I just got back from the late night screening of White Noise. I wasn't sure the film would either turn out really bad or really good and just to prove me wrong it turned out a bit of both.
The film seem pretty well influenced by the following:
1) "Final Destination", where preminitions and a battle with an ultimately unstoppable and non-corporeal entity that acts somewhat like a serial killer. 2) John Carpenters "Prince of Darkness", where a dark message from the future is received via EVP. 3) Nigel Kneals "The Stone Tapes" where it is discovered that certain stones can be used to record ghostly images, and where the man obsessively investigating it ends up as one of those images itself.
Of course there are also a tonne of ghost films that could also have influenced this as well as good amount of Blair witch. All this is making the film seem pretty unoriginal, and were you just to read the script you would probably feel this was the case. However, the film is put together brilliantly and a lot of creepy effects and decent acting by Keaton helps to raise the basic level of the script considerably and make for a very creepy and quite jumpy horror film.
I wasn't left with a huge amount of sympathy for Keatons character due to his apparent stupidity (really down to the needs of the plot rather then Keatons decisions in playing the role). But maybe as a Horror fan I've just become too cynical about these things. You'll see what I mean when you watch it. The real star of this movie is the brilliantly creepy static from the tapes and TV and the messages hidden within. Good job that is the focus of the hype really because as far as that goes they have done well. It is just a pity about some of the other aspects of the film.
My initial feelings after watching this was to give the film a 7 (which is generous for me), but it's one of those films that seems less impressive as the effect of the film wears off the and weaknesses of the plot become more exposed in your mind. So while examining this in review I've dropped my rating down to a six. Still it is one of those films that leave you feeling creeped out and a little afraid as you leave the cinema and I still find myself glancing at the clock while I write this review (again you'll see what I mean when you watch it). So as a horror, I'm happy to say it's achieved it's objective.
If you don't like being afraid, and tend to be very critical of plots with holes then you'll hate this film. However if you go to watch a creepy ghost story to be creeped out, you'll get exactly that. I would recommend watching this on a home system with surround sound as the audio effects are just as important as the visuals in this and the flashes of static (full screen ones, outside of those Keaton is witnessing himself) would be more effective on TV's then cinema screens (or PC's for that matter). Having said that, I saw it in the cinema and enjoyed it.
The film is a little slow to start and predictable in places, but that really doesn't stop your enjoyment of it once it get's going and I felt very satisfied at the conclusion. I think this film is worth a watch.
As for how it compares to the three films I listed earlier. Well I'd say it's on par with all but Prince of Darkness which is better, but not drastically.
The film seem pretty well influenced by the following:
1) "Final Destination", where preminitions and a battle with an ultimately unstoppable and non-corporeal entity that acts somewhat like a serial killer. 2) John Carpenters "Prince of Darkness", where a dark message from the future is received via EVP. 3) Nigel Kneals "The Stone Tapes" where it is discovered that certain stones can be used to record ghostly images, and where the man obsessively investigating it ends up as one of those images itself.
Of course there are also a tonne of ghost films that could also have influenced this as well as good amount of Blair witch. All this is making the film seem pretty unoriginal, and were you just to read the script you would probably feel this was the case. However, the film is put together brilliantly and a lot of creepy effects and decent acting by Keaton helps to raise the basic level of the script considerably and make for a very creepy and quite jumpy horror film.
I wasn't left with a huge amount of sympathy for Keatons character due to his apparent stupidity (really down to the needs of the plot rather then Keatons decisions in playing the role). But maybe as a Horror fan I've just become too cynical about these things. You'll see what I mean when you watch it. The real star of this movie is the brilliantly creepy static from the tapes and TV and the messages hidden within. Good job that is the focus of the hype really because as far as that goes they have done well. It is just a pity about some of the other aspects of the film.
My initial feelings after watching this was to give the film a 7 (which is generous for me), but it's one of those films that seems less impressive as the effect of the film wears off the and weaknesses of the plot become more exposed in your mind. So while examining this in review I've dropped my rating down to a six. Still it is one of those films that leave you feeling creeped out and a little afraid as you leave the cinema and I still find myself glancing at the clock while I write this review (again you'll see what I mean when you watch it). So as a horror, I'm happy to say it's achieved it's objective.
If you don't like being afraid, and tend to be very critical of plots with holes then you'll hate this film. However if you go to watch a creepy ghost story to be creeped out, you'll get exactly that. I would recommend watching this on a home system with surround sound as the audio effects are just as important as the visuals in this and the flashes of static (full screen ones, outside of those Keaton is witnessing himself) would be more effective on TV's then cinema screens (or PC's for that matter). Having said that, I saw it in the cinema and enjoyed it.
The film is a little slow to start and predictable in places, but that really doesn't stop your enjoyment of it once it get's going and I felt very satisfied at the conclusion. I think this film is worth a watch.
As for how it compares to the three films I listed earlier. Well I'd say it's on par with all but Prince of Darkness which is better, but not drastically.