White Noise (2005)

"Wait... I'm white... and I make noise!"

Genre: Horror Mystery Sci-Fi Drama Thriller (USA, UK, Canada)

Starring: Michael Keaton (Gung Ho; Batman), Chandra West ("NYPD Blue")

Directed By: Geoffrey Sax

Overview: When an architect loses his wife to an accident, he is visited by a man who claims to be in communication with her, ands that he has recorded the messages she has left behind, through radio and television waves. The stranger invites him to explore the recordings and communicate with his beloved.

Acting: Oh Michael Keaton, what happened since Batman? It's a good movie on the acting level, but it really seemed as though the direction was so weak that Keaton and his sidekicks suffered for it. There was just something I couldn't shake about the delivery and the direction. I don't blame the actors, they were as stoic as they were told to be, I guess.
Rating: 6

Cinematography: The look of the wealth and opportunity and fame of the main characters contrasted with the haunting creatures from the other side was nice. I was genuinely creeped out from time to time, and any movie gets kudos for frightening the likes of me. Nice location scouts too, pretty neat locals, certainly. From Victorian homes to rainy construction sites, the visuals are very good.
Rating: 8

Script: The lines, the delivery, I dunno. Too much explanation and not enough explanation at the same time. Too scientific. It's like hearing Obi-Wan explain The Force scientifically. It's just wrong. Ok, it wasn't THAT bad, but a little too commonly explained, you know. No deep poetry to be expected from this production. What's fun about not getting anything they're saying? It's more creepy when you HEAR a warning, instead of "PSHHHHHHHHH..."
Rating: 6

Plot: Having a machine that records the world of the dead is neat, but added too much of the sterility of the scientific. Only when the images on screen were clear were they really spooky. They should have done that more often, rather than a constant hissing white noise.
Rating: 6

Mood: The mood was great, granted. I got spooked, and that's hard to do. The ghosties themselves were really neat, they even seemed to have backstory and history, would have been nice if they touched on it a little, but the ending and the settings really left a lingering effect. Not for long, but a nice trip.
Rating: 8

"HELLOOO? Look at us! We're porno!"

Overall Rating: 68% (Turn Down The White Noise)

Aftertaste: The enjoyment of the film was there. I did like it. I guess in hindsight, it just wasn't all that good a story. It's one of those movies that had real potential, but kind of lost it along the way, very much like The Frighteners did. Great premise, and decent movie, but easily forgettable.