Original: 1979
Remake: 2006
Best Version: Tied
If the original When A Stranger Calls had been distributed by the Weinsteins it might well been cut up and released as to separate movies (like Kill Bill and Grindhouse). When A Stranger Calls: Part I (1979) would have contained the awesome “have you checked the children” sequence. When A Stranger Calls: Part II (1979) would have contained the dull detective story featuring Charles Durning lugging his fat ass all over town. In this alternate reality I would rate the original When A Stranger Calls: Part I (1979) better than the 2006 remake, which I would in turn rate better than the original When A Stranger Calls: Part II (1979). Do you see what I’m saying, or have I just made my point more complicated than it needed to be? The original has both moments of brilliance and tedium. The remake never reaches the spectacular heights of the original but it doesn’t stoop as low either. On balance, does that make them even? I guess so, but I’m happy to be convinced otherwise.
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