“Have you checked the children?” ~When a Stranger Calls (1979)

IMDB Summary: A psychopathic killer terrorizes a babysitter, then returns seven years later to menace her again.

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 36% (Ouch.)

Why I love it: The “have you checked the children?” setup. It’s horrifying.

I was 12 when this came out in 1979. I’ve had a fear ever since of a maniac taunting me from inside the house, especially if there’s an upstairs. Like I always say: I hate the phone.

“The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs” is an urban legend (read about it and others here). I’m guessing it was invented to make sure teenage girls are doing their job and not calling boys. Then there’s the 1974 movie Black Christmas, inspired by a series of murders that took place in Montreal, both of which this is based on. The house next door to me growing up caught on fire one night after the babysitter fell asleep. True story. Anything can happen.