(1989)
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(1989) |
A teacher invites his class to his house for a night of frightening tales--but they find there may be more to fear than a few sleepless nights. The first tale deals with a couple whose car stalls out next to a reportedly abandoned mansion; the second is about a group of girls chased by a man and his vicious dogs through the city at night; and the third, a phone operator witha broken leg must escape from a killer.
Subgenres: anthology, action
Directors: Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat
Writers: Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat
Starring: Marg Helgenberger, Marc McClure
 2 reviews | ||||||
This anthology is pretty solid, but it also doesn't have much new to offer. The second and third stories are, after all, pretty standard fare. The second plays out like an inner-city chase movie; it's Judgment Night without the style. The third, a When a Stranger Calls bit of work, does have moments of suspense, but after the second story, I was tired of watching chases. It's only the first story in this film, which is brief, creepy, and brutal, that is something special. (Sep 3, 1999) | ||||||
There are three stories told: 1: "The Old Dark House"- This one was really clever. It starts off with what seems like every cliché in hand. A couple takes the scenic route home, pass an old mansion where murders were committed, get a flat tire, and decide to go up to the house to call a tow-truck. We've seen all that before. But then, toward the end, the story takes a really creative twist that ties it all together perfectly and actually proves to be a genuine surprise and thrill. 2: "A Night on the Town"- This one was a little thin, and could have used a few twists. It doesn't surprise you like it should have, which would have helped the flimsy plot. Four girls looking for some fun end up in the warehouse district of town with little gas. They stop at a gas station, and meet the gas station attendant from hell and his dobermans, which all proceed to terrorize the girls in a sometimes tense, sometimes cheesy chase through the wrong part of town. Not bad, but not as good as the others. 3: "All Night Messenger"-This one was pretty good, though a little typical. A woman, Alex, who works for a telephone messenger service comes home early from a ski trip with a broken ankle and takes the late shift that night. She begins getting calls from a creepy caller for one woman, and when the woman comes home and calls for her messages, Alex tries to warn her before it's too late. Of course, the caller eventually catches on, and makes his move, and you can sort of see where it all goes from there. This one was pretty good, and the ending was creepy. The frame story eventually wraps up the film in a very bizarre climax that makes little sense at times, but it's still creepy. A great late Friday night movie. Very strange but very entertaining! (Feb 13, 2002) | ||||||
