Intimate Stranger

Is nothing sacred? What has the world come to when hardworking phone sex operators are being sexually harassed by obscene calls? This is one film plot I will never get over! Blondie ('Heart of Glass') is a 250 pound chain smoking phone sex operator who starts receiving.... brace yourself... obscene phone calls! The heroic police rush into action! This is like a fish complaining about being wet! While this is trying to be a "mysterious caller" thriller, she's not a teenage baby sitter, she's a phone sex operator.

This has to go down the most annoyingly illogical plots ever, along with 'Double Jeopardy' where Ashley Judd receives $4,000,0000 in insurance money for being convicted of murdering her husband, and 'Armored' when the trapped hero simply escapes TWICE without the villains noticing and then willingly returns to his captors TWICE! 2 stars due to the hunting soundtrack.

This isn't my favourite role for Deborah Harry (those would be Nicki Brand in "Videodrome" and Delores in "Heavy") but the film is a must for Debbie fans. It's a rare lead role for her and she gets the chance to play a warm and sympathetic character. Her character Cory Wheeler/ phone name "Angel" is a struggling bar singer who also works as a phone sex operator to make ends meet. Other luminaries in the film include Grace Zabriskie (of "Twin Peaks" and "Wild At Heart") and Tim Thomerson (Jack Deth in "Trancers") as the sick and twisted psycho who's taken a shine to Debbie's sensual voice (who hasn't?). To be fair, if you're not a big Debbie Harry/Blondie fan, it's just an average or maybe slightly above average cable slasher thriller. However Debbie is good in this and the scenes where she sings in the bar (including Janis Joplin's "Take Another Piece Of My Heart") are worthwhile. Tim Thomerson is also notable for being quite disturbing. The film also stars James Russo (an acting friend of Iggy Pop, who has since also been in the excellent film "Panther") as the cop who helps Debbie's character find the sicko who likes torturing women before she (or someone close to her?) is the next victim.

I couldn't believe what i was hearing when I first saw this movie. This has to be my dream role for Debbie. If you thought she was dirty in Videodrome you aint seen nothing yet! Its not the greatest movie in the world but its so worth watching to hear Debbie doing phone sex. Grace Zaberiski who you'll probably recognise from so many things makes an appearance. It does get a little disturbing but you've got to see Debbie with a blow torch. She also sings a bit in the movie and i just wish there was a sound track. This is her 3rd best role after her one in 1999's Six Ways To Sunday and as Velma Von Tussle in John Waters' Hairspray. Great tag line too. 'She Just Turned On The Wrong Guy'!

Intimate Stranger is standard fare for late-night premium cable stations. Debbie Harry does a fine, if not great, acting job. The plot keeps you interested. The one thing that really makes this movie stand out is that it contains Tia Carrere's only nude scene ever. She's used a body double in other movies, but this one contains the genuine article. Bottom line: great movie for Tia fans, average for everyone else.

This film has production values commensurate with its status as a made-for-cable movie. It has some plot holes, and some poor acting, from James Russo, and some of the other cop characters. But Debbie Harry did very well with the somewhat weird material. I thought she looked fantastic, and was in great voice when she sang. I was never much of a fan of Blondie, so really didn't know much about her. Good performances also from Paige French and Tia Carrerre. Hard to find nowadays, as I see no comments for 5 years or so. Probably not worth digging up, unless you love Debbie Harry that much.