Intimate Stranger

Deborah Harry plays a burnt out musician/phone-sex operator Cory Wheeler in 'Intimate Stranger', a made for cable 'adult thriller".

The movie would be a yawn if not for Ms. Harry's smoky, heavy-lidded performance. The rest of the cast is fine too, but but only so much can be done to make this 'erotic thriller' sustain viewers interest, besides adding some gratuitous nudity and violence, of course.

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.

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.

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.

I have to first state that I am a newer Debbie fan, and seeing this movie made me just LOVE her even more!!! Having just watched it for the first time I cannot get it out of my head! There's something about Debbie that just draws you in, she's a true doll! When she's on screen you can't take your eyes off of her! In this movie she proves herself not only a FABULOUS singer as she's always been, but a truly credible actress! I only wish people in Hollywood would consider her for more big budget films! This movie has everything it's dark, it's intense, and its got Debs:) What more do you want? There's one scene in this movie where Debbie truly SHINES as an actress, and I'm talking about the scene where she describes her mother's death, and her loneliness. She is just IT! You really feel for her character, especially in this scene where she shows her vulnerability. Please see this movie, especially if you're a Debbie and/or Blondie fan!!