Tracy Nelson, who couldn't give a bad performance if she tried, takes center stage in NIGHT CALLER, a neat little no-budget thriller about a deranged woman who becomes obsessed with a radio talk show host and who will let no one come between her and her new "friend." As Nelson worms her way into the life of her radio lady, the bodies begin to pile up like cord wood. Nelson is on in almost every scene, and captivates as the sad, delusional child of a drunken, physically abusive father and a bossy, overbearing mother. The killings, of which there are plenty and at least one of which is quite bloody, are mostly inventive and almost whimsical, as the movie is not to be taken seriously for one minute. Nevertheless, Nelson makes a believable, and at at times sympathetic, psychopath. This is no THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, and in truth Nelson is no Rebecca DeMornay, but NIGHT CALLER is still eminently watchable. Interestingly, Nelson's two co-stars in this (Shanna Reed as the radio lady and Cyndi Pass as a co worker) were both former dancers of a certain type. You can easily tell. This is one of those B flicks Hollywood turns out by the hundreds every year that keep a lot of erstwhile adult video stars employed.
18 Reviews
This is my kinda campy direct-to-video and cable psycho movie!
capkronos14 July 2003
Beth Needham (Tracy Nelson) is a childish, repressed psycho who snaps and develops an extreme fixation on kind, sensitive radio psychologist Dr. Lindsay Roland (associate producer Shanna Reed). She kills her awful, chain-smoking mother (the hilarious Eve Sigall, who returns in hallucinations), cashes in some savings bonds and spends the rest of the movie trying to insinuate herself into the doctors life. Anyone who threatens to ruin their budding relationship must die. She calls people things like "snoopy poopy," "baboon butt" and "bossy the cow" before killing them and gets a job babysitting Lindsay's son so she can photocopy her journal and steal her 'April Fresh' deodorant.
Needless to say, THE NIGHT CALLER is absolutely ridiculous, but the script is so chock-full of hilariously asinine one-liners and unbelievable dialogue, that this is one of the funniest "bad" movies I've seen in many years. The actors, all around, are great, too and give a straight-faced go at their roles.
Needless to say, THE NIGHT CALLER is absolutely ridiculous, but the script is so chock-full of hilariously asinine one-liners and unbelievable dialogue, that this is one of the funniest "bad" movies I've seen in many years. The actors, all around, are great, too and give a straight-faced go at their roles.
Nothing exciting here.
Acknud31 October 1998
Underrated, unknown little gem
tuttletale8831 October 2013
This was listed On Demand as a serial killer story set in Paris, so a few minutes in I realized it was the wrong movie. However, I was already so captivated by Tracy Nelson's performance as the mentally unbalanced wallflower, I watched it all the way through. I was mesmerized by the way Nelson applied just the right blend of childlike psychosis and pitiable innocence. Shanna Reed is an excellent co-star as the unwittingly influential radio therapist.
The script is reminiscent of films like "The Little girl Who Lives Down the Lane," with a hint of "Misery" thrown in. You find yourself at times rooting for the villain, again due in no small part to the exemplary acting. The action sequences are creatively staged, shot and choreographed, and the production values are excellent.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see celebrity cameos by JJ Cohen (Back to the Future) and Rance Howard. I recommend this forgotten mini-classic for a quick, eerie treat!
The script is reminiscent of films like "The Little girl Who Lives Down the Lane," with a hint of "Misery" thrown in. You find yourself at times rooting for the villain, again due in no small part to the exemplary acting. The action sequences are creatively staged, shot and choreographed, and the production values are excellent.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see celebrity cameos by JJ Cohen (Back to the Future) and Rance Howard. I recommend this forgotten mini-classic for a quick, eerie treat!
Grade D thriller.
Hermit C-230 August 1999
It's hard to come up with a totally original idea in the thriller genre, so it's forgivable if a movie's plot is familiar as long as the execution is good. But when your thriller bears a superficial resemblance to a well-known classic like 'Play Misty for Me,' it better have something of its own to recommend it. 'The Night Caller' falls way, way short.
Tracy Nelson has that haunted, hungry look that's well suited to one playing a mentally disturbed person, but she's not a good enough actress to pull this one off. Actually, any actress would have a hard time making this character work in this mess. The screenwriters decided to make it easy on themselves and the audience by having Nelson's character talk out loud to herself throughout the film, explaining everything and saving them some work. It degenerates from a just-below-par effort to a fiasco as the story nears the end. I'd avoid it.
Tracy Nelson has that haunted, hungry look that's well suited to one playing a mentally disturbed person, but she's not a good enough actress to pull this one off. Actually, any actress would have a hard time making this character work in this mess. The screenwriters decided to make it easy on themselves and the audience by having Nelson's character talk out loud to herself throughout the film, explaining everything and saving them some work. It degenerates from a just-below-par effort to a fiasco as the story nears the end. I'd avoid it.
A Real "Chick-flick"..!!
ottard16 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Did anyone notice that all the victims are female? This movie is the female version of Hitchcock's "Psycho"!! With a few twists and turns thrown in. But with female togetherness the object!! Her demons are trying to bring her closer to someone, rather than keep them apart. Moreover, the shovel recalls some of the "Psycho" sequels.. Thank You.
Spend your time baking, far better way to spend your time
diz-syd-635 April 2020
The only reason I didn't give it 1 star was because the camera work was great. This has no subelty, the story is unoriginal, the acting is dreadful and the music formulaic.
Spend the afternoon baking bread, it's easier than you think AND better than wasting your time on this TAWDRY muck.
Spend the afternoon baking bread, it's easier than you think AND better than wasting your time on this TAWDRY muck.
I love this movie!
ILuvTVMovies21 June 2022
Tracy Nelson really gets into this role and has some hilarious lines and insults! I was surprised how much I got into it, it's one of the better TV movie gems out there.
Tracy plays a childlike loner without much direction who becomes obsessed with a radio host. She comes up with all sorts of schemes to insert herself into the host's life and all sorts of undermining and plots are hatched.
Watch it and enjoy, but don't take it too seriously. It's fun!
Tracy plays a childlike loner without much direction who becomes obsessed with a radio host. She comes up with all sorts of schemes to insert herself into the host's life and all sorts of undermining and plots are hatched.
Watch it and enjoy, but don't take it too seriously. It's fun!
What can I say?!
sugar-bear20 November 2005
Warning: Spoilers
You don't normally see a female psycho too much these days on the big screen. Tracy Nelson portrays Beth Needham. A timid and lonely thirty something year old woman who works the graveyard shift at a local convenience store and takes care of her elderly and sick, bed-ridden mother(Eve Sigall) with whom she lives with. Right off the bat you can tell Beth has some problems but can't really tell how deep they are until you've seen the entire movie. Because of her job and demands at home, Beth has basically no life. Her only bit of happiness is from listening to a radio show of Dr. Roland(Shanna Reed)who Beth becomes an instant fan of. One day while at work, Beth forces herself(and after seeing a vision of Dr.Roland)to call up the doctor herself. Calling herself"Beverly", Beth talks with the kind and sympathetic doctor on the air and the doctor makes Beth feel better. At this point Beth decides that she must become closer to the doctor no matter what it takes. After the death of her Mother and being fired from her job, Beth realizes that she never has to work again due to some stocks her Mother had hidden away. Beth has nothing to worry about only to get to Dr. Roland. Beth becomes an answering girl at Dr.Rolands answering service and even makes her way into babysitting Dr.Rolands 11 year old son, Matt(Zack Hopkins). Matt adores Beth and so does Dr. Roland until people start getting in the way Beth turns from timid girl to total psycho in seconds. After killing her co-worker(Cyndi Pass) and Dr. Roland's manager(Mary Crosby), Beth kidnaps Dr. Roland and drives her to the middle of nowhere so the two can spend time together. I won't give away the ending but I will say that Dr. Roland does whatever she can to get away from Beth.
Good!!
chaplins_charlie27 October 2003
This movie is indeed not at all crappy!! It is great!! My friends and I rented this one from blockbuster and we were all amazed by it. This movie is about and a thirty something year old woman named Beth who is a Carrie-type, plain and quiet on the outside but on the inside is in face just a little girl longing to be loved. You have to feel sorry for Beth. She has no social life, no friends, no boyfriend, she lives with and has to constantly take care of her old and sick yet mean mother, she was molested by her father when she was a little girl and when she seeks comfort, she gets turned down. She works at a convienence store and listens to a radio program about a doctor who helps callers with their problems. Who else is she to turn to but the wonderful doctor who believed in her and made her feel better about herself!! Beth becomes obsessed with the female doctor and will do anything (and I mean anything) to get closer to her. The whole movie had us on the edge of our seats and the ending was a big surprise!! The acting was really good!!
Tracy Nelson who played Beth was magnificant. She played the part so naturally. She played it so well that if I were in charge of the Oscars, she'd be first in line!! I hadn't really heard of her until I saw Night Caller and made me curious about Nelson's past work. She acted in many movies and t.v. shows. She is excellent!!
Go out and rent it and you'll see what I mean!! I give this movie
8 *'s out of 10!! About 7 of those 8 *'s go to Nelson!!
Tracy Nelson who played Beth was magnificant. She played the part so naturally. She played it so well that if I were in charge of the Oscars, she'd be first in line!! I hadn't really heard of her until I saw Night Caller and made me curious about Nelson's past work. She acted in many movies and t.v. shows. She is excellent!!
Go out and rent it and you'll see what I mean!! I give this movie
8 *'s out of 10!! About 7 of those 8 *'s go to Nelson!!
Good!!
chaplins_charlie2 November 2003
I really like this movie. It's one-of-a-kind for the fact that the killer this time is a woman named Beth who does not indeed appear to be a killer. She looks like she can't hurt a house fly. Beth's infatuation is not your typical jealousy over a man but over a woman. No, she's not obsessed with the female doctor sexually, but she just needs a friend and it seems this kind doctor is the only person who gives Beth the attention she needs and although the doctor is just doing her job, Beth takes it much more seriously and begins to stop at nothing to become closer to this doctor. She gets a job at the doctor's answering service, baby-sits the doctor's son and will do whatever it takes to make the doctor like her more than anyone. Even if it means killing whoever gets in the way!!
Although the movie was good, I was a little confused about some things that I hope get answered through this. Who's eyes are those on the cover?? They're certainly not Tracy Nelson's. What made Beth become crazy?? There's only a split second that explains why she killed her father, but we never know what caused her unusual infatuation especially with someone over the radio!!
Overall, it was a good one!! GO OUT AND RENT/BUY IT!! IT'S WORTH IT!!
Although the movie was good, I was a little confused about some things that I hope get answered through this. Who's eyes are those on the cover?? They're certainly not Tracy Nelson's. What made Beth become crazy?? There's only a split second that explains why she killed her father, but we never know what caused her unusual infatuation especially with someone over the radio!!
Overall, it was a good one!! GO OUT AND RENT/BUY IT!! IT'S WORTH IT!!
A Good Psycho-thriller Movie
ashoftrash12 October 2000
Being a fan of psycho-movies, such as Stepfather, The Shining, Halloween etc..I can not do anything else but like this one as well. It is not often you see a good female psycho hacking away in the pictures, so this one definitely goes right in to my video library.
Scary... funny... great
i_ate_your_tots25 August 2001
This is one of my favourite films. People like to dis it because they don't understand it. They were looking for scary and got comedy. Or they were looking for comedy and got twisted. Either way, the film was just excellent. Tracy was so cute and I just love when she is talking to her rabbit. WATCH IT! Go!!!
Hilarious!
jsf197429 September 2004
Warning: Spoilers
*** SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS***
OK, I know this movie is marketed in the thriller genre, but it never came close to scaring me. Well there was the ear-piercing scene which I found slightly graphic, but other than that it was mostly laughs (except for the sad ending which I won't give away). This movie focuses on a young woman approximately in her early thirties named Beth Needham (played by Tracy Nelson). It's hard not to feel sorry for Beth. She has no self esteem, having been berated and ridiculed her entire life by everybody she knew, especially her mean invalid mother (played by Eve Sigall) whom Beth is forced to take care of (the most thankless job you'll ever witness). Beth has worked the graveyard shift in a convenience store under the manager Larry Brill, who is a total jerk. The only solace Beth finds in her unhappy life is in a radio call-in show hosted by psychologist Lindsey Roland (Shanna Reed). Dr. Lindsey focuses on self esteem issues mostly, and her advice has more than intrigued Beth (who calls herself "Stupid Beth" whenever she spills coffee or whatever). One night, Beth summons the courage to call the show (inspired in part to a vision of Dr. Lindsey encouraging her to call). After the call (where Lindsey has told Beth she's "Really something special"), Beth lashes out at Brill, getting fired from her job (even though Beth says she quit). Beth threatens him with a knife then runs out of the store. When she returns home she's further berated by "Mama" for losing her job. When Mama rudely requests an oxygen tank to replace the one that's empty (she has emphysema or something), Beth does not bring it and lets her die. Beth now has the time to become closer to Dr. Lindsey with Mama dead and her crappy job** history. She does everything possible, including going to work for Lindsey's answering service, babysitting her son and making a generous donation to a charity Lindsey is working for. However, when anybody gets in the way of their budding friendship, Beth will not have it, even if it means killing them. What makes it so funny is how she kills her victims, calling them names like "Snoopy Poopy" and "Baboon Butt" in the process. What I found amazing was how Beth was able to kill people and get away with it *every time*. Not bad for a self-hating retard (as she put it)!
Check it out. It's a fun movie to watch.
And Beth will make you laugh.
OK, I know this movie is marketed in the thriller genre, but it never came close to scaring me. Well there was the ear-piercing scene which I found slightly graphic, but other than that it was mostly laughs (except for the sad ending which I won't give away). This movie focuses on a young woman approximately in her early thirties named Beth Needham (played by Tracy Nelson). It's hard not to feel sorry for Beth. She has no self esteem, having been berated and ridiculed her entire life by everybody she knew, especially her mean invalid mother (played by Eve Sigall) whom Beth is forced to take care of (the most thankless job you'll ever witness). Beth has worked the graveyard shift in a convenience store under the manager Larry Brill, who is a total jerk. The only solace Beth finds in her unhappy life is in a radio call-in show hosted by psychologist Lindsey Roland (Shanna Reed). Dr. Lindsey focuses on self esteem issues mostly, and her advice has more than intrigued Beth (who calls herself "Stupid Beth" whenever she spills coffee or whatever). One night, Beth summons the courage to call the show (inspired in part to a vision of Dr. Lindsey encouraging her to call). After the call (where Lindsey has told Beth she's "Really something special"), Beth lashes out at Brill, getting fired from her job (even though Beth says she quit). Beth threatens him with a knife then runs out of the store. When she returns home she's further berated by "Mama" for losing her job. When Mama rudely requests an oxygen tank to replace the one that's empty (she has emphysema or something), Beth does not bring it and lets her die. Beth now has the time to become closer to Dr. Lindsey with Mama dead and her crappy job** history. She does everything possible, including going to work for Lindsey's answering service, babysitting her son and making a generous donation to a charity Lindsey is working for. However, when anybody gets in the way of their budding friendship, Beth will not have it, even if it means killing them. What makes it so funny is how she kills her victims, calling them names like "Snoopy Poopy" and "Baboon Butt" in the process. What I found amazing was how Beth was able to kill people and get away with it *every time*. Not bad for a self-hating retard (as she put it)!
Check it out. It's a fun movie to watch.
And Beth will make you laugh.
The Night Caller
rochericky18 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Distributor: Image Home Video
Plot: Beth Needham lives an empty life devoid of friends. She spends her days caring for her bed-ridden mother, and her nights working at a convenience store. All that keeps Beth going is a voice on the radio. Psychologist Dr. Roland advises callers on her radio show. When Beth calls in, she starts fantasizing about Dr.Roland, even starts to babysit her kid. Everything is fine until she kidnaps the doctor.
Audio/Video: One word...excellent
Extras: None.
Final Thoughts: This late 90's thriller is actually pretty cool. Rent don't buy.
Plot: Beth Needham lives an empty life devoid of friends. She spends her days caring for her bed-ridden mother, and her nights working at a convenience store. All that keeps Beth going is a voice on the radio. Psychologist Dr. Roland advises callers on her radio show. When Beth calls in, she starts fantasizing about Dr.Roland, even starts to babysit her kid. Everything is fine until she kidnaps the doctor.
Audio/Video: One word...excellent
Extras: None.
Final Thoughts: This late 90's thriller is actually pretty cool. Rent don't buy.
Great!
davlaw-2063821 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the best thrillers I've ever seen! A bit like Misery and almost as good! Lonely, seriously disturbed young woman has an obsession with a radio agony aunt who she wants to befriend. She murders her 'mamma' first to help her realise her ambition. Then she imagines her mum's 'ghost' taunting and pulling her down as she did when alive, which induces her to bump others off! A must watch movie.
Ouch
theladysman16 April 2000
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