White Noise (2005)

So much average

ridiculous rating

Let's be realistic.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

This was the scariest movie I have ever seen in my entire life. Take that for whatever it's worth.And if the actual movie wasn't already scary enough, to make things even more horrifying, my television set turned off within minutes after the movie ended. I was never able to get it to work again, and it wasn't even 2 years old. True story I swear to God.That was back in 2005. Finally, almost 10 years later I saw White Noise again for the 2nd time last night. It really is that bad azz, mainly because it touches on a supernatural phenomenon, then offers tons of scientific evidence to back-up the story's validity.I would only recommend this movie to people that spiritually are well grounded and have some backbone, people that have strong convictions about their beliefs regarding the unknown. And for anybody else, if curiosity twists your arm past the point of no return, just try to remember that after all, it is still only a movie. Regardless of how real the content actually is, it's a horror movie, so Hollywood is behind it specifically aiming to scare the be-Jesus out of you. Like with alien movies, 99% of them portray aliens as evil, when in actuality, 99% of them are actually friendly and have been assisting humans ever since the Earth was seeded for life billions of years ago. Just like you'll never see movies that show aliens building the pyramids when they really did, you'll never see movies about speaking to the dead that have happy endings, even though there have been many very successful mediums and psychics helping people speak to their deceased in non-scary ways since the beginning of time. Yes, White Noise is a must-see. Just don't watch it alone!!

I don't think I saw this in full before, I loved the sequel, as is got no onnection to this movie, i thought sequel was really good.I decided to fully checked this out. I know it was not going to better then second movie, it was not bad movie at all. I found some part of really in trusting and some scene did drag a little to long, there was good jumpy momment. But i did not all those stranger effect with black shapes or what ever they are called, it kinda took all the creepiness away from the movie. The acting the movie was really good from the cast and some people may find some scenes a little moving. I think it worth watching movie, you don't need to see this movie to see the sequel. as both movies are stand alone.. I think White Noise 2 is a much better movie then this.

After the loss of his wife Anna, played radiantly by Chandra West, architect Jonathan Rivers beings to receive ghostly messages from her. When he is contacted by and electronic voice phenomena (E.V.P) expert Raymond Price things become unsettling as not only are the dead communicating but also people who have not yet passed over.Firstly there's creepy opening titles consisting of noise and static that is followed by the joys of family life and you know something bad is about to happen. Director Geoffrey Sax is not scared to leave quiet moments in and build up a festering tension. He is effective at creating a passages of time. There's a fitting orchestral score, excellent sound effects and great camera work. Sax's on location shot adds credence to the film, it's sharp, crisp and perfectly lit casting strong shadows which gives it an edge and interesting look.White Noise is only dated by the use of VHS tapes and the films premise and ideas are engaging, ghostly phone calls, answer machine messages from the grave, mediums, images and such. However, it's let down in a key scene by a cut and past photo of Price (Ian McNeice) and his son. Grief stricken Michael Keaton gives an excellent stand-out and a truthful performance as widower Jonathan Rivers. That said, co-star Deborah Kara Unger, as Sarah Tate, for the most part is uninspiring.White Noise is at times is unnerving and has some effective scare moments. Midway through it begins getting chilling when the evil spirits make an appearance. But quickly the subtly, tension and effectiveness is lost due to the overuse of special effects and an unnecessary convoluted spirit driven serial killer plot. The story was already intriguing enough. That's said, Keaton's performance keeps you interested but to an unsatisfying conclusion.Wonderfully shot and acted but flawed, only Keaton makes it worth watching.

White Noise is directed by Geoffrey Sax and written by Niall Johnson. It stars Michael Keaton, Deborah Kara Unger, Chandra West & Ian McNeice. The title of the film relates to Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP), which is a apparently a case where voices of the dead can be heard via electronic equipment such as TV static, tape recordings etc. Plot here sees Keaton play successful architect Jonathan Rivers whose world collapses when his beautiful pregnant wife, Anna (West), disappears and is subsequently found dead after an accident at the river. During his grief he is approached by Raymond Price (McNeice) who tells him that after his son died he received contact from him via EVP. Initially sceptic, Jonathan is amazed to find out that it is indeed possible and he becomes obsessed with talking to Anna, but it comes at a cost for once the channel is tuned in, other unwanted beings can come thru too."Nobody knows whether our personalities pass on to another existence or sphere, but if we can evolve an instrument so delicate as to be manipulated by our personality as it survives in the next life--such an instrument ought to record something".Welcome to one of the most frustrating chillers of recent times. Whether one is a believer in the supernatural, life after dead etc is kind of moot because the premise at the heart of white Noise is fascinating regardless of ones beliefs. Tho it's true to say that that those of an open mind are likely to get something more out of its subject matter than those who aren't. Certainly myself had never heard of EVP before the release of White Noise, so in that the film has done its job. However, after a truly brilliant trailer for the film had set it up nicely, and a first half that oozes genuine chills and scientific interest; the film descends into something of a farce by dispensing with the cranial interest value to become a kidnap thriller.After Keaton draws us in by doing a first class job of essaying a meditation on grief, he, and the other two pivotal characters along side him (Unger & McNeice), are too thinly drawn once the subject of EVP raises its static based head. It's very much a case of "oh we have lost someone, this should ease our grief" and jump right into it. Keaton then lurches from one plot contrivance to another which only serves as being a lazy set up for the big finale. Such a shame because the atmosphere was well crafted by Sax up till the last third and there is some effective jolts along the way. But it's muddled with its intentions as the makers looses sight of what, it seems, they set out to achieve. The outcome of which, as the film shifts in tone and the effects take over, doesn't make much sense.It gathered enough of a fan base to warrant a sequel in 2007, where nobody involved behind the camera with this film returned. They quit whilst marginally being ahead one feels. For Keaton and the interesting subject matter this is just about above average. But all told, in light of how it pans out, you'd be better off seeking out Gregory Hoblit's undervalued Frequency (2000) instead. 6/10