White Noise

White Noise (Director: Geoffrey Sax)

This is Sax' feature debut, although he's done a lot of TV series and movies since 1979, none of which you've probably heard, I mean unless you want to count "Othello."

OK, we have an intriguing premise here. The dead are talking and actually being seen through recorded signals, and there are messages from loved ones to be found by all if they have VCRs, tape recorders, monitors, and some editing software on their PC. Michael Keaton plays Jonathan Rivers, a man who has just lost his wife, and is approached by another man who studies electronic voice phenomena (Ian McNeice). It is clear after Jonathan starts getting deeper into this that the EVP are not exactly what they seem, and scariness ensues with quick, startling images barely seen on a monitor full of static.

Jonathan definitely sees his wife, who keeps warning him to leave for whatever reason, and then something happens that basically changes your entire perception of what is going on. This is where the movie sort of loses its life, because now what could be an interesting delving into loved ones speaking from the grave turns into something--yes, sinister and scary, but not making much sense at all, and the film must fight an uphill battle being clothed in this premise.

Jonathan also has a surviving son, who doesn't seem in the least affected by daddy's obsession. Meanwhile, another woman who has lost someone, Sarah Tate (Deborah Kara Unger), helps Jonathan try to solve the mystery of the images and sounds they keep seeing, which leads to a conclusion that I guess we're just supposed to swallow whole. The idea of it all is downright unsatisfying, and it negates all the scares you may have enjoyed during the movie. Is it good? Not really. I can imagine a normal audience leaving the theatre believing what they saw was a good, scary movie, but surely after another viewing or so they'd get bored with it.

Also, in the areas of creepiness, some directors simply have no vision when it comes to this. I think a horror movie should basically make you worry about things unseen, perceived, or barely noticeable. There were multiple chances for this film to give the subconscious a ride and it failed miserably. Most horror films have to have that quick-jolt scare nowadays, in which this movie completely wagers its enjoyability.

I feel sorry for Michael Keaton, because he's a good actor, and for whatever reason he's not getting good roles anymore. This was a promising entry into a genre that will be represented often this year, and what a disappointment, right off the bat, for 2005.