Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming

In "Stir Of Echoes", the always watchable Kevin Bacon played a man who began to see restless spirits after being hypnotised at a party and subsequently uncovered a terrible crime. "Stir Of Echoes: The Homecoming" utilises this premise and gives it a twist. Our main character here is U.S Patrol Captain Ted Cogan who is forced to give the order which leads to the death of a family in Iraq. He is also wounded and falls into a coma which - much like the hypnosis from the first movie - turns him into a 'receiver', able to see the ghosts around him.

"Stir Of Echoes: The Homecoming" uses the horror genre to comment on the situation in Iraq and its effect on Americans back home. For example, early in the story we have a party in which one of Cogan's neighbours makes a racist joke which results in laughter from some and an outburst of anger from Cogan. It's an interesting idea but, unfortunately, the script is not quite strong enough to quite carry it off. There's a good idea at work here but the movie comes off as far too preachy in places for its own good.

The horror aspects are well done and very interesting. As the ghosts haunting Cogan become more frustrated and aggressive, their attacks become increasingly more violent. Much like Bacon's character in the first movie, Cogan also experiences various hallucinations related to future events. I certainly can't fault the work of director Ernie Barbarish who manages to stretch a small budget out so the movie looks great.

If I had to point out the areas where this movie fails, the most obvious area is the casting of Rob Lowe as Cogan. It would be hard for any actor to follow Kevin Bacon but Lowe appears to sleepwalk through most of the movie. There are moments when you glimpse him come alive but, for the most part, he seems to be there just to pick up his money which is a shame. The second failing of the movie comes with its conclusion which simply didn't sit right with me at all.

Strangely, Bacon's son from the original "Stir Of Echoes" appears in a cameo role in this movie but has been greatly aged which suggests that the sequel takes place many years later. Although it was a nice way to tie the two movies together, this decision ultimately baffled me.

Despite its flaws, its still a watchable movie. If you enjoyed the first movie, then you might still enjoy "Stir Of Echoes: The Homecoming" if you can forgive its sledgehammer approach to racism and the current situation in Iraq. Unfortunately, if you've seen the first movie then you'll also probably realise where the story is going due to certain similarities in its plot. Is it worth purchasing on DVD? No. Is it worth a rental? Well, if you like supernatural horror movies then there are certainly worse ways to spend an hour and a half.

STIR OF ECHOES: THE HOMECOMING is a surprisingly poor horror/thriller which can't hold a candle to the power of the Kevin Bacon original. STIR OF ECHOES was actually a pretty decent late '90s ghost flick that went hand in hand with THE SIXTH SENSE to revitalise the genre at the end of the millennium. This, on the other hand, is a poorly-directed piece of straight-to-DVD nonsense with virtually nothing to recommend it.

A wooden Rob Lowe (THE STAND) stars as an Iraqi war veteran who returns home after witnessing and being responsible for some violent actions in the Middle East. Before long he's haunted by visions of burning bodies and the like and he must get to the bottom of the mystery before it's too late. Unfortunately the mystery, as it transpires, is ridiculous stuff, as is the film's execution: dumb scare scenes, bad CGI, and awful direction from Ernie Barbarash (who has only mildly improved these days in directing Van Damme in the likes of POUND OF FLESH). Future starlet Tatiana Maslany plays in support, but the whole thing's a real mess.

Stir of Echoes 2: Homecoming (2007) is a movie I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows a soldier transitioning home from the war to a house filled with ghosts he brought back with him from the war as well as ghosts in the actual house. What could go wrong?

This movie is directed by Ernie Barbarash (Cube Zero) and stars Rob Lowe (The Outsiders), Marnie McPhail (Star Trek: First Encounter), Jason Mercury (Catalyst), Ben Lewis (Arrow), Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk) and Katya Gardner (The X-Files).

The opening for this movie is very entertaining with a gruesome war scene; after that, the movie feels made for television. Maybe that's where all the budget went (and to Rob Lowe). The ghosts weren't as intense as they intended. The background music was a bit cliche and the depiction of certain characters was over the top.

Overall this is an awful sequel to a worthwhile Stir of Echoes. I would score this a 3/10 and recommend skipping it.

They had a Perfect set up for the sequel with the kid and they go and make this. I like Rob Lowe to but damn this looks like trash

Film producers continue to criticize the Veteran's Administration but only a scant few have come up short. I live in Wisconsin. We have a clinic in Appleton, which is outstanding. There are no wait times, the doctors, nurses, therapists and staff are all very professional. They offer classes for pain management and other issues, even though the veterans may have not had military-related health issues. I get a vision check-up annually and if I need new glasses, they are free, as is everything else except medications, which are nominal. If I need more acute care, I go to the oldest and best VA hospital in the country, in Milwaukee, by van, 100 miles away at no charge and the drivers are volunteers. We also have a VA hospital and long-term facility in Tomah, Wisconsin, which is splendid. It has a golf course, fishing pond and a gym that outdoes Vic Tanny, along with a basketball court with hardwood floors and glass backboards.

Not all VA's are the same. They are independently operated and I'm lucky to be in a state with the best of the best. I'll take the cold weather v Phoenix.

As for the film - who cares? It's beneath Rob Lowe's qualifications as an actor. I turned it off when the VA turned him down.