Don't Answer the Phone 2003 Horror Movie Review

Back when I first watched this film in the 90’s, I liked it and remembered it because it was creepy & scared the living daylights out of me. Is the movie downright sick, perverted, disgusting, and offensive towards women? Why yes, it is. Did it make me as a female, back in college, always look behind me when walking home after dark? Heck yes, every time. It is also excellently played by Nicholas Worth, who portrays the infamous “Kirk Smith” in one of his first films (the uncut version) On with the review:


Let’s start off by saying this DVD edition by Rhino isn’t worth a dime; they basically chose to chop out the scenes that make the film worth watching! The sleaze, (well, they left a tad of that in), the part where Worth attacks “the other” model when posing as a photographer, the hot candle wax pouring scene, when Worth talks to himself like a wacko, the scene where the 2 cops track down the sleaze house where Kirk sells his pics, the “adios creep” scene, the vulgar language….all that’s GONE in this edition. Actually, the most disappointing part of this Rhino edition is they totally butchered the ending beyond belief- the film ends with Worth attempting to kill Flo Gerrish (Dr. Lindsay Gale), and the film just cuts out….black screen.


What you do get, however, is a total nutcase psycho running loose around Hollywood (think Sunset blvd- exactly how it was back in the 70s) stalking, strangling, and raping women. After Worth becomes obsessed with an on-air female shrink who counsels drug addicts and more wackos, he starts calling into the radio station as “Ramon” and claiming of bad headaches. It’s clear to the shrink, and probably anyone listening that this guy is seriously demented. In one scene, Worth finishes with a hooker and has her call into the show- then he strangles her, on air. Ok, so by now the cops are onto “Ramon”, right? Well, not quite. Worth, who in his spare time cruises around Hollywood posing as a photographer, makes the fatal mistake of leaving his “portfolio” of artwork at the home where he kills off 2 models (again, this scene is deleted w. this edition). The cops trace the “portfolio” of Sicko’s work back to the sleaze house, where a big dude with a cigar I would call “Bubba” sends them on Worth’s path….


It’s almost too late, because Worth is already on his next prey- Dr. Lindsey Gale…..


Bottom line? If you want to revisit this 80’s sleaze, buy the uncut version by BCI and get your money’s worth. The sleaze, effective musical score, and performance by Worth make it- well, Worth it.