The spooky, scary plot: Tom Witzy is a blue-collar guy, and a bit unhappy with his very ordinary life. One night he is hypnotized by his New Agey sister-in-law, which opens a door in his mind to receive messages from beyond. He starts having visions of the ghost of a teenaged girl, and becomes determined to solve the mystery of why she keeps contacting him.
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What first attracts me to the movie, and the characters in particular, is their realness. So many movies try to make the people in them seem "real" or "normal" so "regular" people can "relate" to them. And yet they live in these ginormous three-story homes and have pretty successful jobs as doctors or lawyers or real estate agents. Tom and Maggie are true blue-collar people; Maggie is a nurse and Tom works for a phone company. They live in a modest rental brownstone, they have financial issues, and they go to block parties. I like these people.
Like I said, Kevin Bacon is not my favorite (I once had a very strange dream starring him, plus seeing his wang in Wild Things
I absolutely adore the hypnotizing scene. I always look forward to it when I watch the movie (it's right at the beginning so I don't have to wait long) and get a big ol' grin on my face during the whole thing. It's kind of one of my favorite scenes in any movie EVER. The images created in Tom's mind and the way the scene changes as Illeana Douglas gives him directions are perfectly produced and Douglas's voice is so soothing and, yeah, kind of sexy.
This scene is only four minutes into the movie, and once it hits, the movie never gets dull or boring. Re-watching it to freshen my mind, I see that the film is quickly paced with each scene logically following the other. Subtle creepy moments are all around - most involving the kid, Jake. The best comes out of nowhere when Maggie is asking Jake about how he knew about Debbie, the babysitter. His normal kid voice suddenly changes to a deep, almost inhuman voice. There's no creepy music to tell you to expect anything weird so this little turn is good shock moment.
I've seen the movie so much now that I can't really judge the other scares or how they affected me the first time around. I love the effects on the ghost-girl and how her movements are sort of jumpy. She doesn't mean any real harm on Tom or his family, but her death needs to be avenged. Remember, it is not her who kills her murderers or those who covered it up. When the truth is revealed, it's the selfish and unfeeling actions of those who caused her death and disappearance who contribute to their own demise.
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The movie also has quite a sense of humor with some very funny lines. I don't know why, but my favorite one is when Frank's wife notices him checking out other girls and she says, "Why don't you just lick 'em when they walk by?" A little bit of light-hearted comedy is always appreciated in a horror flick.
My brother-in-law hates stuff involving teeth. He freaks out when my nephew wiggles his loose teeth at him. I hate stuff involving fingernails. And good golly gumdrops, Stir of Echoes
Stir of Echoes
I have not read A Stir of Echoes
This is a highly entertaining, fast paced, and visceral psychological thriller that is incredibly underrated. It's got a great cast (yes, even Kevin), some good creepy scenes, and a well developed mystery with a great and somewhat unexpected conclusion. And did I mention the hypnotizing scene? Seriously, it's killer. I love it.
One small nitpick: As a big Stones fan, it's kind of hard to believe that Tom is supposed to be a musician but he can't recognize one of their most well-known fucking songs. It's 'Paint It Black,' you moron! I know the version in the movie was a cover by some band called Gob, but seriously. It's easily recognizable.
I only saw Stir of Echoes earlier this year and I was fully expecting to hate it, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was really compelling in a way I didn't expect it would be.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has a problem with the nail thing too. It doesn't bother me so much but he hates it. I, however, like you, had problem with the non-recognition of Paint It Black. Silly covers are no excuse for stupidity. Cool review.
ah, this one's on my wishlist for ages. your glowing review makes me wanna check this out as soon as possible!
ReplyDeletebtw, you totally forgot one kick-ass Kevin-Bacon-flick: TREMORS!!!
i remember loving this movie but haven't seen it in years, i think this needs a revisit. also deserving a revisit, death becomes her. i watched that movie so many times in my youth, love it!
ReplyDeleteHot damn, I really need to see this one. I guess I could give it a watch on Halloween in a couple of days. By the looks of it, I'll be enjoying the hell out of it!
ReplyDelete@Jinx - Thank you on the Paint It Black thing! Glad I'm not the only one!
ReplyDelete@Maynard - I will never forget Tremors! I need to do a Tremors marathon of reviews.
@cynniegurl - Ah yes, Death Becomes Her is awesome. Was always a favorite.
@Atroxion - Give it a view! I'll take the blame if you don't like it :). But you will.
not seen it in a long time, but certainly a really good movie
ReplyDeleteOh, Tremors. My husband and I had a Tremors marathon a few months ago. It was so much fun. I'd love it if you reviewed them.
ReplyDeletefinally I've seen it!
ReplyDeletehttp://mmhorrorcollection.blogspot.com/2010/11/stir-of-echoes.html
I love Stir of Echoes and it would have done even btr at box office if not released the same time as Sixth Sense. SOE is a great movie, very good acting, and plot. I admit I hated those two teen boys (won't spoil it). Loved the hypnotism in the theater. Just a great flick!!
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