Did you know that the "the call is coming from inside the house" urban legend may be based on a very grisly murder case from the 1950s?
AI Summary
This episode dives into the creepy urban legend of "the call is coming from inside the house," exploring how this terrifying trope became a staple of horror movies and campfire stories. Josh, Chuck, and Jerry trace the legend's origins back to a tragic real-life 1950 murder case in Missouri involving a 13-year-old babysitter named Janet Chrisman, which may have inspired the fictional versions that appeared in films like When a Stranger Calls and Black Christmas. The guys break down why this particular scary story was so effective before cell phones made it less plausible, and they discuss how the legend has evolved across different horror films over the decades.
Black Christmas
1974
1h 38m
★ 6.9
"Black Christmas, a great, great horror movie, Halloween in 1978 — Listed as one of the notable horror films featuring the 'call from inside the house' trope."
— Chuck
Halloween
1978
1h 31m
★ 7.6
"Black Christmas, a great, great horror movie, Halloween in 1978 — Mentioned as a notable horror film that used the 'call from inside the house' trope."
— Chuck
"in college after we saw the movie misery my roommates and i at the dollar theater the alps theater in athens georgia — Referenced in a personal anecdote about being scared after watching the movie."
— Chuck
"I'll even throw scream and had a sort of version of this with Drew Barrymore, but not exactly coming from inside the house — Referenced as having a version of the trope with Drew Barrymore in the opening scene."
— Chuck
The Severed Arm
1973
R
1h 31m
★ 4.9
"The first instance of it on film, though, was a 1973 movie called The Severed Arm — Identified as possibly the first film instance of the 'call from inside the house' trope."
— Josh
When a Stranger Calls
1979
1h 37m
★ 6.2
"when a stranger calls was probably the most famous use of the call is coming from inside the house from 1979 — Discussed as the most famous film adaptation of the 'call is coming from inside the house' urban legend."
— Chuck
When a Stranger Calls Back
1993
1h 34m
★ 5.9
"when a stranger calls back, the sequel to when a stranger calls, is one of the finest riff tracks you can see — Mentioned as the sequel to When a Stranger Calls with notable riff track commentary."
— Chuck
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