Rating: 
Summary: Terribly disturbing...
Review: This pisses both over Sixth Sense and Exorcist. If you really want to get scared or watch something pretty disturbing, this movie is just waiting for you to be watched. However, the thing that dissapointed me was that there is no subtitle featured in the DVD edition
Rating: 
Summary: great movie = great dvd
Review: i rented this on vhs when it first came out than last night went to rent the dvd. its worth owning for the creepieness of the film. this was better than the sixth sense.
Rating:
Summary: A great film
Review: Another one of the movies of 1999, that didnt get as many hailed reviews as it should have. This was truly the scariest movie that I have ever seen. I personally thought that it was scarier than The Exorcist, well, it was certainly freakier than The Exorcist. Kevin Bacon is a superb actor, and he did great it this film. Zachary David Cope, Tom's son, was also great. I would have to say that the hypnotic scenes were the most impressive thing. That and "the feathers" - that just really freaked me out, the way he predicted that. The Film was overall great, and you should really take your time, rent the video, then buy it because you'll certainly want to watch it again!
Rating: 
Summary: Scary and Satisfying
Review: "Stir of Echoes" i have to say that, while it was not the best horror/suspense/psychological drama i have seen, it left me with a very definite sense of closure. The lack of supernatural events other than the uncannily haunting of the intuition struck me as particularly realistic. If you are skeptical of the power of hypnotism, the ability called the "sixth sense", or any of the more nebulous psychological phenomena, you may not embrace the concept of this film as whole-heartedly as i did. The idea that some people "shine" - i.e., have the ability to pick up on sensations and ambient forces invisible to most of us is one that i completely subscribe to, having an albeit very small "shine" myself. On that note, i cannot deny certain parallels to the movies "The Shining", but they are thematic rather than formulaic or contrived. i did not anticipate the ending, which in my opinion was tremendously satisfying. OK - this all makes sense now! i seldom leave a movie, no matter WHAT the genre, feeling this way, and it was refreshing. The "Stir of Echoes" was very low on the gore and shock, but quite sufficient in suspense and creepiness to keep this viewer a bit on edge. to elaborate on the plot would be unconscionable. Better to watch the movie, as i did, with no preconceptions. MWvixen Mistress of HELL
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Good.
Review: An ordinary man, a skeptic, who works for the phone company, nothing in Kevin Bacon's life has prepared him for the strange journey which begins after he is hypnotized at a local party. He comes out of his trance, not remembering what happened while he was under. Instead he remembers strange visions and memories of events and people he saw while hypnotized. These memories haunt him. At home, even after the party, he continues to hear, and see, strange things. Flashes and dreams of the future, an instinct that something is very wrong in his neighborhood, visions of ghosts; a radical change in his life has begun. "Stir of Echos" is a surprising good film with strong performances from almost all of the actors. The first thing I liked about it is, until mid-movie or more, it is unclear which direction this film will go. At the same time, the people and events in the movie, until this time, are still interesting and fun to watch. The mystery, what is happening, is the hook which helps pull us along. I won't spoil the surprises. I will say that the ending, with one exception, was a strong finish. It is too bad that "Stir of Echos" didn't do better in the movies as it was much better then most films out when it was released. I would recommend this film to anyone who likes more thoughtful horror films. Indeed, for me, this was more of a drama with a horror background. As for the DVD features, there isn't much here to be gained. A few trailers don't make up for the extra price of a DVD. If you are a purist, or can get it at a discount (which I did) buy the DVD. Otherwise, the video is probably just as good. Happy Shopping.
Rating:
Summary: a masterpiece if i may say so
Review: really sad it was released at the same time as "sixt sense. kevin bacon does his best performance ever,as a man furfilling his task.to tell more about his task ,is revealing to much of the plot in advance.a great film focusing on the topic through the whole film.the director has suceeded to not bringing in to many out siders to the plot.in it self the plot is not the biggest master piece.but it is the creaping feeling through out the film. and the best ,the director has not stuffed in tons gore as directors usually do .this movie could all most have been given the rating pg-13 ,beacause this is a film with real style and genious acting .and erbe is also great as the wife,and the little son in the house has a small but very important role as a...,well see your self ! and most important the film has not been spoiled with tons of extra special effects .this film is based up on great acting and a creepy feeling through out the film.beside that the dvd has quite good extras,just the perfect amount,not too much . even here quality rules .and the menu is not bad,with enigmatic background and great ambient music .this is simply one of the best haunting movie in ages .sorry "sixt sense" you just fell to number 2!you like suspense or hauting tales (with style) ? do not miss this master piece !
Rating: 
Summary: A lame Sixth Sense wannabe.
Review: Stir of Echoes Score: 41/100 People had been talking about Stir of Echoes around New Zealand, saying it was 10 times scarier than The Sixth Sense and it was very well commercialised. But, Stir of Echoes borrows so heavily from The Sixth Sense that it might as well have been titled The Seventh Sense, and it is a huge disappointment. Tom (Kevin Bacon) is a regular guy, a utilities lineman, married, with a young son, his wife is pregnant; he hangs out with long-time pals in a Chicago neighborhood. At a party, his sister-in-law hypnotizes him, and he goes into a deep trance. Before waking him, she suggests that he keep his mind open. That night he sees flashes of violence and the ghost of a young woman. His young son, too, is "a receiver," but while the boy is calm and coherent in his conversations with spirits, Tom is confused and agitated. Over time, the young woman's story comes to the surface, and Tom begins a hunt for her body that puts him and his usually understanding wife, Maggie (Katherine Erbe), in grave danger. Stir of Echoes does not only take scenes from The Sixth Sense, it uses The Shining's story, man-goes-crazy-and-freaks-family-out, and it basically insults the brilliance of Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece. Most of the performances are laughable, especially Kevin Bacon and Zachary David Cope in a stupidly over-blown chemistry, but, Katherine Erbe manages to an okay heroine, though she does not put nearly enough effort in to save this film. The easy way to say it is this film is predictable, annoying and boring, and does not deserve the critical-acclaim and large audience it got. The finale is entertaining and neatly done, but, guess what! It uses exactly the same techniques as The Green Mile did! God, it's becoming uncountable how many movies this borrows from. Stir of Echoes is a passable and mostly lame horror film that always tries to score, and never earns many points.
Rating:
Summary: Whats the worst that can happen??
Review: Stir of Echoes is one of the best suspense/horror movies you will see. The storyline is not the most original in the world, but the acting and plot more than make up for it. Stir of echoes deserved more acclaim and hype. Why didn't it get it? A little movie called "The Sixth Sense". Had The Sixth Sense came out a year later, SOE would get much more well deserved credit. Kevin Bacon plays a working class stiff. Like many thirty somethings, Bacon seems to work the daily grind. As Bacon lives his same humdrum life, he apparently laments his "ordinary" existence. Bacon and his wife(Kathryn Erbe) move their young son into the perfect neibhorhood. Everything seems well as they live it up in as they believed "The best damn Neibhorhood in Chicago". It all changes when at a party his New-Age sister-inlaw(Ileanna Douglas) begans hypnotizing the skeptical Bacon. The resulting "awakening" of his perception brings haunting visions. Soon he even begins to physically see the source of all the visions, a ghost. Bacon's character learns that not only his son, but many others seem to have this perception power. He begans to dedicate his entire life to the whims of the ghost, as his sanity(and marriage)begins to deteriorate. Bacon soon realizes that the ghost will stay restless until he learns its terrible secret. While his marriage, sanity, and even his surroundings begin to fall apart, Bacon's character slowly learns the terrible secret the ghost is trying to tell. A secret that threatens not only him, but his entire family. To say more would spoil a good suspense film(which is downright criminal). Give this one a try. It won't bore you in the first 45 minutes like The Sixth Sense did to me. This one is a constant thriller that if you get up to get a drink, you might miss something. Also it mixes just enough humor to make it both fun and scary. Ileana Douglas in particular gives a good performance as Bacon's sarcastically funny sister in law.
Rating:
Summary: Nightmares on a suburban street
Review: First of all, let me get the comparisons with 'Sixth Sense' out of the way. Has to be done though because even the Director of 'Echoes' - David Koepp (in the DVD commentary add on) makes a indirect (and complimentary) reference to that earlier released movie when he talks about the cold breathe effects used by the director of 'Sixth Sense' - M. Night Shyamalan. To me the titles of the movies could have been exchanged as 'Echoes' plot relies centrally on the development of this 'sixth sense' by Tom Witzky allowing him to see and hear the afterlife. Back to the present life now and this good movie. Tom (Kevin Bacon), a telephone lineman and his wife Maggie (Kathryn Erbe) are trying to make ends meet, improve the life they share with son Jake (Zachary David Cope) and hold onto their dreams. Tom still wants to be a rock musician but is coming to the realization that mid life responsibilities bring "I never wanted to be famous. I just never expected to be so... "What?" Maggie asks. ..."I don't know. ordinary" Suburban life in America for most of us huh? Not quite. The old adage of being careful of what you wish for applies here. On a drunken dare, with his sister-in-law, Tom states that he can't be hypnotized. She tries, and he is. If the idea of hypnosis allowing you to perceive another reality is really bothersome to you then switch off. That is the central theme of the movie and is what the plot depends on. It's not overly done though and there is no 'message' attached, it's just the vehicle the movie uses to explore the underlying crime and the afterlife. The ghosts that come with it provide the horrific visions and clues that help Tom solve the mystery. Overall the movies plot holds together, the acting is excellent, the horror is subtle, not gory -but scary (Tom watching TV on the couch... being watched...brrr!). It's light on psychology of the afterlife and the disappointments of present-life. It's simply a good, scary thriller. 'Stir of Echoes' is only weak at the end with a pretty ordinary closure.
Rating:
Summary: The Movie= 5 stars The DVD= 3 stars!
Review: "Stir Of Echoes" is a lovely horror/thriller which had the misfortune of being released at the same time as "Sixth Sense".
Stir Of Echoes (The Film):
I am not even gonna go to the Sixth Sense Vs. Stir OF Echoes thing because both of these movies are two very different productions inspite of what you may think. The latter is a modern-day classic no doubt, but the former kept me chilled with its creepy cinematography, excellent direction from Koepp and the great Kevin Bacon. The strength of this film also lies in the fact that it portrays the lives of this blue-collared couple so realistically that you can't help but identify with the characters. The performances are top-notch and there are scenes when one's really is scared out of his/her wits. The film is a great movie to own.
Stir Of Echoes (The DVD):
I must say that the features in this DVD by Artisan is average at the most. The menus are great and the montage of trailers and TV spots are fazing. I was disappointed by the hasty put-together of the featurette (only 3 mins. long!) and the behind-the-scenes (small with no commentary) look. Heck, there is a fairly noticeable "layer change" in the DVD as well (I saw it on my Sony 335 btw) but its not that bad. Another disappointing fact was that MOIST video which should have been replaced by the more prominent song that lingers throughout the trailers and plays a big role in the movie too.
Verdict: Great film. Just-about average DVD. But, still a great buy for the film itself!
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