Stir of Echoes

Theatrical Release Date: 1999 09 10 (USA)

UPC: 012236161127

Studio: Live/Artisan

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Not For Children, Adult Language, Sexual Situations]

Summary: In this supernatural thriller, Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon) is a fairly typical working-class guy living in Chicago with his wife Maggie (Kathryn Erbe) and his son Jake (Zachary David Cope). One night at a party, Tom gets into a lively discussion with his sister-in-law, Lisa (Illeana Douglas), who believes in psychic communication and the power of hypnosis. He challenges Lisa to hypnotize him, and she plants in him a post-hypnotic suggestion to be more open-minded. But the results aren't quite what Lisa or Tom expected; Tom now senses an air of terrible dread throughout his house and is convinced that evil lurks just around the corner. He also sees the spirit of a girl from the neighborhood who disappeared months ago -- and Jake sees the spirit as well. Stir of Echoes was based on a novel by Richard Matheson, whose work inspired such disparate films as Somewhere in Time and The Incredible Shrinking Man; it was written and directed by David Koepp, who wrote the screenplays for Jurassic Park and Mission: Impossible. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Horror

Awards: Outstanding Indies – National Board of Review

Features: cc16 x 9 widescreen digitally restored
6.1 DTS ES discreet
5.1 Dolby Digital EX
Commentary with director, David Koepp
"Breathe" music video by Moist
"Making of Stir of Echoes: Behind the Echoes"
"The Mind's Eye: Beneath the Trance"
"Sight of Spirits: Channeling the Paranormal"
Special effects featurette
Production design featurette
Screen test clips
Behind-the-scenes/Final shot comparisons
Deleted scenes
Spanish subtitles
English closed captioning

Stir of Echoes

Format: DVD

Release Date: 08/17/2004

Audio: DD-EX Dolby Digital Surround EX (simulated 6.1), DTS-ESD Digital Theater 6.1 System

Runtime: 94 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Main Titles [1:57]
2. The Burden of Being Ordinary [4:06]
3. A Whole Larger World [3:35]
4. Going Way Under [4:05]
5. Seeing Things [5:51]
6. Becoming Open Minded [4:54]
7. Babysitting Jake [4:25]
8. Looking for Answers [5:53]
9. Discussing Samantha [4:23]
10. Making You Really Nervous [4:47]
11. X-Ray Vision [4:10]
12. Closing the Door [4:31]
13. Lights Out [4:04]
14. Feeling a Presence [4:42]
15. I'm Supposed to Dig [4:53]
16. In the Middle of Something [4:12]
17. The Right Tool for the Job [4:44]
18. Brick By Brick [:16]
19. Paint it Black [3:23]
20. A Serious Problem Here [4:43]
21. A Decent Neighborhood [5:17]
22. Finally at Rest [2:42]
23. Tuning Out [1:45]
24. End Credits [:44]

Jason Clark

An effectively creepy thriller by Hollywood scribe David Koepp (who penned the blockbuster Jurassic Park), this film explores hypnotism and delusional horror with an acuteness unusual for a film of its genre. Eschewing gore and fake shock tactics, Koepp uses his material as a means of exploring his main character's psyche. To this end, Kevin Bacon's resourceful portrayal perfectly embodies the archetype of a family man threatening to be done in by his demons. The film's momentum dissipates as it draws nearer to its semi-predictable conclusion, but the engrossing storyline and excellent use of Chicago locations create a tangible world for the tale, and make it easier to relate to on a human level. In an luckless bit of coincidence, The Sixth Sense was released just a few weeks prior to Stir, and the similarly ghoulish ghost story (both involve the use of a young boy as an oracle for otherworldly devices) all but crippled this film's opportunity to reach the moviegoing masses. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Kevin Scott Greer  Actor 
James Newton Howard  Composer (Music Score) 
David Koepp  Director 
David Koepp  Screenwriter 
Gavin Polone  Producer 
Michele Weisler  Executive Producer 
Judy Hofflund  Producer 
Kevin Bacon  Actor 
Kathryn Erbe  Actor 
Illeana Douglas  Actor 
Liza Weil  Actor 
Kevin Dunn  Actor 
Conor O'Farrell  Actor 
Jenny Morrison  Actor 
Zachary David Cope  Actor 
Lisa Lewis  Actor 
Eddie Bo Smith, Jr.  Actor 

Country: USA