Disappointment for a huge fan!

Better Late Then Never

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Neil goes all through with Maggie about what her boys (husband and son) are going through. He explains the difference between the way they each receive messages and that Tom doesn't have a choice but to FOLLOW them to make the ghost go away. She gets home later and is beside herself from that point on about his ridiculous digging. She's all the more put off by his blunt and robotic response that he's supposed to dig. In her mind, it's like the explanation Neil gave her never happened. How could she not have known to just leave him alone and let him do whatever weirdness he needs to?

"Stir of Echoes" is more than just your average ghost story; it's a thriller that weaves together mystery, intrigue, murder, and love of family into a very memorable film. Adapted from the novel by the late, great Richard Matheson, the story centers around everyday man Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon), his wife Maggie (Kathryn Erbe) and their young son, Jake (Zachary David Cope). They seem to have the perfect life in their Chicago suburban home until one night at a neighborhood block party Tom, ever the supernatural/otherworldly skeptic, agrees to be hypnotized by his mystic-minded sister-in-law. He doesn't remember much about what happens during the hypnosis, but what follows next is anything but child's play as strange images involving a ghostly, teenage girl and past events of the house they live in start appearing in his mind. It turns out Tom has become a receiver, someone whose mind is open to visions of the future and communication with the dead, and that's not all. Tom's son, Jake, already has this sixth sense, if you will, and he too has visions of the girl he calls Samantha. It doesn't take long for Tom to discover that Samantha was a real person who disappeared from the neighborhood but no one in the community knows why or seems to care. From there, it's a race for the truth as Tom tries to uncover what really happened to the young girl who haunts his mind before it tears him apart.I had heard of "Stir of Echoes" through this site long before I saw it. It was not until recently I finally got my chance to see it and needless to say, I was not disappointed. The story is beautifully crafted right from the beginning, where we first meet Jake taking a bath and seemly talking to his father in the next room. It's only after his father leaves the room and he's drying off that we find out (I won't reveal exactly how we know as to not spoil it) he's talking to someone else. The scene gives me chills just thinking of it and there are plenty more to come. Writer and director David Koepp should be congratulated for being to combine scenes that scare and disturb with a good, strong story. As for as characters, each of the actors give solid performances, be it Kevin Bacon as skeptic turned (almost dangerously) obsessed believer, Kathryn Erbe as Tom's devoted wife, Illeana Douglas as the sister-in-law, Kevin Dunn as Tom's friend and neighbor Frank, or Zachary David Cope as young Jake Witzky. Mr. Cope's performance has to be one of the most brilliant I've ever seen from a child actor or in general due to his ability to be sweet but also a bit other worldly due to his ability to see things we can't. Plus there's a whole lot of amazing supporting actors and actresses, such as Jennifer Morrison as young Samantha, that should be congratulated for their work. I'm not sure what Mr. Matheson thought of this film but as for me, I can't praise it enough. "Stir of Echoes" is a film that works, not only for the reasons above but in addition, it will make you wonder how well do you really know your neighborhood or the house you live in? And on that note, don't let this gem of a film pass you by. Watch and be prepared for some unsettling truths.

Unfairly and Relentlessly compared to the The Sixth Sense that proceeded this by just One Month. In Fact, You could remove the Child's ability "to see Dead People", and this Movie would have been just as Horrific and Effective.It is a Grungy Little Horror Movie that has its share of Scares and its Twilight Zone Flavour is no accident since the Story was Penned in 1958 by Richard Matheson who Wrote many of the Zone's best Episodes.For Trivia Buffs, the Book that the Babysitter is reading on the couch is The Shrinking Man by Matheson, that was made in to one of the Best Sci-Fi Movies of the Fifties.This Movie is at once Creepy and has a Middle-Class Urban Milieu rarely seen on Screen, at least with such Verisimilitude. Kevin Bacon is Dramatically Effective as is most of the Cast and the Story is Horror to be sure. It combines Supernatural and True Crime Elements with Outstanding Overlays.The Ending may seem a bit Rushed but Things do come together in a Spurt of Thrills and Grotesque goings on and it is one of those Movies that at most Times has the Audience holding Their Breath and after all is said and done, They can breathe a sigh of Nervous Relief.

As always, allow me to start off by saying that I am not a movie critique and not even a cinema student, but a humble average Horror addict. That is why I'm always on the lookout for good, thrilling, scary movies from around the early nineties to present time.Regardless to its popularity and consistent substantial number of fans worldwide, the Horror genre has always been slightly (and for us fans painfully) underrated. Don't get me wrong, horror films are still produced on a yearly basis and some even win Oscars, so I'm not complaining. I am, however, pointing out that Dramas, Comedies and Action films tend to be considered as "higher class" cinema, and tend to make more money.In regards to the Psychological/Supernatural sub-genre - Stir of Echoes was, in my opinion, excellent. Based on a novel by Richard Matheson, it told a great story in a compelling way. The visual/audio effects were right on the spot, and the crowd was kept curious and intrigued until the very end. Certain films of the genre keep us intrigued and curious because we have no idea what is actually going on until the last 5-15 minutes. Others artistically and magnificently give original and surprising (sometimes even shocking) answers to questions we didn't even know we had until the story told in them begins coming to a closure. Stir of Echoes was slightly inferior in this regard, as the audience had been informed of everything that'd been going on (no guessing / paying attention to clues involved). That, however, didn't reduce the movie's quality even one bit. Being sort of an underground genre, we usually don't see our favorite top celebrities starring in Horror films. In this case - we did! Kevin Bacon played the role of the disturbed neurotic haunted in a convincing manner we could all relate with. His acting was by far the best in the movie. Along with him, the fans of the late show "Oz" by HBO were in for a real treat - as we got to see the gorgeous Kathryn Erbe (aka Shirley Bellinger) playing the sexy distressed wife trying to cope with the new oddity that had befallen her family. As for Zachary David Copes, who played their son, I must say I was less than impressed... then again I might have been a little biased. You folks might remember another Psychological/Supernatural Horror/Thriller that premiered the same year Stir of Echoes did. In a great (maybe even suspicious) resemblance, it also featured a top celebrity, and even some of the ideas and effects we've seen in SoE. That movie, M. Night Shyamalan's big break to the cinematic consciousness, will forever be more famous, more successful, and more remembered. I must admit that "The Sixth Sense" (if you haven't guessed) had one of the best ending twists I've seen to this day, and its ending surpassed and exceeded everything about Stir of Echoes' ending. However, that is no reason to completely neglect and even disregard David Koepp's creation. It's 2012 and I've only first found out about this film from IMDb a couple of days ago...In summary - the ending could have used a little more work, and the boy actor could have been somewhat better. One point deducted for each - still leaves 8/10 with some great acting, a great story, and not to mention a brilliant soundtrack. Guaranteed thrilling fun!