Stometer
Save your money for something good and enjoyable
Moustroll
Good movie but grossly overrated
Scarlet
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
geezer-mw
The reason I've rated this film as awful is down to the fact that I am watching a truly AWFUL "colorized" version of this otherwise brilliant black and white film on Talking Pictures (Channel 81, Freeview UK), a channel that generally prides itself on showing old and often obscure black and white films, as I type this review. Would Talking Pictures Kindly obtain an ORIGINAL Black and White copy of this film and run that in future? I'd much appreciate it- this version I'm watching is ghastly!!!
Leofwine_draca
One of a handful of low-budget, British science fiction thrillers which came out at the same time (INVASION was another) and effectively portraying man's encounter with the first of an invading alien force. THE NIGHT CALLER is a low-key chiller, short on action but high on suspense. An adept cast work their hardest to bring life to their lines, which are unfortunately mired in scientific jargon, yet the film works because the plot shift from a Quatermass-style military investigation to a mildly sleazy "missing girl" mystery comes as a welcome surprise.This is an undeniably British film, what with its stiff, impeccable accents and stuffy police investigation, yet the American influence is clear. John Saxon is the charismatic and imported American lead, who brings what life he can to his stuffy lines. Despite being a thriller more mature than its American counterparts, the producers of this still couldn't resist throwing in a tacky, "monster" claw-hand which is seen briefly coming through some doorways, to mixed effect.THE NIGHT CALLER does threaten to become occasionally boring due to the lack of action, but the short running time thankfully dispels this. Things pick up for a police "stake-out" at the film's finale, which results in the unexpected death of one of the leading protagonists. Along with this, the conclusion is also unusually downbeat, with the alien visitor getting away with his crimes and returning to his home planet.There is much to enjoy in this film, not least the efforts of a sterling cast. Patricia Haines is good value as the sturdy female lead and makes an interesting team with Saxon. Also around are Maurice Denham (as a scientist) and John Carson (shortly before his success as the evil squire in THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES) as a military major who helps out. The familiar faces of Jack Watson and Warren Mitchell pad out the cast, the latter appearing in a clever comic scene where he is interviewed, with his wife, by the police.The alien in this film is kept in the shadows for much of the running time, which is a good thing because the final revelation of his appearance is a disappointingly human one. To keep things moving, a few staples are thrown in - a car chase, a sleazy interview with a homosexual porn shop worker - as well as a load of unused scientific equipment in the background of some scenes to give them a realistic look. The film is shot in stark black and white, and good use is made of shadows and lighting. I've also watched the colourised version which doesn't have quite the same impact. John Gilling's assured direction serves up a few chills and a sense of real urgency in places but the low budget means that this is no classic. It is, however, an intriguing oddity, and well worth watching for fans of the period.
MARIO GAUCI
Low-key but intriguing and generally effective variation on the alien invasion theme (though the script is far inferior to the Quatermass archetype); as a matter of fact, the police procedural tends to be more engaging than the high-falutin' scientific theorizing! Unfortunately, too, some of the dialogue is unintelligible due to the heavy British accents (but, then, the version I watched was accompanied by subtitles in Italian!).The cast features several familiar British faces (Maurice Denham, John Carson, Jack Watson, etc.); still, as with many low-budget horror films of its era, the lead role was given to an American actor: in this case, John Saxon - who's pretty adequate under the circumstances, with a blonde Patricia Haines (whom I recently saw in the awful VIRGIN WITCH [1972]) as his female co-star. Aubrey Morris, however, is memorable as the scurrilous editor of a 'girlie' magazine - which is used as bait for the alien's female victims (who, as is often the case, has descended to Earth because his own planet has reached saturation point). This element gives way to some typically dry British humor (especially the awkward interrogation of one of the missing girl's simple but cantankerous parents)...but Ballard Berkeley's belated introduction as the Commander steering the operations engaged in the alien's capture can't be taken seriously - in view of his regular appearance as the befuddled Major in the classic TV comedy series FAWLTY TOWERS (1975-79), devised by and starring Monty Python's John Cleese!! With the imposing figure of the alien generally shown lurking in the shadows or hidden behind heavy clothing and a mask (shades of the giallo subgenre?), its menace is evoked through the creature's adoption of a mellifluous yet sinister 'human' voice; that said, the make-up effects shown intermittently are surprisingly subtle. Even so, the best thing about the film is certainly Stephen Dade's chiaroscuro photography - utilizing some odd angles, particularly during the alien manhunt, obviously inspired by THE THIRD MAN (1949)! The rather uneventful cautionary finale, then, is reminiscent of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951).
piker-4
This is the kind of science fiction movie that Monty Python made fun of in that episode with the tennis-playing Scotsmen and the killer blancmange. John Saxon, who is too American to participate, literally disappears from the story about an hour in. I don't want to give away any plot twists but it really feels like they were making it up as they went along - when the alien's evil plan becomes clear you'll laugh your head off. Science Fiction by people who don't like science fiction. Having said that, the acting is pretty good if you have a long attention span and you like bad movies, this can be very entertaining. Think of it as a Quatermass movie without a central character.
