I wonder if Andrew L. Stone also worked on this film along with his wife (this film's director) and his son (the composer) The husband and wife Stone team made a series of tough crime films for many years until his interest in Music wiped out his career.
Some of the energy of those films still exists in this--made for video thriller that does have some thrills.
There is relatively little violence but a fair amount of topless 80's style women. That is exploitative but otherwise this film builds and the final darkened house chase scene with masked killer is creepy and effective. Script has some good twists but solid production and very effective music by (the always good) Christopher L. Stone helps greatly.
Lamest aspect of the film is the title which has very little to do with the movie, something dealing with the subject of seeing murders on your TV and not knowing it would be better.
Landau, and the until recently still busy leading lady, give good performances. Landau especially who, during this straight to video period of his career, usually gave overblown performances in each progressively bad film, but he's very good here and his cop partner Van Dyke gives a good "side kick" performance.
Again the final 20 minutes is pretty exciting and creepy, and there are some hot 80s gals both alive and getting killed to keep you from fast forwarding.
If, at the time, 80s DTV (named direct to video) this seemed rather routine it is way above the current (lack of standards) that apply to direct to DVD thrillers and horror movies. Makes you wish for the good old days of the first video boom. In truth there were many bad films then and straight to video directors like Fred Olen Ray, J.R. Bookwalter, David DeCoteau who made you nervous to "push play" on a straight to video film. These guys in fact helped kill the video boom. But this is a large notch above that type of thing and ages well. Be nice, though probably unlikely, to see this remastered on DVD.
When will the B movie of the 80s and on be written about and watched again. Will they ever get the attention the early B films have. And how many of them are lost forever now?
