SOMEONE'S WATCHING ME

US, 1978, 96 minutes, Colour.
Lauren Hutton, David Birney, Adrienne Barbeau.
Directed by John Carpenter.

Someone's Watching Me is a telemovie written and directed by John Carpenter. Carpenter made his mark with the science fiction satire Dark Star. He also won critical acclaim for his police thriller Assault On Precinct 13. He then moved to a number of horror thrillers: Hallowe'en, The Fog. This film was made for television about the same time as the thrillers and capitalises on his skill for keeping an audience in suspense as well as shocking it. Lauren Hutton, model turned very competent actress (A Wedding, American Gigolo), holds the film as the star. She is supported by Carpenter's wife Adrienne Barbeau. The film has a lot of satiric comment on the world of television. It also makes a great deal of comment through its thriller plot on the invasion of privacy, surveillance techniques in the United States and the uses to which they can be put. In this it is reminiscent of Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation with Gene Hackman. An above average telemovie.

1. The work of John Carpenter: writer, director, composer of the musical score? His interest in the traditions of Hollywood films, especially 'B' films? Their influence on plot and style? The direct approach with characters and situations? The aim for immediate audience response?

2. The adaptation of this technique to the telemovie and home audience? Audience concentration, suspense and shock? Response to plot, character and therms?

3. How well could the audience identify with Leigh? As a career woman, attractive character, relationships, work and ambition? The growing terror, fear? Violence? Her wanting to solve the mystery? The audience reaction to the commercial world of television. to the world of surveillance? The invasion of privacy?

4. The American atmosphere of the film: the place of women in society, careers and ambition? American television networks? The technology and skills for surveillance? Madness', violence? Police work?

5. The tone of the title? The personal tone? The importance of the anonymous watcher? The irony of his identity - and its almost being beyond particular interest? The impersonal watchers? The role of surveillance, technology.. the judgment of how it could be used? The range of uses? The personnel involved? The effect on them? The highly developed skills? The need for ethics?

6. Leigh as an attractive character? Lauren Hutton's presence, appearance? The detail of her life style? Her background for her career? Her competence in her work? The detail of life at the studio, her interactions with people? With the men in the studio? Her apartment, her set-up? The gradual awareness of the surveillance? Her reaction, fear? Her -relationship with Paul and his contribution to calming her, solving the mystery? Sophle and her friendship, attachment? The build-up to the special effects, the pace of the film in Leigh's trying to find the truth? The violence on her? Her coping? As representing the contemporary American woman?

7. How well did the film re-create the atmosphere of the television studios? The competitiveness of the networks? The skills required? Clashes? The communication by means of technology? A technology for people to watch? The parallel with technology whereby people watched others?

8. Paul as hero - subordinate to Leigh? Relationship, help?

9. Sophie and her work at the studio, friendship. the overtones of lesbianism? An interesting character portrait?

10. The police, the potential suspects? The use of the styles of the police series?

11. The violence, the ugliness? The faceless cruel man? Perversion?

12. The build-up with the detective methods, the discovery of the surveillance, the way that it was done? The threats? The madness? The man and his identity?

13. A popular thriller? Observations on the style of 20th. century society in America? The place of the individual? The threat to the individual? Technology as a servant, as an invader of privacy?