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The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags are used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.
For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for The Strangers can be found here.
No. The Strangers is based on a screenplay written by director Brian Bertino. It was inspired by an event from Bertino's childhood. A stranger came to his home late at night asking several times for someone unknown to him or his family. Later, he found out that other homes in the neighborhood had been ransacked and burglarized.
According to production notes, the film is based on a real event that occured during director Brian Bertino's childhood in which a stranger came to his home in the middle of the night asking several times for a person who did not exist. The following day, his family was informed by police that several houses had been ransacked and burglarized the previous night by an unknown assailant.
No. The Strangers was written two years before Ils was made.
The record is saying "Quicksilver girl". The song is "My First Lover" by Gillian Welch. The song was also played during a scene in the film.
Because, in the words of the woman in the Pin-Up Mask, "they were home". In other words, simply because they're psychopaths who attack people at random just for the fun of it.
No. Their faces and identities are kept anonymous. Only brief glimpses are shown, such as Dollface's face cloaked in shadow in one scene, and a shot of the Man in the Mask's eyes in the truck's side-view mirror. You can also see the profile shot of Dollface's face when she exits the truck towards the end of the film and a back view of her face when she knocks on their door asking for someone, although they didn't know yet that she is a killer. In the unmasking scene, both Kristen and James see the killers' faces, the viewers never do. In the original script, it was written that all of their faces would be fully revealed, but this was changed during production. If you would like to see the actors' actual faces, visit these links. See Dollface. See Pin-Up Girl. See Man in the Mask.
There's a long enough pause between the noises being made and James appearing in the bedroom for this to be plausible. Likely the strangers saw his car approaching and hid.
Sprout and the Bean by Joanna Newsom. Other songs include: Ariel Ramirez by Richard Buckner, Hopeful by Jennifer O'Connor, At My Window Sad and Lonely by Billy Bragg and Wilco, My First Lover by Gillian Welch, and Mama Tried by Merle Haggard.
THEATRICAL: The strangers catch Kristen and James and tie them up. Then, they take turns stabbing them. Afterwards, they leave one by one. James eventually dies, but Kristen is still alive (though badly wounded). In the morning, two boys see Kristen and James' house broken into, so they go in. They find Kristen on the floor and one of the boys goes out to touch her. She wakes up and screams.UNRATED: After the strangers leave, Kristen wakes up and literally crawls towards Mike's ringing phone. By the time she gets to it, however, it stops ringing. She turns around and sees the Man in the Mask behind her. He takes the phone and then calmly leaves. Kristen collapses next to Mike's body. That's why the two boys find her there, instead of next to James' body (which is where she originally was).
Yes, a sequel will be released in 2010. Further details are currently to be arranged.
In the US, the DVD and Blu-ray was released on Tuesday, October 21st. Both included the Rated and Unrated versions of the film. In the UK, the DVD and Blu-ray will come out on Friday, December 26th and will also both include the Rated and Unrated versions. Special Features for all the releases are: The Element of Terror featurette, Deleted Scenes and (exclusive to the Blu-ray disc only) a B-D Live feature where you can share your favourite scenes from the movie with your friends.
You can see the R1 (US) DVD cover art here and the R2 (UK) DVD cover here.
The day after its US theatrical release (May 30th), The Strangers had a score of 7.9.
To put it simply there are only two differences between both versions and especially the ending of the movie has been prolonged a bit. The Unrated versions runs approximately two minutes longer than the theatrical version and you can find a detailed comparison between both versions with pictures here.
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