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What Lies Beneath

What Lies Beneath

List Price: $12.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Pshyco = Shower, What Lies Beneath = Tub
Review: One word . . . Amazing! I rented this movie during the summer and immediatley got my own copy as soon as possible. This is a very quiet, tranquil movie and when you atleast expect it something happens to snape you out of your relaxed mode and scare the [heck] out of you. Phiffer and Ford are an amazing team in this movie, as well as the supportting cast. You can definately tell that Robert Z is trying to follow the footsteps of the great Alfred Hictchcock. He has eveything to the score down pat. I swear after a few minutes it will feel like you are watch Psycho. I would definately recomment "Cast Away" as well. Rebert makes relaxing movies that are a vacation from the ordinary. I don't think but Dreamworks keeps popping out the good flicks. Get it , watch it, love it. Trust me on this one!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: For Me, A Good Moovy Was Marred.....
Review: ....by the obvious animation of the shock ending. This is a thriller, not a comic piece like Scooby Doo or Ghostbusters. A little more work could have been done there. Pfieffer, Ford and the suspense makers in this one did an outstanding job getting the most mileage and mystery from the story, but, I dunno--I expected more than the cartoonish ending. Especially after Zemeckis and his storymakers did so great on "Forrest Gump" and "Death Becomes Her".

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: First Class
Review: This is a polished supernatural thriller. The polish is provided by Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford. Even though this is a PG13 flick, it is sexy, riveting and "first class". Everything from the movie sets, soundtrack and editing make this a must see. As a Pfeiffer fan, she is convincing, romantic and sincere in this film. Ford is a little out of his league when it comes to thrills, but he does an admirable job. Most film viewers depict Harrison as a ladies man, but in this DVD he is deceptive, troublesome, eery and arrogant. He wears too many t-shirts for an exec! Once the story unfolds, you'll need to fasten your seat belts for the ending. The DVD version is superb...picture and sound. Add this to your DVD library. You'll want to view it more than once.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: What Lies Beneath?
Review: Harrison Ford is in unfamiliar territory in this tense, exciting supernatural thriller, helmed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Castaway). The film has some really effective shocks and twists, with sharp editing and Alan Silverstri's increasingly creepy score. The numerous homages to Hitchcock films are nicely done, and Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer fit well together as a married couple. And with a great story, Zemeckis weaves his magic to full terrifying effect.

Originality, however, is not it's strong point, as we are greeted to creaky doors, sudden thunder, dogs barking before something scary happens and so on. But the main plot provides some great shocks and creepy moments throughout the film.
The added CGI creates a really spine-chilling feel to the movie, and by the end leaves you chilled, yet satisfied. This is a truly great film, and an awesome DVD. Prepare yourself for a great night in.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Scariest bathroom since Psycho
Review: To call What Lies Beneath Hollywood's most self-conscious tribute to Alfred Hitchcock is by no means an understatement. Elements of, amongst scores of others, Rear Window, Rope, Notorious, North by Northwest, Vertigo and, of course, Psycho, combine in terms of plot and visuals to make a thoroughly absorbing story that is as classic in its narrative as its masterful cinematic style. Everything about this film harks back to the 40's and 50's way of doing things, whilst simultaneously using advanced technology to take that style and project it into the present day. Indeed, every single shot feels like Zemeckis said to himself: how would Hitchcock have filmed this? What would he have done if he had the technology we have? With more than a few allusions to the old master himself (grabbing the shower-curtain when falling out of the bath, for example), the result, understandably, is stunning.

With so much going on in every scene, it is difficult to talk concisely about this film. Throughout, there is much to marvel over in the cinematography, editing, soundtrack; the chills come thick and heavy, the mystery sucks you in, the visual brilliance astounds at every turn. The claustrophobia of the house, the realism of Ford and Pfeiffer's relationship and the intrigues that surround the central characters pale into insignificance beside the pure ingenuity of the filmmaking. In a single take, Pfeiffer leaves the bathroom, the bath empty, walks around for a minute, and re-enters the same bathroom, now filled with steam, the bath full, before discovering a message written on the mirror. In the final sequence, the camera darts in and out of CGI cars, offering shots that Hitchcock could only dream about, and yet the whole set-piece screams of 50's classicism. In the creepiest bathroom sequence since Psycho, we are offered the POV of a drowning woman, in a scene that deserves to go down in film history as one of the best-constructed examples of film technique ever seen. In some scenes, the camera even drops suddenly through the floor, to look up through glass at the actors above. For fans of film aesthetics, there is no doubting that this is one of the finest experiments to grace the screens.

Admittedly, if you are not a fan of Hitchcock or have never seen a Hitchcock, much of the enjoyment can be taken out of the film. The story plods along at first, only really picking up momentum half-way through. However, that said, the final half-hour more than makes up for any lack of pace in the early reels. If nothing else, it is great to see Ford in a role that is the opposite of what we have come to expect from him. Overall, anyone who considers themselves a serious film fan needs to own a copy of this film. And if you've never seen Hitchcock, there is no finer introduction to the man than this movie. Buy it and love it. It's as simple as that.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Thriller
Review: I don't exactly put this movie into the Horror category, it's not gory, it's not campy, and it's not a gore fest. This is a great psychological supernatural thriller. The kind of movie that makes you jump in your seat, it keeps you in suspense and your wondering what's gonna happen next. the only problem i found with the movie is that after all the movies Harrison Ford has been in, even with all the character development, it was really difficult to see him as an evil , bad character. I really liked this movie and it sits on my DVD shelf. The DTS sound kicks so much butt and sounds clear and you just have to crank up the movie and enjoy. The acting was top notch in this movie everyone did a great job and even after seeing it many, many times it's still an enjoyable movie. I think one day it'll end up in that classi movie list somewhere.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Super Fun Chiller!
Review: Sure....it's probably a little bit too long. And lots of the scares are telegraphed ahead of time. Buy who cares?! This film is still gonna scare the devil out of you (unless you have no pulse at all)!!

Michelle Pfeiffer is excellent (as in everything she does). And Harrison is solid, of course.

Hitchcock references abound here....and I love it!
There's Pfeiffer peering at the supposed-murderous neighbor. And suddenly she finds him staring back. Plus a scene where Michelle witnesses this same neighbor stuffing a large object into the trunk of his car on a stormy night, making us think it just might be 'the Mrs.'. This is all a la "Rear Window".
And there's the bathtub/shower references all through the flick, reminding us of "Psycho". Another reference to Psycho was when Pfeiffer pulls down the shower curtain off of its rod, similar to Janet Leigh when she met her demise in 1960.

I just had fun (and fright) with this fine film, even with a completely impossible ending.

Too much over-analyzing is bad for anything.

Just WATCH IT!! And make sure YOUR bathtub isn't in the "auto-fill" mode. [--Vincent Price Laugh Is Placed HERE--] :)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Homage to the "The Changeling"
Review: No one sees to have clued in to the fact that What Lies Beneath is essentially an amped-up, glitzified re-working of The Changeling. Let's examine the similarities, shall we: 1) We have a house with a ghost in it. At first, the ghost seems threatening, but really is trying to make contact with the protagonist. 2) The protagonist begins to investigate, uncovering a mystery (and murder)that made the spirit so unhappy. 3) The protagonist is really in more danger from someone living than he/she is from the ghost. 4) The most obvious clue to the similarity between the two flicks: In The Changeling, Trish Van Devere plays a character named Claire Norman. In What Lies Beneath, Harrison Ford plays Norman, and Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire. Coincidence? Oh, please. Really subtle, Clark Gregg (WLB's writer).

That said, What Lies Beneath is still a solid, entertaining supernatural thriller that hits most of the right notes. Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer are very good, and the direction, score, and cinematography are all evocative and effective. It also is a multi-levelled story, revealing the negativity that "lies beneath" the seemingly-perfect marriage. In a nutshell, the plot is like this: Michelle Pfeiffer becomes obsessed with a spirit in her house than she first mistakes for the missing woman from the house next door. It turns out that the real answer hits much closer to home. Much closer.

Bottom line: What Lies Beneath is a good, entertaining thriller that is creepy with a few decent scares (the last twenty minutes are edge of your seat stuff). For bone chilling dread and true scares, however, check out The Changeling. What Lies Beneath owes it a debt of gratitude.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Real Thriller
Review: This movie is full of suspense and the acting is wonderful. I would give it a 4.5 if that were possible. The only negative thing I can say is that in the ending the suspense was "overkill"--it just went on and on and on. It could have been cut a few scenes before and have been a perfect movie. With such a strong development, less would have been more.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Effective, Sleepy Thriller Almost Ruined (Spoiler)
Review: WHAT LIES BENEATH is a genuinely creepy little film. The supernatural trappings quietly add twists and turns. Each standard haunted house gimmick is used to maximum effect and the scenes in which Pfeiffer's character pieces things together are genuinely riveting.


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