Leofwine_draca
This modern Hollywood horror thriller tackles the touchy subject of EVP, or Electronic Voice Phenomenon for the uninitiated. EVP is a real-life development in which the voices of the dead are said to be communicated via static – either on a radio, or more commonly a television set (I remember reading a story about a guy living in a caravan who saw his dead dog on the telly!). WHITE NOISE is actually a pretty darn effective chiller which expertly builds a sense of dread thanks to the spooky sequences involving white noise itself – anyone who doesn't get a shudder or two down their spine has to be a dead weight. The film is dark but well shot, with some stark photography; it's got that X-FILES feel to it, but better than THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES.Michael Keaton, who ain't been up to much lately, is great in the leading role, proving himself to be a believable leading man despite all the supernatural stuff going on around. The female support isn't so memorable, but then this is a film where nobody else really gets a look in. The camera stays close to Keaton's tired, lined face and it works just fine. The other great performance is from Ian McNeice as the kooky guy who initially gets Keaton into the subject; McNeice is one of those actors you see in dozens of movies over the years but are never sure who he is. Well, hopefully this will get him a little more recognition because he's fine.The suspense and mystery aspects of the story are handled well, with a good atmosphere of mounting dread being conjured up. The weird white noise scare scenes are genuinely jolting, and it's just a shame that the lacklustre ending of the movie – yep, it takes place in an abandoned factory, once again – is so predictable. There are too many surprises and twists in a short space of time, the CGI effects which inevitably have to turn up spoil the whole realism of the thing, and to put it plainly, it's just dumb. Still, for the most part, WHITE NOISE is a frightening spooker which has much in common with modern Japanese horror fare like DARK WATER.
Python Hyena
White Noise (2005): Dir: Geoffrey Sax / Cast: Michael Keaton, Ian McNeice, Deborah Kara Unger, Chandra West, Mike Dopud: Lame thriller about elements that are heard but not necessarily seen or felt. Michael Keaton's wife is killed in an accident and he is approached by a stranger who claims that his wife has been communicating through air waves. Keaton discards this until he receives a cell phone call from his wife's line. He goes through heavy research to communicate with his wife but discovers that he is being given information regarding crimes before they occur. Fine idea that fades into formula until reaching a lame conclusion that is about as stupid as the visiting aliens concluding The Forgotten. Director Geoffrey Sax toys with reality and fantasy unsuccessfully. Keaton holds strong as a husband who goes from seeking answers with regards to his wife, to being entangled in something else altogether. Supporting roles do not fare quite so well. Ian McNeice plays a contact who seems to disappear too quickly, or perhaps he just sneaked off set. Deborah Kara Unger is wasted as another contact. Chandra West is pretty much hopeless as Keaton's wife who really needs a new hobby. Mike Dopud plays a detective who needs to figure out how any screenwriter can concoct such garbage. Drab photography throughout a thriller that makes more noise than decent entertainment. Score: 1 ½ / 10
OllieSuave-007
This is a horror film with a clever script where the pregnant wife of architect Jonathan Rivers (Michael Keaton) goes missing after a car accident. Weeks later, a mysterious man informs Jonathan that his wife is dead, whose spirit communicated with him through Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). After his wife's body was recovered, Jonathan decides to try to contact her using the uncontrolled EVP.The screenplay itself is appealing but the actual plot wasn't captivating, leaving you with confusing story elements that makes you wonder what is going on. ***spoiler ahead*** There are some scary moments in the movie, but the dreary and slow ending that depicted Rivers' demise was a real downer for the entire film. I would pass on this movie.Grade D+
GL84
After his wife's disappearance and subsequent death, a man delves into the world of using electronic capturing to study the strange messages left by his wife's ghost to help lost souls like here find the peace she now has.This turned out to be quite a frustrating and utterly troubling effort, mainly due to how it destroys such a potentially intriguing and novel concept. The idea of the continued contact at the same exact time and frequency is a cheat that takes away the fact that there's hardly anything done to search for her, it's all right there to start with and that's quite annoying to get through. It also manages to take away the paranoia and obsession of why he's being contacted, since he just falls right in and begins believing in such a topic after only one visit, which is a normal mark in such films but here comes off as another cheat. The class and slick-feeling this leaves behind is also quite damaging, since it's not going to get really terrifying due to it's placement and standing, so despite the few potentially intriguing scenes it showcases there's not going to be a whole lot that really gets out-of-hand so it can get the widespread appeal, and that overall is it's biggest problem. There's potential here with the contact and mysterious messages she leaves behind, but overall this is a wasted opportunity.Rated PG-13: Violence and Language.
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