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White Noise (2005 film)
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Wikipedia article
'White Noise' is a 2005 supernatural horror thriller film directed by Geoffrey Sax and starring Michael Keaton. The title refers to electronic voice phenomena (EVP), where voices, which some believe to be from the "other side", can be heard on audio recordings.
The film did very well at the box office despite generally poor reviews from both critics and audiences. The commercial success of 'White Noise' led Universal and other studios to realize that there was an untapped audience for horror films released in January, and began releasing higher-quality horror films during that period, usually dismissed as the winter dump months of the film calendar.
Plot
Jonathan Rivers is an architect and lives with his wife Anna until her unexpected death. Eventually, he is contacted by Raymond Price, whose son has also died. He says he has recorded messages from Anna through electronic voice phenomena (EVP). While Jonathan is initially dismissive and angered, he later learns about his wife's tragic drowning. Desperate, he begins to believe that the recorded voice is indeed that of his wife, and becomes obsessed with trying to contact her himself. He is warned by a psychic that, while she takes measures to avoid hostile entities, EVP is an indiscriminate process that offers no such safeguards. A woman named Sarah Tate, who also came to Raymond for his EVP work because she lost her fianc, befriends Jonathan.
Raymond is found dead. Jonathan begins to be followed by three demons attracted by his obsession with EVP, and finds that some of the messages he receives are from people who are not yet dead, but may soon be. Jonathan hears cries from a woman whom he finds in a car with a child. He is able to save the child, but not the woman. At that woman's funeral, which Jonathan and Sarah both attend, Jonathan approaches the husband and tells him about what happened. The latter thanks Jonathan for saving his son but then demands to be left alone. Afterwards, Jonathan sees images of another person, a missing woman named Mary Freeman, while working with his EVP devices. Sarah is later seriously injured by a fall from a balcony while possessed by the demons, an incident which was foreshadowed by Sarah's image being among those on the EVP devices.
Jonathan locates the site of his wife's death by following signs on recordings and he also finds his wife's abandoned car. Jonathan finds a set of computers and electronic equipment on site. A construction worker from his company, who has been doing his own EVP work, is holding Mary captive. He has been under the control of the demons to kill all these people, including Anna. The three demons torture Jonathan by breaking his arms and legs and cause him to fall to his death, but a SWAT team arrives and are able to save Mary by shooting the construction worker dead. After his funeral, Jonathan's voice can be heard on the car radio through static interference saying "I'm sorry" to his son, who recognizes the voice and smiles. Sarah, at the graveside in a wheelchair, is menaced by odd noises. Right before the credits, the camera flashes to a TV where Jonathan and his wife are visible. A closing intertitle states that one of twelve out of thousands of EVP messages is threatening.
Cast
* Michael Keaton as Jonathan Rivers
* Deborah Kara Unger as Sarah Tate, bookstore owner
* Chandra West as Anna Rivers, a writer
* Ian McNeice as Raymond Price
Production
In May 2003, it was announced Michael Keaton was attached to star the film with principal photography slated to begin in August of that year.
Reception
'White Noise' was generally negatively received by critics, with a 7% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, with the site's consensus being "While there are some built-in scares, the movie is muddled and unsatisfying".
Sequel
A sequel titled 'White Noise: The Light' was released in January 2007.
Legacy
'White Noise'
If a horror film as poorly received as 'White Noise' could nevertheless make a significant amount of money in January, studios realized, a quality film in that genre could do even better. The following year, an elaborate viral marketing campaign gave Paramount's found footage horror film 'Cloverfield' a $40 million opening weekend, which remained the record for January until 'Ride Along' in 2014. In 2012 Paramount beat 'White Noise'
See also
*List of ghost films
References
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