Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #51467 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-02-01
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 99 minutes

Amazon.com
The only real problem with Stir of Echoes has nothing to do with the movie itself, but with unlucky coincidence. Adapted from a Richard Matheson novel, this film arrived around the same time as The Sixth Sense, and surface similarities made it suffer by cursory comparison and the competing film's phenomenal success. It's a pity, because this one features one of Kevin Bacon's best performances, in a psychological thriller that makes a lot more right moves than wrong ones. Bacon plays a blue-collar guy who laments his ordinary life, only to learn, when his sister-in-law (Ileanna Douglas) hypnotizes him, that he is a "receiver" capable of seeing spirits and split-second glimpses of past and future events. It's a torturous gift to have--especially since his friendly Chicago neighborhood possesses a dark secret--and Bacon plays the role with an appropriate mixture of obsession and internalized torment.

Similarity to The Sixth Sense applies only to the basic premise and the character of Bacon's young son. Otherwise, this is more of a hard-edged journey of self-discovery, marital crisis, and recovery, with Bacon's wife (played by the highly underrated Kathryn Erbe) involved in an underdeveloped subplot about a group of people who share Bacon's gift as paranormal "receivers." Furthering his career as a writer-director of intelligent thrillers, David Koepp makes a few missteps in pacing and thematic overkill, but overall Stir of Echoes is a sharp, sensitive thriller that unfolds to reveal a dramatically satisfying solution to its mystery. --Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker
The obvious "Sixth Sense" parallel aside-another kid with the power to communicate with the dead-director David Koepp's adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel borrows elements of "The Exorcist," "Close Encounters," "Poltergeist," and "Wait Until Dark," but the result is a pretty dull mess. Kevin Bacon stars as Tom (the kid's father), a working-class Chicago guy who never wanted to be famous, just not so ordinary. Welcome to extra-ordinary, pal. A doubter, he dares his sister-in-law Lisa (Illeana Douglas, in a smart-ass mode that wears thin) to hypnotize him, and-bang!-special-effects doors open up that give Tom the sight his son already possesses. The ensuing ghost story is short on dread, and the murder mystery unfolds without much suspense. -Ken Marks
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Six Degrees of Stir of Echoes
This movie was truly a surprise, and a victim of bad timing. It was eerie, suspensful, funny, and somewhat similar to and released around the same time as the Sixth Sense. The mammoth success of Sixth Sense truly wounded this film's potential.Kevin Bacon does a great job as playing a madman driving by those subliminal movie messages like "Dig". He opens up a pathway into the paranormal world after being placed into a hypnotic spell by Ileana Douglas(Fox's Action). From there he finds that he not the only one in his family with the "Shinning", yes the Shinning. Do you want to get sued lad! Sorry, Simpson's reference after he sees his son talking to "imaginary" dead friends as we all tended to do from time to time. While the movie was overshadowed by Sixth Sense it had more action, and moved at a faster pace. The only thing that Sixth sense had over the films was it's incredible ending. The movie would have you jumping one minute and laughing the next, but not in the predictable way most horror movies do. It was truly well done, and had a great sex scene where the wife wakes the husband(Bacon) for some loving. It's true in movies dreams can come true. Go see it or buy it either way you shouldn''t be disappointed unless you one of the people that likes to ruin a movie by saying that's a rip-off from Sixth Sense or that doesn't happen in the Sixth Sense. Also, look for the microwave burrito on the nightstand. I'm still not sure of the symbolism, but I'm sure it's something genious. Take care, go get it!

Forget Comparisons, This Movie Is GREAT
It seems this movie will forever be compared with "Sixth Sense". The unfortunate timing that had Sense opening first seemed to push this movie off to the side. That is a terrible shame, because this movie is as good as any around. Comparing Echoes to Sense is like comparing DaVinci to Michealangelo. Both are great in their own distinct ways.

The story of an ordinary working class guy (Kevin Bacon) living in his version of a safe, ideal neighborhood whose world is throw out of whack when he is hypnotized by his ditzy sister-in-law (the always good Illeana Douglas). When he starts to experience strange things, it turns his and his family's world upside down. It would be a shame to say more and possibly spoil the suspenseful plot, but the twists and turns this tale takes are wonderful.

This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a good half-dozen or so jump out of your skin scares. Well acted (Bacon and Douglas are the "big" names, but Kathryn Erbe, Kevin Dunn, AJ Oto lead a great supporting cast, and Zachary David Cope does an amazing job as Bacon's son) and written, this movie should have been a much bigger hit. The second life it has received on video/DVD is well-deserved.

If you missed this one when it was first out, grab a copy. It is a GREAT film, and worth adding to your DVD collection.

Please check your pants after viewing this movie!
WOW! This has to be the most underrated movie of 1999. This movie is guaranteed to freak you out. The visual effects, although low tech, are extremely well done and provide a very eerie look into the world of the paranormal. The plot is also done very well. Elements that are introduced throughout the film are tided together quite nicely in the end. The acting is superb, with Kevin Bacon giving the best performance of his career. He really makes you believe in his character, which is one of the elements that makes this movie work so well. I have the DVD edition, listening to this in 5.1 format is a must. The ghostlike voices that come from the rear speakers gives new meaning to the DVD experience, especially in a dark room.