Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming

The first Stir of Echoes is IMO the most underrated horror film ever. Had it not came out at the same time as The Sixth Sense maybe it would have done better, but sometimes the little known gems are the best. Heard about the sequel a while back ago, and was kinda excited. Disappointed when I heard it wasn't getting a theatrical release, but I have come to find out that these little know gems do get released STD.

Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling this movie. First of all, is it just me or did it seem very fast paced? I like fast paced, but not to fast that it feels like the movie is just an hour long or shorter. And the creepiness of the first movie was certainly missing here. And wow, what a downgrade music wise. From the classic Rolling Stones song "Paint it Black" (albeit it was a cover version, but I like any version of that song) to some rap song? I know that song kinda had to do with what was happening, but rap? Bleh! And the twist wasn't quite too shocking that it had me going "no way!"

And this just did not feel at all like a Stir of Echoes sequel at all to me. OK, we had Jake from the first movie all grown up. How long ago were the events of the first movie? Or are we still at war 20 or 30 years in the future (man I hope not)? And why no mention of his dad? But at least they brought back the OJ drinking.

Overall, it wasn't a bad movie, but many miles away from the underrated first.

There is just no way that a Made for TV Movie is going to be anything approaching the underrated and ignored Original. Stir of Echoes (1999) was a Fantastic Film. This one though, is an above average TV Movie that is OK in its own right if comparisons to the first Film are ignored.

Rob Lowe gives an acceptable outing as the afflicted Iraq War Vet that has PTSD by way of Hell, not the War. He struggles to find the meaning of it all and He is Haunted and Tormented by things from Beyond. It does have a heavy Political message and for better or worse it is what it is.

The Ending may have some question marks but it is wrapped up with a finale that is not squeamish or condescending. There are some Chills and the Tone of the thing is just about right. It rises above most Basic Cable Stuff but is restrained by those Limitations from attaining anything of significance.

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

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.

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.