Stir of Echoes
3/4
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Zachary David Cope, Illeana Douglas
Rated R for Violence, Sexuality and Language
ESP. Murder. Buried Secrets. Supernatural. These elements sound like something straight out of the mind of Stephen King, but actually "Stir of Echoes" is based on the novel by the great Richard Matheson. Still, those who are looking for an intriguing story and some solid spookiness will find it here.
Tom Witzky (Bacon) is your average blue collar guy living in Chicago. He's got a wife, Maggie (Erbe), a five year old son Jake (Cope) and another baby on the way. One night at a party, Tom gets hypnotized by his new age sister-in-law, Lisa (Douglas). Something goes wrong and Tom starts going haywire (echoes of another Kevin Bacon movie, "Hollow Man," but this one is a lot better). He's seeing ghosts, can sense things before they happen and is constantly thirsty for orange juice. Maggie is constantly scared and frustrated with her husband, even more so because it's happening to Jake too.
The film's strong point is the story and the setting. The story is great; it's got a few good twists and turns and is well told by screenwriter/director David Koepp. Koepp really takes time to establish the setting of blue collar Chicago, and it make the experience more intimate.
The same cannot be said about the acting. At best, it's adequate; the small budget of $12 million didn't allow for any big names. Kevin Bacon, never an actor of great range, is more at home playing creeps and villains than a hero. Kathryn Erbe, who was the only good thing about the show "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" (every time her co-star, Vincent D'Onofrio came on screen, I wanted to put my foot through the TV), is also okay, but another actress could have done a better job. The shining stars are Cope and Douglas. Cope is quite good. He's neither too creepy nor too cute. Douglas, an underrated actress, is also strong in a performance as the sarcastic Lisa.
David Koepp is one of the most in-demand screenwriters in Hollywood. He was behind "Jurassic Park," "Panic Room," and "Spider-Man." He's also proven himself to be a talented director. "Secret Window" was a creepy movie and so is this. It's also visually inventive, like in the scenes where Tom is hypnotized. It proves that big budgets aren't required to catch the eye, only big imaginations.
"Stir of Echoes" has a strong beginning and end, but the middle portion drags. One gets the sense that it's spinning its wheels. Shave about ten minutes or so and this would be a great little movie. Still, I recommend it for lovers of ghost stories.
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Zachary David Cope, Illeana Douglas
Rated R for Violence, Sexuality and Language
ESP. Murder. Buried Secrets. Supernatural. These elements sound like something straight out of the mind of Stephen King, but actually "Stir of Echoes" is based on the novel by the great Richard Matheson. Still, those who are looking for an intriguing story and some solid spookiness will find it here.
Tom Witzky (Bacon) is your average blue collar guy living in Chicago. He's got a wife, Maggie (Erbe), a five year old son Jake (Cope) and another baby on the way. One night at a party, Tom gets hypnotized by his new age sister-in-law, Lisa (Douglas). Something goes wrong and Tom starts going haywire (echoes of another Kevin Bacon movie, "Hollow Man," but this one is a lot better). He's seeing ghosts, can sense things before they happen and is constantly thirsty for orange juice. Maggie is constantly scared and frustrated with her husband, even more so because it's happening to Jake too.
The film's strong point is the story and the setting. The story is great; it's got a few good twists and turns and is well told by screenwriter/director David Koepp. Koepp really takes time to establish the setting of blue collar Chicago, and it make the experience more intimate.
The same cannot be said about the acting. At best, it's adequate; the small budget of $12 million didn't allow for any big names. Kevin Bacon, never an actor of great range, is more at home playing creeps and villains than a hero. Kathryn Erbe, who was the only good thing about the show "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" (every time her co-star, Vincent D'Onofrio came on screen, I wanted to put my foot through the TV), is also okay, but another actress could have done a better job. The shining stars are Cope and Douglas. Cope is quite good. He's neither too creepy nor too cute. Douglas, an underrated actress, is also strong in a performance as the sarcastic Lisa.
David Koepp is one of the most in-demand screenwriters in Hollywood. He was behind "Jurassic Park," "Panic Room," and "Spider-Man." He's also proven himself to be a talented director. "Secret Window" was a creepy movie and so is this. It's also visually inventive, like in the scenes where Tom is hypnotized. It proves that big budgets aren't required to catch the eye, only big imaginations.
"Stir of Echoes" has a strong beginning and end, but the middle portion drags. One gets the sense that it's spinning its wheels. Shave about ten minutes or so and this would be a great little movie. Still, I recommend it for lovers of ghost stories.
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