Jake O'Brien loves to make prank phone calls. Unfortunately, people who mess with the telephone get taken away by the sinister phone police and once they catch you, you will never have exist... Read allJake O'Brien loves to make prank phone calls. Unfortunately, people who mess with the telephone get taken away by the sinister phone police and once they catch you, you will never have existed.Jake O'Brien loves to make prank phone calls. Unfortunately, people who mess with the telephone get taken away by the sinister phone police and once they catch you, you will never have existed.
Photos
JoAnna Garcia Swisher
- Sam
- (as Joanna Garcia)
Erik Rutherford
- Officer John White
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- David Preston
- D.J. MacHale(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe Phone Police were inspired by the Thought Police from George Orwell's novel "Nineteen-Eighty-Four", who would remove all traces of a person's existence (though not others' memories of the person). As a reference to the book, the protagonist had the last name of the novel's antagonist, O'Brien.
- GoofsThe address of Jake's house is shown as 382, but when the pizza delivery man realized he's at the wrong address, he says it's 328.
- Quotes
Annie O'Brien: [to Jake and Chris] What are you two yams talking about?
- Crazy creditsNickelodeon Stripe logo (rare) after end credits
- SoundtracksAre You Afraid of the Dark? Theme
Arranged and produced by Ray Fabi
Featured review
Crank Busters
This is also a non-favorite of mine but I do enjoy watching it sometimes. It's once again a tale which is common in horror on mortals tempting fate and unfortunately meeting it. What make this episode is just on the premise alone how an everyday convenience can turn against you; it's also based on the scurry notion on the other guy on the line is not one you want to talk to much like with the horror films "When a Stranger Calls" and "Scream" that made use of the phone; but also simply the subconscious fear of being at the wrong end of authority.
I really like the Phone Police whom really are a menacing force, their kinda like the Men in Black as they operate covertly. This organization takes extreme measures toward anyone that abuses the power of commination technology, but also erase all evidence of that person's existence if captured.
We see the two friends, which I'll admit is one weakness of the episode, it's hard for me to really buy them as friends as Jake seems to be a real bad influence on Chris let alone at times kind of a blowhole toward him. But maybe that's part of the point of the episode, from the empierce it probably taught Jake to be a little more appreciative and respectful that he has a friend to help him.
Jake, we see is an addict toward the phone as he doesn't know when to say when on crank calls which has made him develop this stupid mindset that he's the best at getting away with anything but little does he know his streak is about to end when he decides to tempt fate by calling the number of the imprisoned crank caller Billy Baxter and finding the source of his number. And he of course takes the bait hook, line and sinker. Really like the look of the whole Phone Police base which is just dark and foreboding as there is hardly any light and it is just dank and decrepit adding to the oppressive atmosphere of the place, that just rings no escape.
Chris, I think he's a solid protagonist whom really is a good guy the only problem is he's let himself be influenced by the wrong people. It really isn't in him to be bad where Jake talks him into making a crank call which he just can't do very well. However, I really like how cleaver Chris is, as he has to use some covert communications tactics to trick the police into dropping their guard giving him the opening he needs to spring Jake out. Just seeing him work just show how he truly is better on his own, without Pete around.
There is one moment when Jake says something really stupid, "I didn't do anything wrong." I thought, "Um, yeah you did you committed fraud which is a felony, so you better fix your receiver." But I like that Chris does help him all the same despite the fact Jake might not be totally worth saving, Chris is really doing this because he believes the punishment doesn't entirely fit the crime.
The suspense is solid as it becomes an escapist thriller, I remember being on the edge of my seat as we are constantly hopping they find a way out as every twist and turn seems to be blocked and even out at the open they are relentlessly being pursued.
If the episode has a moral that is don't tempt fate, you never truly know who's on the other side of the line.
Rating: 3 stars
I really like the Phone Police whom really are a menacing force, their kinda like the Men in Black as they operate covertly. This organization takes extreme measures toward anyone that abuses the power of commination technology, but also erase all evidence of that person's existence if captured.
We see the two friends, which I'll admit is one weakness of the episode, it's hard for me to really buy them as friends as Jake seems to be a real bad influence on Chris let alone at times kind of a blowhole toward him. But maybe that's part of the point of the episode, from the empierce it probably taught Jake to be a little more appreciative and respectful that he has a friend to help him.
Jake, we see is an addict toward the phone as he doesn't know when to say when on crank calls which has made him develop this stupid mindset that he's the best at getting away with anything but little does he know his streak is about to end when he decides to tempt fate by calling the number of the imprisoned crank caller Billy Baxter and finding the source of his number. And he of course takes the bait hook, line and sinker. Really like the look of the whole Phone Police base which is just dark and foreboding as there is hardly any light and it is just dank and decrepit adding to the oppressive atmosphere of the place, that just rings no escape.
Chris, I think he's a solid protagonist whom really is a good guy the only problem is he's let himself be influenced by the wrong people. It really isn't in him to be bad where Jake talks him into making a crank call which he just can't do very well. However, I really like how cleaver Chris is, as he has to use some covert communications tactics to trick the police into dropping their guard giving him the opening he needs to spring Jake out. Just seeing him work just show how he truly is better on his own, without Pete around.
There is one moment when Jake says something really stupid, "I didn't do anything wrong." I thought, "Um, yeah you did you committed fraud which is a felony, so you better fix your receiver." But I like that Chris does help him all the same despite the fact Jake might not be totally worth saving, Chris is really doing this because he believes the punishment doesn't entirely fit the crime.
The suspense is solid as it becomes an escapist thriller, I remember being on the edge of my seat as we are constantly hopping they find a way out as every twist and turn seems to be blocked and even out at the open they are relentlessly being pursued.
If the episode has a moral that is don't tempt fate, you never truly know who's on the other side of the line.
Rating: 3 stars
helpful•33
- hellraiser7
- Aug 19, 2018
Details
- Runtime22 minutes
- Color
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