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Someone's Watching Me

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Someone's Watching Me is sort of the forgotten movie of John Carpenter's career. Someone's Watching Me aired back on November 29th of 1978, which was almost a month after Carpenter's career took off with the horror classic Halloween.

Originally John Carpenter wrote the movie as theatrical film, but Warner Brothers decided to make it a TV movie. In my opinion I think that was the right move. Even though this movie aired after Halloween it was actually filmed prior.

I have to admit I enjoyed this movie quite a bit, but I don't think it would have worked as well as a theatrical film. You can clearly though see flashes of the brilliance Carpenter would show through out his career. Despite his reputation as a filmmaker who uses violence, Carpenter aims more for suspense and tension. This is a TV movie so the violence will obviously be lacking, which in some ways I think is a plus. Carpenter had to create a certain amount of tension and suspense and rely on that to make up for the lack of violence.

John Carpenter has stated many times his love of Alfred Hitchcock and here he pays homage to the master of suspense with a movie clearly inspired by Rear Window. The screenplay by John Carpenter is well-written though there are some cheesy moments in the script. The structure of the script I don't think really works well as a theatrical film. Had it been a feature I'm sure there would have been changes made though.

As I stated Someone's Watching Me is one of the forgotten movies in John Carpenter's career; while watching this flick you can see the potential John Carpenter had and in my opinion very much lived up to. Like I brought up earlier despite coming out after Halloween, this was shot prior to it and Carpenter really grew as a filmmaker in that short period of time. While not every single moment of the film works great, Carpenter was learning his craft and does a wonderful job.

Despite being a TV movie Carpenter makes up for everything and does a solid job at creating suspense and tension through out. One of my favorite things about the movie is the phone calls. While they can be a bit creepy at times they start off as more annoying than anything. The caller isn't really saying anything that could get him in much trouble and he's actually sending gifts, which prompts Lauren Hutton's character to say something along the lines of what do I tell the police he's sending me gifts?

There are a couple of creepy moments in the phone calls, but it's not really about that. It's more on the fact this guy knows her every move and that is why it gets creepy. The 2nd half of the movie really picks up with the suspense and delivers on that area more than a lot of theatrical movies. One of the very best scenes is when Lauren Hutton's character is in the callers' house and Adrienne Barbeau is in Hutton's house. I don't wanna spoil the scene, but it was a classic John Carpenter moment.

The cast delivers mostly solid performances with Lauren Hutton in the lead. Adrienne Barbeau and Charles Cyphers have supporting roles and both would work with Carpenter a couple of times.

Overall Someone's Watching Me is a solid suspense/thriller early in John Carpenter's career and the potential was shown and he lived up to that. Don't expect much violence keep in mind this is a TV movie so there is only so far Carpenter can go, but like I said he makes up for that is suspense and tension.

Someone's Watching Me may not be one of the best movies Carpenter has ever made, but it's a very solid one and can stand proud in his body of work. Due to the fact this movie for the longest time was not available on VHS or DVD it's rarely seen. Hopefully now with the DVD release from Warner Brothers more Carpenter fans will seek out this forgotten classic.

Little bit of trivia, this movie is the first time John Carpenter and Adrienne Barbeau worked together and this is the movie in, which they first met and would later get married.

Just prior to shooting Halloween (1979), what would become his breakout film, John Carpenter worked on the made for TV movie Someone's Watching Me (1978), which he both wrote and directed. The film featured fashion model turned actress Lauren Hutton, as a TV producer being terrorized by an unknown stalker. With virtually no violence until the end, the film spends most of its time trying to ratchet up the pressure, and building the level of suspense and frustration. The effort is moderately successful, but the film moves at a very slow pace. The perpetrator turns out to be someone completely unknown, which somewhat lessens the film's impact.

A new arrival to Los Angeles, TV producer Leigh Michaels (Hutton) has just taken a luxury unit in the Arkum Tower, a high rise apartment building, and found a job at a local TV station. Trying to settle in, she has no idea that someone has bugged her apartment, as she begins to receive crank phone calls, and the lights in her apartment mysteriously dim down.

Leigh makes friends with Sophie (Adrienne Barbeau), a coworker at the station, and also begins a relationship with college professor Paul Winkless (David Birney). She receives a letter from a company purporting to give away gifts, and a free vacation trip to a mysterious location. A telescope arrives as a gift, and as the taunting calls continue, it becomes apparent that someone is watching her inside the apartment. Leigh also finds notes stuck to her door, which leads to her doing some investigating. Utilizing the telescope, Sophie and Leigh scan the surrounding buildings and spot a man with a telescope. Finally able to get some assistance from the police, their efforts lead to a suspect with a suspicious past. The man is driven out of town, but when Leigh spots another man using a telescope, her problems aren't over yet.

The story nicely builds up the pressure, as Leigh continues to be tormented by a twisted unknown weirdo. There is a sense of frustration, first because things develop so slowly, and then because the police totally ignore proper procedure, when Leigh witnesses a crime. With Paul's help, Leigh gets on the trail of the only man in the entire city of Los Angeles who could be responsible. After such an interminable wait, the final confrontation in Leigh's apartment, a brief flash of clichéd violence, is a bit of a letdown, as it is not staged or executed very well, and Carpenter makes a completely obscure character the villain.

Lauren Hutton's acting performance is pretty good, except perhaps in some of the action scenes. John Carpenter met his future wife Adrienne Barbeau making this film, and they would collaborate several more times, including The Fog (1980), and Escape From New York (1981). Barbeau is very good, and the reliable David Birney also delivers a solid performance.

With its provocative subject matter, sense of mystery, and attractive stars, it's easy to understand why Carpenter's tale of suspense was solid entertainment for the small screen at the time, though today it may seem rather tame. Intended to fit into a two hour block, the story seems longer than it needs to be, and drags at times, but is still a decent enough watch for a TV thriller.

Right after his bleakly hilarious DARK STAR and the wonderfully tense ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (where even a little girl is not spared from the mayhem), John Carpenter ran head-on into man's greatest horror- Network television! Confined to a medium consisting of almost pure cheeze, Carpenter directed a decent thriller called SOMEONE'S WATCHING ME. TV director, Liegh Micheals (Lauren Hutton) is "stalked" by a creep w/ a telescope and surveillance equipment. This guy is serious about his obsession, even bugging Liegh's apartment and controlling her electricity! Liegh has tried moving, changing her number to an unlisted one, etc., but nothing works. Now, with the help of her friend Sophie (Adrienne Barbeau of The Fog, Creepshow) and her new boyfriend (David Birney), Liegh sets out to catch the bothersome freak. With some obvious (and frequent) nods to REAR WINDOW and a strong, gutsy female lead, SWM is not typical tele-junk. I enjoyed Liegh's courage and her "I'm not gonna put up with this" attitude. Especially when she begins taking it right to her tormentor's home turf! Check it out... P.S.- Watch for Charles Cyphers (Halloween 1+2, The Fog) as a cop...

"Someone's Watching Me" was a really pleasant surprise. I've watched all the Carpenter films over the years and am a huge fan of his but by no means a Carpenter expert. I hate to admit that I never heard of this little made-for-TV movie and was thrilled to see it was on DVD. My wife and I watched it late at night and we really enjoyed it. It is definitely not completely cut out of the usual Carpenter mold with the awesome synthesizer music and the usual mainstay actors that he re-uses, or the gore and shock value. It is mostly a building of a feeling of terror and mystery. There is the constant wondering WHO the stalker is? Carpenter nicely has the main character Leigh meet several men in the movie whom you believe could be the stalker/killer. But you never really know?

Charles Cyphers is in this flick and Adrienne Barbeau, both mainstays of Carpenter's films. Cyphers has been in a heap of his movies over the years playing mostly cops or bosses. Barbeau, Carpenter's now ex-wife, plays, of all things, a lesbian! Pretty bold for 1978! LOL Lauren Hutton, of whom I'm not really a fan, does a solid job and excels in making Leigh a quirky but likeable, strong lead female character.

I thought there were some great tense moments and they were genuinely a little scary. No blood and guts, no Michael Myers moments, but the buildup and tension, plot, dialogue, and ending were satisfying.

If you're considering buying this, DO IT. It's fun for a Friday night spook thriller to watch with your lady. Break out the popcorn and watch it. It's worth the fourteen or fifteen clams and I guarantee in a few years you'll want to watch it again. It's not Carpenter's best, but it's a keeper for sure. Enjoy!

While 'Someone's Watching Me' may not be Halloween, The Fog, or Escape from New York, it certainly delivers both thrills and chills. The story is not the most original; kind of like a reverse Rear Window where someone with a telescope is terrorizing someone across the way in another building. The police are helpless; what can they do to a crank phone caller?

The movie, as I've said, may not have the best story, but John Carpenter delivers a well paced and directed TV movie that would have pleased even the Master of Suspense himself. This film is scary and tense, and a definite purchase for any John Carpenter or suspense film fan. Highly recommended.

John Carpenter had an illustrious career as a Horror director back in his hay day. Some could make the argument that he started the whole early 1980's Slasher craze with his films HALLOWEEN and it's sequel. Although there have been earlier examples of "stalker" themed Horror films previous to the John Carpenter classic (Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO is the obvious and most well known of them), HALLOWEEN was the one that made it possible for movies like FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980), A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) and MY BLOODY VALENTINE (1981) to even exist! I've never been too wild about the original HALLOWEEN film (I'm more of a Freddy Krueger fan myself) but to deny it's influence would be very foolish. Without a doubt, it's a classic. The notorious TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) holds it's own place in Horror history but that's an entirely different type of "Slasher." Some might call that movie a documentary type of Horror or a fake "snuff" film. The world of Horror is deep and dark.

Yet, when talking about Carpenter's career as a movie director, the man has made a few mistakes in his filmography. Movies like VAMPIRES (James Woods sleazing it up for a paycheck) and GHOSTS OF MARS (what in the name of everything holy is Ice Cube doing in a John Carpenter film!?!) come to mind when thinking of his failures. These movies were a far cry from his earlier and best work. HALLOWEEN goes without saying, it's a staple. It's sequel HALLOWEEN 2 was rather under rated if you asked me. I'm even willing to say I found it a little more enjoyable than the first one! (I'm sure some Horror fans are questioning my credibility right about now) Not to mention all of the other amazing films he's made during the "classic era" of his career. My personal favorites are ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, THE THING and the much later IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS. Although he's made a few other ones in between that were pretty good too. HALLOWEEN III wasn't directed by him but he does an amazing synthesizer score to it.

With all that being said about Carpenter's films and outside of the HALLOWEEN movies, he doesn't seem to have too much in the way of "slashers" under his belt. He's dealt with fog zombies, killer cars, ancient Chinese demons and aliens before. Yet, not so much with stalkers and "slashers" if you think about it. So imagine my surprise when I heard the "lost" Carpenter film SOMEONE'S WATCHING ME was finally getting the DVD treatment! I didn't even know this movie existed until Warner Bros started releasing their "Twisted Terrors Collection" a few years back. For those of you looking to recapture some of that early John Carpenter HALLOWEEN magic again, you need to get this movie! It's pretty good but here's the kicker. SOMEONE'S WATCHING ME was made before HALLOWEEN!

Now, before some random Horror fan clicks the "add to cart" button on this item page, let me tell you right away that SOMEONE'S WATCHING ME is a "made for television" Horror film. Meaning that there isn't all the insane gore that some of Carpenter's later works (HALLOWEEN 2, THE THING, BODY BAGS for example) display. This movie is more about suspense, lighting and a sense of dread. I'm even willing to consider it as an "American Giallo" Horror film, without all the gore. It seemed that a lot of well known Horror directors had their fingers in the "made for television" scene at one point or another.

The movie starts out with a woman receiving offensive phone calls by a stalker in her high rise apartment complex. We're given the impression that the mystery man is watching her from another high rise building across the street, through a telescope. She's obviously terrified of him and tells the man on the phone that she's planning on leaving her apartment right away. It would seem that the stalker has done this before and has successfully gotten away with it. We're then introduced to our real main character moments later, moving into that very apartment, now vacant. She's a young girl who's new to the city and is trying to find a job in the local area. Right after moving into her new apartment, strange things start to happen around her. Someone is following her around town and she gets random phone calls at her new job from an unknown caller. Another time it seemed like someone had been in her apartment when she wasn't there. Truly creepy stuff. This all leads to a rather thrilling and exciting conclusion.

The movie over all unfolds at a slow pace, letting the atmosphere (dark city streets) and tension (the sleazy phone calls) set the stange for an effective Horror film. Yet, this isn't a Horror movie. It's a made for television film and John Carpenter uses his early craft and knowledge of suspense to his advantage. With all that being said, SOMEONE'S WATCHING ME isn't perfect everywhere. First of all, the slow execution and lack of action might turn some people off. It wasn't a problem for me personally but when you make a movie review, you have to let the reader know more about the film in an "inside out" kind of way. So if you're expecting the sudden violence of HALLOWEEN or the explosive nature of it's sequel, maybe it's best you look elsewhere for a "Slasher" movie. One aspect of this movie I didn't like was the film score. Normally Carpenter is known for his haunting sound tracks (HALLOWEEN III, THE THING, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK) but here it's sorely lacking. In it's place is a rather conventional score that doesn't do the dark subject matter justice. Sure, it's a million times better than some "Emo" band doing the sound track like the movies of today, but you find yourself (especially if you're a Carpenter fan and know what he is capable of) wishing the TV studio would have just let him do his own score. I get the feeling they wanted this movie to resemble a film of theater like quality, thus the straight forward sound track.

Over all those are small issues really. This is a great Horror film. SOMEONE'S WATCHING ME is the perfect movie to introduce young teens or the uninitiated to Carpenter's work. It's also a good starting point for people who want to get into the sub genre "Giallo" without all the over the top blood and guts. Start with this film, then move on to movies like HALLOWEEN, THE BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA and eventually DEEP RED. Gore Hounds, I hate to say it but SOMEONE'S WATCHING ME might not be the film you're looking for. This is more of a movie for fans of "Giallo" (minus the blood) and early American "Slasher." Carpenter fans, check it out!

That's my two cents!

"Someone's Watching Me" is a long time favorite of mine and I'm glad it can now be enjoyed on video.

This film is in the very best tradition of a great Hitchcock film. John Carpenter does a superb job with the direction. Lauren Hutton did a more than credible acting job and carries this film from the first scene to the end, as she was in almost every scene. Hutton is an under rated actress, probably because she came from the modeling world, but in this film it is obvious she has some serious acting chops. She is well supported in "Someone's Watching Me" by another very under rated actress, Adrienne Barbeau. Barbeau is excellent and very believeable in her supporting role.

If you are a fan of Hitchcock I highly recommend this film. Carpenter serves the Hitchcock tradition proudly. Another reason to enjoy this film is the fine acting of Hutton and Barbeau. This is an under rated film that deserved more recognition. The work of Carpenter, Hutton and Barbeau is superb.

Finally this 'lost' John Carpenter movie has been released on DVD. I already had it on VHS, which was very difficult to get hold of but after a search many years I found it in Australia !

I have seen this suspense movie many times, but I still consider it (with 'Halloween') to be one of Carpenter's best movies.

Onno
the Netherlands

I was so excited to see the 'forgotten' John Carpenter film finally getting a DVD release. He's one of my favorite directors. Unfortunately this is one of his weakest films and probably my least favorite.

It's not all bad and has some genuinely tense moments, but they are few and far between. I'm not sure if John Carpenter just wasn't feeling it with this one or if it was due to the constraints of it being a T.V. movie with the constant breaks required for commercials. Whatever it is, the film is a series of peaks and valleys. The pace is off. You just don't get enough of a feeling of building tension. It's funny, because this film was preceded by Assault on Precinct 13 and Halloween and followed by The Fog and all are excellent, suspenseful films.

In this movie there are a number of good scenes. The bits with the laundry room, the park at night, the penthouse, the search of a house and the last fifteen minutes are great. But in between there are plenty of dull spots.

The music was kind of irritating. I wish John Carpenter had gotten to score this one like he does most of his movies. But he didn't and the music is here seems like a swipe of better music from other suspense movies and at times was just inappropriate for the scene. The best part musically was a scene where Leigh is opening a strange package that was synched to Vivaldi's 'Winter'. That part was very well done, but also pointed out how bad the rest of the music was.

Also, Lauren Hutton just didn't seem right for the part. She's a good actress and the part was written well, but the two didn't seem to connect.

One highlight of the movie is Adrienne Barbeau. She is terrific in her part. It's easy to see why J.C. used her in his future movies (well, aside from their marriage). I wish she were in the movie more.

Also, I applaud him for writing in a positive lesbian character. It must have been scandalous for a T.V. movie from 1978. She wasn't stereotypical, never made any 'sinister' passes at our heroine and also wasn't portrayed as the 'magical gay character'. Kudos to John Carpenter.

This movie is worth a rental. But compared to what John Carpenter had done before and would do in the future, this entry was weak.

Some creep is stalking our heroine. That's about it. The sterile scenery of 70s LA and arid apartment building, along with her job in television, create a great atmosphere of urban anonymity. Lauren Hutton is charming as the wisecracking lead. Smoothly directed little bit of nastiness.