Hotline

Chesty California art student Brianne O'Neill (Lynda Carter) accumulates multiple admirers from her night-time job tending bar. They range from creeps to charming eccentrics. Dr.Justin Price (Granville Van Dusen), a psychiatrist who runs a distress centre falls somewhat in to the latter category. He hires her to answer distress calls at his centre during the day.

In to this attractive young widow's life a stalker enters and aggressively pursues her invading her home. Possibly the same depraved individual is behind multiple murders of young women in the area. Probably the same sicko is continually calling Brianne at the distress centre speaking in riddles and taunting her.

Price downplays the seriousness of the phone calls as do co-workers. A lot of cranks call in to the centre and they are used to it. But the raspy-voiced creep continues to call the centre and asks for her. Brianne continues to accept the calls and play along trying to guess the riddles he keeps leaving her with even as he calls her at home and then the bar.

Brianne doesn't scare easily. That is one of the first things we find out about her. Because of this aspect of her character she can indulge her curiosity sorting through the variety of weirdos she meets with seemingly lesser regard to her own life and limb than most might have. But given that a number of the same weirdos are within her social circle that might be another reason.

The surprise resolution to the mystery is mildly jarring to the viewer but considerably more so to the heroine/potential next victim.

Though less than brilliant this goofy but fun CBS TV movie has real appeal not merely for its distinguished cast but also for the fact that it tells us a story rather than giving us a lecture. Far too many made-for-TV movies produced at that time and since featured a serious social issue plot and 'Based on a true story' pedigrees. An old-fashioned movie with a fictionalized narrative was becoming rare in made-for-TV cinema.

The script for this production could have been made into a low-budget feature. Because it was on television it offered the viewer a movie night without leaving the comfort of home or incurring the expense and hassle of going to the cinema.

Hotline is a pretty good made-for television movie,that,if given a chance,can keep you on edge for the duration.I saw it when it came on the tube for the very 1st time.Lynda Carter does a fine job as the lead role, playing a character named Brianne O'Neill who takes a job at a hotline crisis center.Soon she receives calls from a man using bizarre, macabre nursery rhymes and calling himself "The Barber".He describes his murderous activities and inclinations over the phone, and the suspense builds as the killer closes in on O'Neill, all the while repeatedly reporting his deeds to her over the phone.This is an obscure film that's worthy of some attention,-rarely does it come on television.

A little slow, but, time well spent. Lynda Carter will easily hold your interest.

---------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Deliberately bad 2 I don't want to see it 3 I didn't finish and or FF'd through it 4 Bad 5 I don't get it 6 Good 7 Great but with a major flaw 8 Great 9 Noir with moral.

This is perhaps Lynda Carter's scariest movie in her long sucession of thrillers. I bought this on video and it is now considered vintage. I don't believe you can purchase it anymore. I have been in love with Lynda Carter since I first saw her crowned as Miss America back in 1973. I simply watched this one on Halloween night back in 82 because she starred in it. To my surprize, Lynda was finally given a good script. Up until then her she had been given lousy movies to work with. The only consolation to some of her earlier films was that she was always brilliant eye candy and still is even now. If anyone is given the opportunity to see Hotline I suggest you watch this one. It is perhaps the most terriying made for tv movie ever. Too bad Lynda is not really Wonder Woman for this film!!! You'll love the diabolical finale!!!

TV thriller concerns Lynda Carter hot on the trail of a killer who communicates with her via telephone about his heinous deeds. It's a race against time as the body count rises and the killer comes closer and closer to making Lynda his next victim! Okay suspense, but the prime attraction is of course Ms. Carter, who made a slew of TV flicks after WONDER WOMAN was cancelled and looked good, even if you didn't buy her as a detective or social worker or whatever she was playing in any particular film.