When Michael Calls – 1972
Director
Philip Leacock

Writers
James Bridges
John Farris – novel

Cast
Ben Gazzara
Elizabeth Ashley
Michael Douglas

Review by Wayne Malin

Still works,
Elizabeth Ashley is receiving phone calls from her nephew Michael–he’s crying, screaming and asking for help. The problem is Michael died 15 years ago.

This film scared me silly back in 1972 when it aired on ABC. Seeing it again, years later, it STILL works.

The movie is a little slow and predictable, the deaths are very tame and there’s a tacked-on happy ending, but this IS a TV movie so you have to give it room. Elizabeth Ashley is excellent, Ben Gazzara is OK and it’s fun to see Michael Douglas so young. And those telephone calls still scare the living daylights out of me. I actually had to turn a light on during one of them!

A creepy little TV movie. Worth seeing.