Intimate Stranger (1991)

It is a performances centric movie

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

This has to rank as one of the best and my favorite erotic thriller of all time. Probably because it's one of the first I saw, as I remember in 1992 late at night catching this on a movie channel late one night. And plus the story of a phone sex operator getting terrorized by a crazy psycho like killer who also has a little sport of killing Oriental and Asian escorts made it an entertaining watch. "Intimate Stranger"(a true to it's word title a nice catch!)from the start is spine tingling and creepy with suspense as the voice of the caller to Cory(Blondie's Deborah Harry)already starts the mystery and most memorable and very disturbing in an erotic way is the scene of the crazed killer caller having the Asian/Oriental escort hog tied totally nude with a gag in her mouth, all as the sick guy plays his cat and mouse game before doing inside damage. Wow what a way to start an erotic film. So Cory who only moonlights as a singer finds that her life of a phone sex operator is not safe and from then on this film is a wild chase a game of suspense chill terror as she's helped out from a hot young Los Angeles up and coming cop named Nick(James Russo)and Cory's younger sister the outgoing Meg helps bait the killer. Also you will see in one of her first film appearances the hot Tia Carrere as a sexy Oriental escort. Overall this is a highly memorable and enjoyable erotic suspense film that thrills with chills and it tingles your spine yet it all produces erotic fun.

I have to first state that I am a newer Debbie fan, and seeing this movie made me just LOVE her even more!!! Having just watched it for the first time I cannot get it out of my head! There's something about Debbie that just draws you in, she's a true doll! When she's on screen you can't take your eyes off of her! In this movie she proves herself not only a FABULOUS singer as she's always been, but a truly credible actress! I only wish people in Hollywood would consider her for more big budget films! This movie has everything it's dark, it's intense, and its got Debs:) What more do you want? There's one scene in this movie where Debbie truly SHINES as an actress, and I'm talking about the scene where she describes her mother's death, and her loneliness. She is just IT! You really feel for her character, especially in this scene where she shows her vulnerability. Please see this movie, especially if you're a Debbie and/or Blondie fan!!

This isn't my favourite role for Deborah Harry (those would be Nicki Brand in "Videodrome" and Delores in "Heavy") but the film is a must for Debbie fans. It's a rare lead role for her and she gets the chance to play a warm and sympathetic character. Her character Cory Wheeler/ phone name "Angel" is a struggling bar singer who also works as a phone sex operator to make ends meet. Other luminaries in the film include Grace Zabriskie (of "Twin Peaks" and "Wild At Heart") and Tim Thomerson (Jack Deth in "Trancers") as the sick and twisted psycho who's taken a shine to Debbie's sensual voice (who hasn't?). To be fair, if you're not a big Debbie Harry/Blondie fan, it's just an average or maybe slightly above average cable slasher thriller. However Debbie is good in this and the scenes where she sings in the bar (including Janis Joplin's "Take Another Piece Of My Heart") are worthwhile. Tim Thomerson is also notable for being quite disturbing. The film also stars James Russo (an acting friend of Iggy Pop, who has since also been in the excellent film "Panther") as the cop who helps Debbie's character find the sicko who likes torturing women before she (or someone close to her?) is the next victim.

Deborah Harry plays a burnt out musician/phone-sex operator Cory Wheeler in 'Intimate Stranger', a made for cable 'adult thriller".The movie would be a yawn if not for Ms. Harry's smoky, heavy-lidded performance. The rest of the cast is fine too, but but only so much can be done to make this 'erotic thriller' sustain viewers interest, besides adding some gratuitous nudity and violence, of course.