Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

gridoon2018 For the most part, "Telefon" works like a well-oiled machine. It brings to mind the old saying "they don't make them like they used to anymore", as it takes its time to set up the (ingenious) story and build the relationship between the two central characters: Charles Bronson and Lee Remick have a genuine rapport, and Charlie in particular gives one of his best performances, both repeating his usual tough-and-taciturn persona and subtly having fun with it. On the side of the flaws, Tyne Daly is cute as a computer expert but her scenes don't amount to much, and there is an inexplicable scene near the end where Bronson deliberately "triggers" a sleeper Russian agent (instead of protecting him, or sending him away, or hell, even just knocking him out for a while) and then, of course, he has to kill him. I have never understood what he was hoping to accomplish there. Anyway, despite its flaws, "Telefon" is an above-average Bronson vehicle. **1/2 out of 4.

Uriah43 After unsuccessfully attempting to take over the Soviet government, a group of hard-core Stalinists are killed in a purge within a two week period. Fearing for his life, one particular member of this group, "Nicolai Dalchimsky" (Donald Pleasance) manages to escape to the United States. In his possession is a top secret plan developed 15 years earlier involving deep-cover sleeper agents who have been put under drug induced hypnosis and can be activated by a two-part code. His intention is to trigger these agents to set off a chain reaction of explosions throughout the United States in order to start World War 3. Wanting to stop him at all costs, the KGB sends one of their top agents, "Major Grigori Borzov" (Charles Bronson) to the United States with orders to kill Dalchimsky before he can accomplish this scheme. Assisting Major Borzov is a beautiful double agent by the name of "Barbara" (Lee Remick) who has orders to kill Major Borzov as soon as he accomplishes his top-secret mission. Anyway, for those who enjoy a clever action-packed spy drama this one should please most viewers. Charles Bronson gives one of his better performances and Lee Remick adds some fairly nice scenery as well. Definitely worth a watch. Above average.

Claudio Carvalho The radical Russian Nicolai Dalchimsky (Donald Pleasence) steals some names and codes and flees to the United States of America with the intention of beginning the Third World War. The list is formed by ordinary American citizens that are actually brainwashed Russian agents that have been programmed fifteen years ago to destroy military bases and facilities and are triggered through a phone call with a message. The responsible for the secret program, General Strelsky (Oatrick Magee) and Colonel Malchenko (Alan Badel) summon Major Grigori "Gregg" Borzov (Charles Bronson) to travel to the United States to eliminate Dalchimsky. Gregg teams up with the Russian agent Barbara (Lee Remick) that was instructed to obey his orders but does not know what is happening. But Barbara has a secret agenda from her superiors to accomplish by the end of their assignment. "Telefon" is presently a dated rip-off of the central idea of "The Manchurian Candidate", with Russian agents with sleepy instructions and programmed to destroy but it is still engaging. Don Siegel was a master of action and "Telefon" never disappoints. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "O Telefone" ("The Telephone")

cutterccbaxter This film really isn't that well done, and yet if I happen to flick through the TV channels, and it is on, I find myself getting caught up in it. I guess I like telephone movies. Or better yet, I like movies that don't have cell phones. I know if they remade "Telefon" they would ruin it with cell phones. The key to this movie is that Donald Pleasence does most of his acting in phone booths. A lot of actors of lesser talent might let this restriction hamper their performance, but Pleasence really shines as the bad guy. My favorite DP moment is when we first see him wearing the toupee. I couldn't help but think how clever those Soviet spies were with their disguises. He looks like he is on his way to an Arte Johnson look-alike contest. I'm not sure why he doesn't keep it on through the whole movie. I would have liked to have seen him get strangled while wearing it.