White Noise (DVD)

White Noise didn’t make much noise at the box office when it was released in January of this year. Audiences just didn’t respond to the intriguing, but ultimately disjointed story. Perhaps it will have a ghost of a chance on DVD.

The story follows successful architect Jonathan Rivers (Michael Keaton), after he loses his beloved wife Anna (Chandra West) in an inexplicable single-car accident. Before long, he starts hearing her voice coming through electrical devices (he can also hear Robert Plant singing “my sweet Satan” backwards on Stairway to Heaven, but that’s beside the point). Jonathan thinks it’s just staticky white noise caused by electrical interference; he doesn’t realize it’s really supernatural instant messaging. He’s made aware that what’s been going on is called EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) and with the help of his new mentor, Raymond Price (Ian McNeice), Jonathan begins to decipher her messages. He soon discovers that Anna has a very urgent warning for him.

While it may not have the makings of a classic, I rather liked White Noise until the writer decided to give a big raspberry to the audience. Don’t get me wrong; I relish a twist ending ala Rod Serling or M. Night Shyamalan, but this is an intelligence-insulting u-turn that’s a real eye roller. And then at the very, very end they have the nerve to play a cheesy pop song that’s more fitting for the closing credits of a Hilary Duff movie.

Still in all, the glass is more than half full. If you like a good ghost story, White Noise is disquieting enough.

The DVD is packed with additional release material, but unfortunately none of it involves the stars or the filmmakers. I think the EVP angle is interesting, but one featurette on that would have sufficed, rather than making the entire thing center on the founders and managers of the AA-EVP (American Association of Electronic Voice Phenomenon).

The featurettes are as follows:

Hearing Is Believing: A mini-doc witnessing the live filming of, real-life EVP recording sessions.

Making Contact: EVP Experts: discover the history and achievements of the phenomena through the experiences of leading authorities.

Recording the Afterlife at Home: A guide to making your own ghostly recordings.

There are also a few deleted scenes, but nothing noteworthy.

Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson