Product Details

• Actors: Charles Bronson, Lee Remick, Donald Pleasence, Tyne Daly, Alan Badel
• Directors: Don Siegel
• Writers: Peter Hyams, Robert Frost, Stirling Silliphant, Walter Wager
• Producers: James B. Harris
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: May 16, 1989
• Run Time: 102 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301977386
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #177,522 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Cold War Era Plot Concept, December 13, 2004

By 

Lonnie E. Holder "The Review's the Thing" (Columbus, Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Telefon [VHS] (VHS Tape)

What if the Soviet Union, during some of the most intense moments of the Cold War, created agents to go deep undercover in the United States and around the world, waiting for certain lines of poetry to be read to them to activate a programmed act of destruction? Then, what would happen if the agents were never used until a madman obtained a copy of the list of agents, and then started calling them, 15 years later? This unlikely premise is the basis of this excellent spy movie.

Nicolai Dalchimsky (Donald Pleasance) is the madman who obtains a copy of the list. Pleasance has very few lines in this movie, but a lot of screen time as we see him either calling agents or watching the results of their destruction. The Soviet Union quickly realizes a list of the agents has been stolen and sends super-spy and assassin Grigori Borzov (Charles Bronson) to eliminate Dalchimsky and retrieve the list. Borzov is to work with active agent Barbara (Lee Remick).

The cat and mouse game is handled reasonably well, though there are a couple of small discrepancies in Borzov's demeanor while Borzov and Barbara are attempting to understand how Dalchimsky is choosing his targets. The development of the relationship between Borzov and Barbara is handled very well, as Barbara is first repelled by Borzov, and then understands the choices he must make, and eventually comes to love him.

The special effects in this late 70s movie are generally good, with a few discrepancies that I tend to overlook because of the novelty of the story.

Bronson was a perfect choice for the role of Borzov. He is generally quiet, logical and methodical, and takes no pleasure in what he must do. Lee Remick provides contrast as a somewhat cynical Soviet agent based in the United States, influenced too much by the difference in ideologies. Tyne Daly appears as computer expert Dorothy Putterman, anticipating computer geeks in future movies. Daly appeared in the previous year as Inspector Kate Moore in the Clint Eastwood movie "The Enforcer," an entry in the "Dirty Harry" series of movies, establishing herself as an extremely versatile actor.

Spy movies require a good plot to be believable, and credible actors to maintain that credibility. The plot in this movie is very good, and has a little bit of plot similarity to "The Manchurian Candidate," but only because both movies deal with deep undercover spies who are programmed to do things and then forget about the programming until certain code words are spoken, then they mindlessly carry out their programming, even if they die in the process of doing so. The initial meeting between Borzov and Barbara put me off a little, as Barbara behaved somewhat uncharacteristically, it seemed to me, but as the movie progressed and the relationship between Borzov and Barbara developed I became very comfortable with the actors in their roles.

This movie is one of the better spy movies of the late Cold War era. After watching this movie, you may wonder just who is calling next time you hear a phone ring.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ah, the good ol' days of the Cold War!, February 27, 2006

By 

G P Padillo "paolo" (Portland, ME United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Telefon [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This was a flick I saw as a teenager, loved and forgot about. I only came to watch it again recently and had forgotten what an effective, well acted and original cold war thriller it was.

Bronson gives one of his best performances and Lee Remick's cool, blonde beauty combined with her sensational acting instincts (did she ever give one bad performance? I don't think so) make this a good, gripping drama.

Nutshell synopsis: The Soviets had set up a network/cell of some 52 agents brainwashed to believe themselves U.S. citizens, using the identities of deceased Americans. At any time they could receive the "code" from Mother Russia - in the form of the final verse of Robert Frost's classic poem "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" at which point they would go into automaton mode, each agent specifically programmed to destroy a strategic U.S. military installation.

The Soviets realize the top secret list of agents has fallen into the hands of one Nicolai Dalchimsky - the wonderfully creepy Donald Pleasance - who from payphones across the U.S. is systematically calling the sleeper cell agents (in a particularly methodical fashion) and blowing up their U.S. targets. The Soviets send their top agent, Charles Bronson to rendevous with an agent in America and find and stop Dalchimsky. The chemistry between Bronson and Remick is wonderful, with Remick also adding a healthy dose of old movie tough gal humor to Bronson's no-nonsense performance. (In his first scene, we're given a device to endear Bronson to us as he coaches an adorable group of Russian kids playing hockey).

Look for Tyne Daly in a very early appearance as a brilliant computer nerd trying to crack the same case for the American team.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TELEFON THE BEST OF BRONSON., October 26, 2004

By 

EDWIN RIVERA "EDWIN FAN BRONSON" (PUERTO RICO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Telefon [VHS] (VHS Tape)

TELEFON IS ONE THE BEST FILMS OF CHARLES BRONSON I PRAY FOR THIS MOTION PICTURE BE TRANSFERED TO DVD. ITS A CLASSIC ITS BRONSON BEST PERFORMANCE. CHARLES BRONSON ITS MY HERO UNTIL I AM A KID. THE FIRST MOVIE IMPRESED ME OF BRONSON ITS THE MECHANIC WOW WHAT A GRAT PICTURE. PLEASE TO THE PRODUCERS OF TELEFON BRING TELEFON,ST IVES AND DEATH HUNT IN DVD TO COMPLETE OUR COLLECTION OF BRONSON. I REMEMBER WHEN I SEE TELEFON IN THE MOVIE MY FATHER AND I TALKING ABOUT THE PICTURE ABOUT A MONTH. TELEFON ITS ONE BEST OF THAT HERO OF OUR LIVES MR. CHARLES BRONSON.