When Michael Calls (TV) [1972] Elizabeth Ashley

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When Michael Calls (1972) (TV)


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067977/

When Michael Calls is a Thriller-drama television movie directed by Philip Leacock and starred Elizabeth Ashley, Ben Gazzara and Michael Douglas. The television film was first broadcast as an ABC Movie of the Week on February 5, 1972. It was broadcast in Canada as 'Shattered Silence'.

Ben Gazzara ... Doremus Connelly
Elizabeth Ashley ... Helen Connelly
Michael Douglas ... Craig
Karen Pearson ... Peggy Connelly
Larry Reynolds ... Dr. Britton
Al Waxman ... Sheriff Hap Washbrook
Alan McRae ... Harry Randall
Chris Pellett ... Peter
Steve Weston ... Enoch Mills
Robert Warner ... Sam
John Bethune ... Quinlan
William Osler ... Prof. Swen
Michèle Chicoine ... Amy

When did TV movies become bastions for battered housewives and other domestic tribulations? There was a time (in the 70s, mainly) when cable network original films were as worthwhile for horror fans as whatever genre offering was playing at their local theater. It was network television that introduced us to the Zuni Fetish Doll and Larry Drake in scarecrow attire. Now all that remains is cheating husbands on the Lifetime Network.

Michael has been long thought dead, but has he somehow survived? Without question, the best reason to seek this one out is for the still spooky phone calls. It’s hard not to feel a chill when the little kid’s voice on the other end of the phone asks whether or not he’s dead. Because of this, the narrative is strongest in the first third, keeping viewers wondering whether or not Ashley is absolutely wacked out of her mind, or if there’s a supernatural element at play here. As it unfolds, a mounting series of ‘accidental’ deaths deepen the mystery while keeping the pace steady and the action reasonably interesting. For an early 70’s TV film, it’s reasonably fast moving, and equipped with a solid string of surprises. When Michael Calls is probably best enjoyed on a slow and rainy afternoon and those most susceptible to its charms are likely those who were terrified by it back in the day. However, it’s surprisingly fast-paced considering the era from which it came, and does offer a slight, but enjoyable, mystery to go along with the scares. It’s hard to imagine me revisiting it again anytime soon, but it makes me yearn for a day where legitimately creepy genre material will once again return to TV.