Stir of Echoes Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Stir of Echoes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 9, 2022

David Koepp's "Stir of Echoes" (1999) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new program with the director; exclusive new program with actress Kathryn Erbe; exclusive new program with production designer Nelson Coates; archival cast and crew interviews and featurettes; vintage promotional materials; and a lot more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

At a small party, Tom (Kevin Bacon) challenges his sister-in-law Lisa (Illeana Douglas) to prove that all of her ramblings about hypnotizing are grounded in reality. He is ready to be her guinea pig too, so all she has to do is unplug his mind from the main switchboard that controls it and then plug it back in to make her point. This is how hypnotizing works, right? Before Lisa proceeds to do precisely that she warns Tom that it is not a good idea to do have the session when he has been drinking, but he brushes her off. Moments later, the lights are turned off and Lisa hypnotizes Tom.

After the session ends Tom begins to feel disoriented and dizzy, and much to everyone’s disappointment tells his wife Maggie (Katrhyn Erbe) that it is time to go home. Later that night, he has trouble falling asleep because his mind refuses to discard the visuals it has preserved from his session with Lisa.

But instead of calming down in the days ahead Tom’s mind routinely bridges even more of the visuals from his session with Lisa with his reality, and then gradually introduces new ones that begin to alter his personality. At first Maggie attempts to help Tom overcome the anxiety that is accompanying the transformation, but when he begins digging giant holes in their backyard and soon after proceeds to destroy their basement while claiming that he is searching for a very important answer, she walks away from him. Meanwhile, a neighbor (Kevin Dunn), whose son has recently committed suicide, becomes concerned with Tom’s transformation as well, but deconstructs his seemingly incoherent statements about his basement work very differently.

David Koepp’s Stir of Echoes belongs to a group of paranormal thrillers that emerged in the late ‘90s that seem to be getting even better as they age. One of them is Rupert Wainwright Stigmata, whose atmosphere very much rivals the one from Alan Parker’s classic chiller Angel Heart. Another is Mark Pellington’s The Mothman Prophecies, which is an equally effective chiller that recreates a fascinating true story. Also part of this group is the original Ringu film, which is rightfully considered a contemporary genre classic because it produces an incredible atmosphere, too.

While telling a more straightforward story, Stir of Echoes shares plenty of the same qualities that make the aforementioned films very effective. For example, Stir of Echoes splits Tom’s reality and transforms his mind into a ‘receiver’ in much the same way Richard Gere’s mind uncovers an alternate reality in The Mothman Prophecies. Once the connection between the real and the paranormal is established, Stir of Echoes plunges into a dark abyss a lot like the one that is unveiled in Stigmata. Tom’s transformation from a non-believer into a believer is shaped up similarly to the one the girl in Stigmata experiences as well.

What is different in Stir of Echoes is the playground that Koepp chooses to utilize various tricks to impress. Indeed, virtually all of the action in Stir of Echoes takes place in suburban Chicago, so this is a significantly smaller playground with some predictable limitations. However, this is something that allows Koepp to make Tom’s transformation much more intimate, so there is a unique type intensity that is attached to it as well.

The identity of the film is shaped up by this unique intensity too, rather than the exact nature of Tom’s transformation. Indeed, how Tom struggles to process the information his mind ‘receives’ after the session is the crucial material that sets its mood and tone. While the buildup to the finale is intriguing, it is only matter of time before the resolution of the drama becomes very easy to guess.

With the exception of Douglas, whose performance is a bit too cheery, the cast is very good. Still, Bacon practically caries the entire film on his shoulders.

Stir of Echoes is loosely based on Richard Matheson's novel of the same name. Matheson's writings inspired such classic genre films as The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Omega Man, and Duel.

Stir of Echoes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.73:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Stir of Echoes arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

Even though the master that was used to source the release isn't new, the overall appearance of the film is quite nice. Indeed, it is very healthy and clean, free of any compromising digital corrections as well. It is graded very nicely too, so the existing range of primaries and supporting nuances is quite strong. So, what are the areas where some meaningful improvements can be made? Grain exposure could be a bit better. At present most of the visuals tend to look slightly softer than they should, though you do not have to worry about excessive softness that actually collapses plenty of existing detail. Some darker areas reveal light crushing, but I think that even there the master performs surprisingly well. In a few areas highlights can be better balanced, but the overwhelming majority of the film is actually quite dark, so there are not that many of them. I think that this is basically it. A brand new master would give the film an overall fresher appearance as well, but I still think that this master looks surprisingly good. There is some room for minor encoding optimizations. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Stir of Echoes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English: LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. I thought that it was a very solid track with good ranges of nuanced dynamics. However, I wish to mention something that made an impression on me during a couple of different sequences. When there is not a lot of activity, I felt that the audio slightly 'shrinks'. I don't know how else to describe what I heard, but in these areas I wanted the audio to be more 'opened'. This is in no way a flaw, at least I would not describe it as such, but I am guessing that this track was prepared during the DVD era and there is probably a way to optimize now a little bit better. There are no audio dropouts, distortions, or other similar anomalies to report.

Stir of Echoes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this archival audio commentary, director David Koepp discusses his admiration for Richard Matheson's work, the genesis of Stir of Echoes, his desire to give the film a very authentic working-class Chicago vibe, the horror element in the narrative, and his interaction with various cast members. It is a truly outstanding commentary, so if you enjoy the film, find the time to listen to it in its entirety. It covers a lot of ground.

• "Flipping the Switch: Directing Stir of Echoes" - in this exclusive new program, David Koepp recalls the exact moment during the '90s when he decided to direct a scary movie and how the concept for Stir of Echoes materialized. Mr. Koepp also addresses the tone and vibe of the film and precisely how they were shaped up after he read Richard Matheson's novel. In English, not subtitled. (18 min).

• "Maggie's Memories: Inside Stir of Echoes" - in this exclusive new program, Kathryn Erbe, who plays the character of Maggie, discusses the evolution of her acting career and recalls her work during the production of Stir of Echoes. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• "Opening the Door: Designing Stir of Echoes" - in this exclusive new program, production designer Nelson Coates recalls some of the unique challenges he was presented with once work on Stir of Echoes began and specifically the unique qualities of the house in Chicago that was chosen for the film, some unique 'improvements' that were made for the scary visuals, the overall 'refreshing' of the house, etc. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• "Sight of Spirits: Channeling the Paranormal" - in this archival featurette, field parapsychologist Dr. Larry Montz discusses parapsychology and human beings that have special psychic abilities. Richard Matheson addresses paranormal activity as well. There are some interesting comments about Tom's behavior as a 'receiver', too. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• "Behind the Echoes" - this archival featurette examines the conception and production of Stir of Echoes. Included in it are clips from archival interviews with producer Gavin Palone, executive producer Michele Weisler, David Koepp, Kathryn Erbe, Kevin Bacon, and Liza Weil, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• "The Mind's Eye: Beneath the Trance" - this archival featurette focuses on Tom's transformation in Stir of Echoes and the exact manner in which his mind is 'unlocked'. Included in it are clips from archival interviews with Richard Matheson, Illeana Douglas, and hypnotherapist Dr. Marc Schoen. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Special Effects - in this archival featurette, David Koepp, executive producer Michele Weisler, production designer Nelson Coates, and visual effects supervisor Casey Cannon discuss the special effects and visualization of the ghost in Stir of Echoes. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Production Design - in this archival featurette, production designer Nelson Coates discusses his contribution to Stir of Echoes. Executive producer Michele Weisler the important role the city of Chicago plays in the film as well. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Interviews with Cast and Crew - in this archival program, David Koepp quickly addresses the story that is told in Stir of Echoes. Kevin Bacon, Illeana Douglas, Kathryn Erbe, producer Gavin Polone, and executive producer Michele Weisler quickly comment on the main characters and film's vibe as well. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Behind the Scenes - this archival featurette offers raw footage from the shooting of Stir of Echoes. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Scene Comparisons - with some raw footage showing David Koepp directing. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Screen Tests - in English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Deleted Scenes - a couple of unused scenes, sourced from a standard definition master. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Promotional Materials -
  
  1. Original promo
  2. Original short promo
  3. Theatrical trailer
  4. TV Spots
  5. Photo Gallery

• Screen Tests - presented here is Moist's original video for "Breathe", which is used in Stir of Echoes. (5 min).

Stir of Echoes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kevin Bacon's simple explanation of why he was attracted to Stir of Echoes is exactly the reason I think the film works so well -- there is an underlying creepiness in it that feels very authentic. There is plenty more to like -- Bacon is excellent and old Chicago is captured really, really well, plus James Newton Howard's score is predictably brilliant -- but the spooky atmosphere that materializes is indeed the film's greatest asset. As far as I am concerned, Stir of Echoes deserves to be grouped with the other very effective paranormal thrillers the late '90s produced, like The Mothman Prophecies and Stigmata. Via Vision Entertainment's release is sourced from an older but quite good master, and has a great selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.