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White Noise on DVD (2005)

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Average rating: 57%
13299207812
2.5
from 4,530 members
 
Starring: Michael Keaton, Deborah Kara Unger, Ian McNeice, Chandra West, Colin Chapin
Director: Geoffrey Sax
Studio: ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO
Run time: 97 mins
Certificate: 15
Collections: 100 Horror Films
User collections: Best horror movies of recent times!, Kev's Classics
Genres: Drama, Thriller
Languages: English
Released: 09/05/2005

Brief synopsis of White Noise

In the 1920s, Thomas Edison speculated that a device would be created which would allow humans to conduct conversations with the dead. In the 1970s, Sarah Estep picked up some mysterious voices on her husband's reel-to-reel tape recorder, and set up the American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) to help track the phenomenon. In 2005, following a welter of evidence gathered by Estep and others, EVP forms the backbone for director Geoffrey Sax's shocking feature film WHITE NOISE. Architect Jonathan Rivers (Michael Keaton) has little time to mourn the passing of his wife Anna (Chandra West) when he starts receiving signals from her. A faint sound of her voice is caught by Rivers in radio static on the night of her death, followed by incessant cell phone calls coming from Anna's old number. Rivers is convinced he can hear Anna's voice saying 'go, Jon' to him in the resulting calls. With a little help from expert EVP practitioner Raymond Price (Ian McNeice), Rivers contacts Anna and begins a hazy dialect with her. From the garbled dialogue Rivers receives, he deduces that Anna is sending him to save the lives of people who are about to die. This joins Rivers, in his plight, with a former client of Price's, Sarah Tate (Deborah Kara Unger). However, meddling with messages from the dead leads the pair into a world of trouble, producing some startlingly anxious moments, and a spine-chilling forewarning of the possible consequences facing real-life users of EVP.

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Critics Reviews

Rating of 2 stars out of 5 Radio Times

Michael Keaton is hearing voices from beyond the grave in this feature debut from the director of BBC period drama Tipping the Velvet. This slow-moving supernatural thriller sees Keaton obsessively communicating with his deceased wife via paranormal messages. Captured as “white noise” on his TV and other electronic devices, the eerie snippets appear to be guiding him to save others from death. What unfolds is a dangerous race against time that is meant to be twisting and dramatic but is actually rather dull. Unfortunately, director Geoffrey Sax doesn't know how to build up tension, annoyingly telegraphing the film's intentions in every frame. It's an example of the lazy school of chills, where loud bangs and sudden surges of music replace genuine jolts — although with the incessant signposting of the plot, even that cheap trick fails. Ultimately, taped static and disembodied whispers simply aren't scary, particularly when they're topped off by such a ridiculous finale.

Halliwell's Film Guide

Morbid uninvolving thriller concerning ghosts in the machine or EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) which involves messages contained in the static of TV and radio transmissions.

Time Out

This dippy paranormal thriller concerns itself with the hokum of "electronic voice phenomenon" or, in movie terms,... Read more on www.timeout.com

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 4 starsWhite Noise

Matthew Swallow from Reading, England. , 14/01/2005

By using EVP a man is contacted by his wife, who was (how do I put this without ruining the ending) tragically killed.

This movie is extremlley thrilling, gripping and quite scary. Infact I jumped out of my seat several times, and once I was even so supprised I let out a scream.

Furthermore the subject of Electronic Voice Phenomena is well represented. Reasearch was done extremley well by Geoffrey Sax and I really do respect that. It is worth pointing out that because it is a holywood movie made to make money some parts are, shall we say, over exaggerated.

Admitteley the ending could have been done slightly better, which is why I can only give 4 stars, but other than that an amazing movie.

This movie is on at the cinema now (January 2005) and is a must see. Must see at least twice that is.

  131 out of 169 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 4 starsI loved this film!

andyfox01 from West Midlands , 23/01/2005

This film has been getting lots of terrible reviews so I went to the cinema expecting a totally rubbish film (the wife wanted to watch it)and boy I was wrong!

If this film was Japanese or Korean they would be calling it the new 'Ringu' or 'Grudge'(both brilliant and flawed films). I don't frighten easily but I did jump a half dozen times and came out the cimema with other people who were saying how much they enjoyed the film and wondered why it got these bad reviews.

When it is released on DVD put it on at night, lights off and enjoy!

  30 out of 35 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 2 starsThey are showing me Willow Avenue.

JediSi JediSi , 11/09/2007

White Noise is about Jonathan Rivers, an architect who loses his wife in a freak accident and becomes obsessed trying to contact her through Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP).

Micheal Keaton performs OK and there's not much input from the rest of the cast. The film is interesting in a weird sort of way but it is particularly slow. If you can stay awake and make it to the end it does pick up into a good crescendo that is a little surreal as it doesn't particularly fit the rest of the film. There are many flaws in this movie and a lot of questions go unanswered. I don't recommend watching this as the whole film is quite a let down. Could've done a lot better.

  22 out of 27 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 1 starsFilms to make you walk out the cinema. No 25.

Simon M from Leicester, England , 13/05/2005

Sitting in the cinema watching Michael Keaton stare at a crackly TV screen for an hour and a half is enough to drive you to distraction. You want to shout out, 'get a new aerial' or 'get Sky'. Lousy acting, films shot on a non-existent budget, lousy climax and people walking out of the cinema. Get the message. Desperate.

  23 out of 34 people found this review helpful
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Most Recent Reviews

Rated - 2 starsboaring

worthy , 18/03/2008

as a horra fanatic i am allways renting diffrent types of them out and reveing them i found this one painfull to evan look at they had a really good plot line and the charaters were fab but as the film gets on they ruin it all some of the scene itsjust junp from scene to scene and in the end i could not make out what was happening but its worth a rent to see what u think

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
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Rated - 2 starsHuh ?

Stuart A from Essex. , 03/08/2005

Ok, but ending was rushed and leaves doubt and confusion, but not in a good or clever way....

  5 out of 6 people found this review helpful
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