Don't Answer the Phone!

Kirk Smith, a disturbed Vietnam vet (are there any other kind in exploitation movies?), stalks women and strangles them, if he's not shooting pornographic pictures of them. A couple of detectives are on the case yet cannot seem to find any clues as to the identity of the killer. When Kirk keeps calling a radio show to speak with Dr. Lindsay Gale to talk about his headaches and even goes so far as to strangle a woman when he's on the line, it means a breakthrough in the case, but Kirk becomes more irate and violent.

Well, in terms of story and character development, this taps into the same vein as films like Maniac and Don't Go Into The House! which means that there isn't really any claim to originality. While the film is adequately shot, it isn't exactly a flashy film, more a down 'n dirty exploitation film. The attraction comes from 2 different elements, which are the performance by Nicholas Worth as the strangler and the juxtapositioning of different tones.

With his buff body and fits of explosive rage, Worth is a fearsome appearance. He can go from childlike sobbing to drooling madness in the blink of an eye and he carries the attention of the viewer in every moment that he is on the screen. The rest of the cast, while decent enough, can't hope to catch up with his bravoura, though both protagonists are fun to watch.

One moment, you have the strangler go about his work while the great synth score goes haywire. Another moment, you have both Lt. McCabe and Sgt. Hatcher…

Another one I've never heard of!

Happy to upgrade the old Scorpion Blu-ray with this 4k sourced remaster which looks outstanding. The slipcover is pretty darn classy too, way classier than the actual movie. One of the classic "Don't" films (along with Don't Go In the Woods, Don't Look in the Basement) this one features a radio psychologist who literally has to answer the phone. It's her job. But the movie is telling her not to. Obviously she is still going to answer the phone, but really. . . it isn't going to go well. 70's grimy sleaze has never looked better.

I didn’t know what to expect with this movie! But the use of a psycho veteran was awesome

Vinegar Syndrome's

Don't Answer the Phone! arrives with a limited edition slipcover (designed by Derek Gabryszak). Synth scoring from Byron Allred is compelling, adding an electric groan to suspense efforts, while setting an unnerving mood for Kirk's home life of lifting weights and conversing with himself. The picture is also shot well by cinematographer James L. Carter, who generally avoids grungy extremes to deliver clean, crisp images that showcase interesting lighting and composition, delving deeper into Kirk's fractured state of mind than the writing does. An upgrade from the Scorpion Releasing release.