As a rule I don’t go to a lot of theatre screenings anymore. I used to go to 2-3 a week, but married life… well… having a life at all turned me into a homebody. And I’m all the glad for it. So when I do go to screenings, I’m very picky about what I’m going to see. A few months back, I started hearing about a new supernatural thriller starring Michael Keaton. It was called “White Noise.” Well, right off the bat this film had two things going for it that caught my attention. Michael Keaton and the supernatural. The premise dealt with something that was new to me as far as the world of paranormal phenomena. It’s called E.V.P. (Electronic Voice Phenomena) and to be honest, the trailer I had seen was one of the creepiest in a while. The concept itself, which the dead could communicate through electronic sounds, really got under my skin. I was so taken by the subject that I actually started doing a little investigating about the subject, and the more I heard, the worse it got. Some of the recordings of ‘actual’ E.V.P. events, just by their nature sound extremely disturbing.

On the opposite side of the coin, there was Michael Keaton, who decidedly doesn’t give me the creeps. I’ve been a big fan since his days in “Beetlejuice” and “Night Shift”, and still think he was the better of the Batman/Bruce Waynes of the ‘quadrilogy’ that came out a few years back. He’s done his fair share of serious roles, most of which he was unjustly given bad reviews for and as time went on he just seemed to be in less and less films. What I was hoping for was the possibility that “White Noise” might be just the film to revitalize his career. Whether or not it does, remains to be seen.

In “White Noise”, Keaton plays Jonathon Rivers, a successful architect married to a beautiful author. They share an idyllic life with their son and, as we soon learn… another on the way. Then one day everything changes. His wife disappears, and as events play out, seems to be the victim of a car accident that ultimately led to her body being swept out to sea. As you might imagine, Rivers is distraught. After several weeks, he is approached by a man who tells him that he is receiving messages from his dead wife. He dismisses the guy as a nut, but eventually begins to believe…

As it turns out, “White Noise” almost lives up the promise that the trailers delivered. I say almost, because a good portion of the film is actually quite frightening. We were on edge most of the time, and aside from a few minor nitpicks, really got into the movie. But then something happened to the screenwriter, because the story took off in directions that just didn’t make sense. What started out as a truly intense supernatural thriller with a great concept, which was simply the thought of hearing dead people’s voices and wondering if this opened a door that allowed ‘other things’ through, into a mishmash of precognitive messages and CGI effects. And not only is the film’s ending somewhat unsatisfying, it’s a heck of a downer.

I’ve been seeing this in a lot of films horror flicks lately. Mostly in those where the antagonist is some kind of supernatural entity that you don’t really get to see up close until the end. Then, when the ‘creature’ shows up, it ends up being some CGI animation that never lives up to the anticipation. It always takes me right out of the film. Most of the time I’d rather they not try to have that payoff. Don’t let me ‘see’ the creature and I’ll probably like the film more. That was a part of the problem with “White Noise.”

Universal is releasing the DVD this month, and the extras are certainly interesting, to say the least. All of the featurettes revolve around the Electronic Voice Phenomena. You get to see the recording of some real live sessions, hear from experts in the field, and even learn how to make your own recordings. But even with these, there are no extra features about the movie itself, save for some deleted scenes.

Oddly enough, I would still recommend the “White Noise” to some, because the first three quarters of the film is so good. Just prepare yourself for a bit of a letdown as far as the ending goes.

Directed by: Geoffrey Sax
Starring: Michael Keaton, Chandra West, Deborah Kara Unger, Ian McNiece
Extras: Deleted Scenes, Hearing is Believing: Actual EVP Sessions, Making Contact: EVP Experts, Recording the Afterlife at Home
Specifications: Widescreen (2.35:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 5/17/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Violence, Disturbing Images and Language)
Website

We'll give White Noise a B-.