“I Saw What You Did” is a television horror/thriller that has lived rent free in my mind for nearly four decades.
I was casually in the room when my mom watched its premiere on CBS in 1988. Back then, I hated scary things. But the movie featured Candace Cameron who I knew from Full House. And, I have since learned it’s a remake of a 1965 film that starred Joan Crawford.
I found the ’88 version for free, in its entirety on YouTube and that seems to be the only place it resides these days. Made-for-TV films from that era are known for being intense, with thrillers holding no punches. It did win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography. Does the rest of the movie hold up?
Phone Terror
Jason Voorhoes with a machete doesn’t reach the level of terror that comes from a ringing telephone. Specifically, an old rotary job from the past. The entire premise of “I Saw What You Did” centers around such a device.
Kim Fielding (Shawnee Smith) is a bookish nerd. Lisa Harris (Tammy Lauren) is a popular girl who sucks at school, gets detentions, and dates a top tier guy. Kim invites Lisa over one night. Kim’s parents will be out of town, and she is babysitting her kid sister Julia (Candace Cameron).
Lisa suggests a game of prank phone calls, something me and my friends mastered, and is lost on a modern audience. The girls take turns choosing a random name from the phone book and calling them up with scripted dialogue.
On Kim’s call, a man answers. She conceals a giggle as she calmly states the title of the film. “I know who you are, and I saw what you did.” Unfortunately for the friends, the man has just murdered his girlfriend and buried her body in the woods. And now he has a witness to silence.
Thriller with a Splash of Horror
“I Saw What You Did” is a thriller for the most part. The man the girls prank, Adrian Lancer, is played tremendously by Robert Carradine.
Adrian Lancer is a murderer. But he also struggles with mental illness, and this facet brings some moments of horror to the movie.
One dream scene involves the dead girlfriend paying a visit. There are times that blood endlessly drips from the wall. It’s an illusion that only Adrian can see, but it offers a more traditional horror feeling to the viewers. And one part literally rips off a scene from “A Nightmare on Elm Street” which anyone watching will immediately spot.
Shawnee Smith who would go on to fame with the “Saw” series is excellent as Kim Fieldling. She’s playing a shy, bookish sort, who likes the idea of having a boyfriend more than putting herself out there to get one.
Tammy Lauren, who has a resume of B-type flicks, is also solid. Kids can ruin a movie if they don’t act well, and there are no weak links here. Even Candace Cameron holds her own, despite being ten or eleven at the time.
And I thought it was funny that Shawnee Smith is in a movie with Saw in the title, and a character named Kim got the Candace Cameron character in trouble. Full House fans will get the reference.
We also got David Carradine as Adrian’s older brother. It’s a great choice to put the real-life siblings together on screen. They have an organic rapport that simply can’t be coached.
Solid Film
“I Saw What You Did” is a simple television movie. The music, which is pure 80s, is obnoxious at times.
But the story is great and the concept thrilling. There are some moments where suspension of belief is required, but nothing too heavy. It costs nothing but time to watch, and it’s well worth the investment.
