Customer Reviews

Whispers [VHS]

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2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This adaptation of the Dean R Koontz novel ranks higher than terrible because of the Koontz ideas, more than the pedestrian direction by Douglas Jackson. Jackson's failure to encapture Koontz' attempt at gothic horror is demonstrated by the frustrating resolution which demands one goes back to the source material for clarity. The screenplay by Anita Doohan loses the connection in the book between Victoria Tennant and Jean Leclerc who tries to kill her twice before the police in the figure of Chris Sarandon appears to protect her. Tennant and Sarandon are competent, if uninspired choices to lead us into Leclerc's past and the mystery of his childhood, though the heightened playing of some of the supporting players helps - Jackie Burroughs as a former madam, a necrophiliac mortician, and a satanic bookseller. The title is represented by LeClerc's mode of speech, though the staging of his exhibitions of aggressiveness make him appear less threatening than presumably intended.
Doohan is perhaps too fond of "leash" analogies, but what is more disturbing is the blatant violation of doctor/patient confidentiality when a psychiatrist plays audio tapes of Leclerc's sessions. Apart from the mysogyny which is also surprising in a screenplay penned by a woman, the treatment borrows from Rosemary's Baby and Psycho, with Jackson even styling the LeClerc home on the Bates home. The focus of Burroughs' testimony is on the Tennant/Sarandon reaction so that the revelation needs to be repeated by them for us to get it, and a climactic use of cockroaches recalls Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, though their nesting area has dubious implications for the plot. Jackson presents gross-out eye surgery, and a death in slow motion, but also a cut from elevator doors being closed to another being open. The most potent and subtextual image is of Leclerc kissing the lips of his own reflection in a mirror.

I love Dean Koontz and have all his books. The movie was wierd. Not like the book. I loved the book and it freaked me out. the movie was just wierd. The acting was not that good. It lacked conviction, passion and realism. Man, they sure could have done a lot better then the end result. Still movie was ok. The boy in the movie was sadly to say, poor acting. But then again, so where the adults, even the bugs were poor acting - lol. I gave it a 2 stars for effort. Unless you love Koontz and collect all his stuff, you may want to pass on this one. LOL.

I bought this movie and it was a waste of money. I'm serious. If your a Dean Koontz fan, stick with the books. His books are great but I seen some of his movies and they aren't so...um good.