Someone's Watching Me! (1978) (TV)

Director:

John Carpenter

Writer:

John Carpenter (written by)

Release Date:

29 November 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A woman is being watched in her apartment by a stranger, who also calls and torments her. A cat-and-mouse game begins.

Plot Keywords:

Surveillance Device | Murder | Philosopher | Telescope | Stalker

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Lauren Hutton	...	Leigh Michaels
David Birney	...	Paul Winkless
Adrienne Barbeau	...	Sophie
Charles Cyphers	...	Gary Hunt
Grainger Hines	...	Steve
Len Lesser	...	Burly Man
John Mahon	...	Frimsin
James Murtaugh	...	Leone
J. Jay Saunders	...	Police Inspector
Michael Laurence	...	TV Announcer
George Skaff	...	Herbert Stiles
Robert Phalen	...	Wayne
Robert Snively	...	Groves
Jean Le Bouvier	...	Waitress
James McAlpine	...	Slick Man

Also Known As:

High Rise

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Television

Trivia:

It was on the set of this TV movie that director John Carpenter met future wife Adrienne Barbeau.

Movie Connections:

References Rear Window (1954)

Someone's been watching Rear Window!

I've heard some really good things about this film, so it didn't surprise me that it didn't quite live up to expectations. Someone's Watching Me is an early TV movie from so-so director John Carpenter and it was released in the same year that his biggest hit - slasher flick Halloween - was released, so I'm guessing that a lot of the praise for this film comes from John Carpenter fans. This would appear to be Carpenter's attempt at a Brian De Palma-style Hitchcock tribute, and the main influence here is obviously Hitchcock's masterpiece, 'Rear Window'. Naturally, the film has nothing on Hitchcock and could really be described as a poor man's impression of the classic film; but thankfully, Carpenter doesn't just copy and the result is an interesting take on an already well done theme. The plot focuses on a female TV director who finds herself being watched through a telescope by a man in the block across from her. Not to content to just watch, the man also terrifies her by calling her up. She tells the cops, but as usual there's nothing they can do - so she takes to investigating herself, along with her new found boyfriend and a lesbian who works at the same TV station.

I have to say that I'm not the biggest fan of John Carpenter's body of work; but this film actually represents one of his biggest successes. The film works thanks to the way that the writer/director manages to keep things at least mostly interesting throughout, and while the film doesn't boast too many real biting sequences, it at least never stagnates to the point of tedium. The Rear Window influence is felt throughout, and one pivotal sequence is pretty much lifted from the earlier film. However, most of the movie is original, and so I wouldn't go as far as to call this a complete rip off. The film was made for television in the seventies, but all this really means is that there's a lack of bloodshed (which the story doesn't really need anyway) as the production values and acting are decent enough for this sort of film. I have to say that I'd have liked this film more if Carpenter could have worked a bit more mystery into the proceedings, as the identity of the tormentor is never really important, and that's a shame as it could have added an extra element of interest if the director was willing to go a little further. Still, the film ends well (if a little abruptly), and since it runs smoothly throughout, I have to give a thumbs up.