THE FILM:

I would be a hypocrite if I denied ever making a prank call. I vividly remember a childhood before caller ID, *69 and cell phones, when an 8-year-old boy could pick up the phone, dial a number, and ask for Jack Mehoff without fear of repercussion. Not that I ever did that. The teenage girls at the heart of I Saw What You Did take it to another level, and should have their phone privileges revoked for at least a month. Libby Mannering (Andi Garrett) and friend Kit Austin (Sara Lane) convince Libby's parents to let them babysit for Libby's sister, Tess (Sharyl Locke), while the parents attend an overnight function. They reluctantly agree, head off, and leave the girls to their own devices. Soon, Libby and Kit begin randomly dialing phone numbers and telling the unsuspecting recipient, "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." This is not particularly funny to Steve Marak (John Ireland), who has just murdered his wife and becomes paranoid that someone witnessed the killing.

In a way, I Saw What You Did is a product of its time. Released in 1965, William Castle's (House on Haunted Hill, 13 Ghosts) thriller depicts its young heroines as innocent and gravely naïve. Neither girl is prank calling people maliciously, and neither expects the firestorm they eventually cause. Steve is tired of wife Judith (Joyce Meadows), and murders her so he can be with his neighbor, Amy (Joan Crawford), who is desperately in love with him. No one sees the murder, but Amy is not stupid, only blinded by love and devotion to Steve. She ignores the collateral damage, and asks Steve to run away with her. Meanwhile, Kit and Libby are intrigued by Steve's unexpectedly frightened reaction to their call, and decide to use the address in the phone book to get a glimpse of the man. Libby peeks into the man's windows, but an angry Amy accosts her, demanding to know if she is "Suzette." Amy then snatches Libby's car registration before running the girls off the property in a rage. Amy thinks she has run off a suitor, but Steve realizes he can use the registration card to track down the woman he thinks can send him to jail.

Although it is suspenseful, much of I Saw What You Did has a tongue-in-cheek feel, furthered by the carefree young women at its heart. The best parts of the film are told through the eyes of Libby and Kit, and scenes where the focus turns to Steve are less interesting. Crawford gives a strong performance, and is certainly a livewire in this relatively small part. Her character physically ropes the girls into Steve's web, which may cost them their lives. Hollywood has long been fascinated by the telephone, which can be used to deliver joyful news, spark terror, or start a war. I Saw What You Did shares DNA with Sorry, Wrong Number and Dial M For Murder, which is not surprising, since Castle is known for imitating Hitchcock in many of his films. The premise here is gimmicky and preposterous, but that does not lessen the film's entertainment value.

The film becomes more of a cat-and-mouse thriller in its final act. Tess informs Libby that a man is downstairs looking for her. Tess needs the stranger talk and fast. The police get involved when the girls do not answer the phone at home. Their parents are several hours away and desperate to make contact. But Tess and Libby are more concerned with not getting in trouble, and have no idea the danger they are in. They send the officer away with a string of apologies for getting distracted and not answering the phone. This sort of movie simply would not work in today's world of constant communication. Castle is known for brash promotional gags like electric-shock seats and other props in theaters, and the poster artwork for I Saw What You Did boldly claims that this is a "film about uxoricide!" That is the killing of a wife by the husband. I'm not sure the content mirrors these alarmist posters, but I enjoyed the movie. It is not Castle's best work, but it is an entertaining, throwback suspense thriller.

THE BLU-RAY:

PICTURE:

The 1.85:1/1080p/AVC-encoded image is OK, but comes with a number of faults. First, the print is quite dirty throughout, and I noticed a number of scratches, blemishes and imperfections. Second, image stability varies: some shots are crisp and clear, while others appear thin and shaky. Detail is overall decent, and you can certainly tell this is an HD presentation. Clarity and contrast are also good for this B&W presentation, and black levels are impressive, with good shadow detail. There is plenty of delineation for the greys and blacks, and a fine layer of grain gives the presentation a film-like appearance. I noticed no big issues with aliasing, noise reduction or edge enhancement.

SOUND:

The DTS-HD Master Audio mono mix is certainly adequate. The audio is largely without flaw during this dialogue-heavy film. Only briefly did I notice minor clipping and distortion, which may be a result of damaged source elements. English subtitles are available.

EXTRAS:

The only extras are a brief Photo Gallery, with cast portraits, behind-the-scenes shots and promotional stills, and two Theatrical Trailers.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Although it is not exactly terrifying, I Saw What You Did is an entertaining throwback from William Castle. Two teenage girls prank call the wrong man, and find their lives in danger. Joan Crawford stars alongside Andi Garrett and Sara Lane. Scream Factory's Blu-ray has decent picture and sound quality. Recommended for fans.

William lives in Burlington, North Carolina, and looks forward to a Friday-afternoon matinee.