authentic and adds to the film's atmosphere. However, the narrative itself is plagued by logical inconsistencies and an exasperatingly slow progression of events. Anna's decisions, in particular, border on the absurd, which can test the audience's patience.

Steve Buscemi stands out in one of his early roles as a criminal, bringing his trademark intensity and eccentricity to the character. Yet, even his performance struggles to elevate a story that relies too heavily on genre clichés and lacks cohesion.

In conclusion, Call Me delivers a well-crafted aesthetic and some moments of genuine tension, but its weak plot and illogical character behavior undermine its potential. While visually compelling, the film ultimately falls short of being a truly engaging thriller.

The reviews on this seem to be fairly low which are probably unfair if you know what this movie is and what it isn't. Because what it isn't is softcore pornography which judging by the poster would be an easy mistake to make, but then again these people should be looking for their kicks elsewhere.

This is the story about a women who is getting dirty phone calls and then decides to meet the person making them, as she wrongly assumes its her boyfriend. When he doesn't show up she witnesses a murder and has to deal with the fallout, as money has gone missing.

This is definitely a female centric movie, being from the perspective of the main character but also from the male characters. Although they are fairly one dimensional the narrative does well to string you along in terms of guessing as to the motivation of most of the men around the lead. Also there are some erotic elements to the movie however they are likely more pleasing to a female audience. Hence the low scores from disappointed guys. There isn't much to fault this movie, which comes across as a slightly higher budget Red Shoe Diaries episode, with some crime/murder thrown in. Although you do get Steve Buscemi in a typical sleazy type role he is known for. So you cant really slate the quality on show. If anything guys may be puzzled at some of the main characters decision making but this is female written. Add some 1980s saxophone playing for no reason and some night shots of the city and you have this movie. Watchable as long as you don't expect lots of sex scenes aimed at men.