Customer Reviews

Telefon [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I love this movie. If you are or aren't a Charles Bronson fan you will like it. It is a bit dated but not much. Bronson is his usual menancing self which is great as played off by his side kick Lee Remick who is mesmerizing. Donald Pleasanse is his typical creepy villianous self. The story is really cool and different and I liked every minute of it... except the goofey Tyne Daily and C.I.A. stuff. It was put in for a kind of light contrast to what was going on but this is the part that is most "dated" to me. It just comes off as hokey 70's crap that is added for no reason.

Quick synopsis: Some generals in the U.S.S.R. set up a bunch of brain washed sleepers in the U.S. When called they are told a part of a Robert Frost poem which activates them and they go like zombies and blow up military instillations. The only problem is its many years later and they have been left in the U.S. as citizens, unknowing even to themselves that they are walking time bombs. The generals never told the Kremlin about them and now they must defuse them so they are not found out and because crazy Donald Pleasance has a list of the names and the trigger and is going to set them off all over the U.S. Bronson is sent in as a KGB officer with his American sympathizer lacky Lee Remick to stop Pleasance and possibly stop WWIII.

Bronson is The man.

Miles to go before you sleep...

Good pacing, the best acting that I have seen from Bronson. Remick provides a great sidekick. Of all the "Manchurian Candidate" knockoffs that I have seen this is clearly the best. Soviet madman activates russian sleeper agents to cause general mayhem and sabotage, and Bronson plays a under cover KGB agent sent to the states to put a stop to him. Recommended.

WHY ISN'T THIS MOVIE ON DVD? They're putting absolute JUNK out all the time, but they don't put really excellent movies like this one out? Who's running the show? Come on, guys, this is absolutely top of the line Bronson!

If you read the reviews on this movie you will see
that since 2000,people want this movie to come out
on dvd.They have put some of Bronson's worst pieces
of c**p out on dvd yet this excellent movie languishes
in vhs hell.I don't like Bronson generally speaking,
however he did make a few good films and this one tops
my list.Read the other reviews for info.on the story line.
I got tired of waiting for this to come out on dvd so I
transferred my vhs copy onto a blank dvd disc so that at
least it wouldn't deteriorate any further,but I want the
real thing.This movie really is a gem.

Wow, another Bronson thriller. Bronson as a KGB agent trying to stop a potential World War 3 after the cold war has ended some time ago. Sleeper agents are blowing up everything, and Bronson is the only one that has a chance to find the man that is setting them off with that triggering "telefon" call. Lots of action. This movie makes you think: is this really based on fiction? You never really know who is living right next door to you....do you?

This is one of Bronson's best. I love it. I can just watch this timeless classic over and over. I know all the words by heart. Watch him and Remick save the world from crazy psycho bomber Pleasence, who seems to be on some sort of suicide-mission; giving a whole new meaning to the word "phoney". I'm sure all Bronson-fans like this movie. See it, especially if you're into action movies from the 70's.

The phone rings. A voice on the other end quotes Frost "The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep". This triggers Soviet Manchurian Canidate killers to carry out missions programmed long ago when the cold war was hot. Enter Charles Bronson, Soviet KGB agent to save the day and prevent WWIII with his double agent femme fatal Lee Remick in a race against time to find the evil Dr. Strangelove type villian.