Stir of Echoes appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. A release from very early in the format’s existence, the Blu-ray showed its vintage.
Sharpness rarely became better than mediocre. Delineation felt decent but could be on the mushy side, and fine detail seemed nearly non-existent.
No issues with jagged edges or moiré effects materialized, but I saw light edge haloes. Grain seemed somewhat heavy and tended to feel more like noise. Print flaws showed occasional specks but nothing substantial.
The film’s palette mixed heavy blue and orange tones, with occasional loud splashes of red. These appeared overdone and without vivacity.
Blacks seemed crushed and inky, while shadows tended to seem a bit on the dense side. Though a little better than DVD quality, the movie nonetheless lacked the impact we expect from Blu-ray.
At least the movie’s DTS-HD HR 6.1 worked pretty well, with an appropriately spooky soundscape. Much of the movie concentrated on general ambience.
The track used this environmental information in a satisfying manner, and it kicked to life nicely with louder “scare moments” as well. These showed appealing localization and combined to deliver a worthwhile sonic experience.
Audio quality also seemed solid. Music demonstrated good range and clarity.
Dialogue came across as concise and natural, while effects provided accurate and full elements. While it lacked a real “dazzle factor”, the soundtrack suited the story.
A few extras appear, and we find an audio commentary from writer/director David Koepp. He provides a running, screen-specific look at the source and its adaptation, story/characters, cast and performances, inspirations and influences, editing and cinematography, music and audio, effects and connected domains.
Expect a lively, engaging and honest chat from Koepp. He moves along the track at a good pace and reveals a lot about the movie – including mistakes and elements he doesn’t much like. This becomes a well above-average commentary.
Sight of Spirits runs 10 minutes, 36 seconds. It delivers notes from field parapsychologist Dr. Larry Montz and novelist Richard Matheson.
“Sight” examines psychic domains connected to the movie. I don’t believe any of this stuff, but the featurette offers a good overview of the concepts.
Deleted Scenes fill a total of four minutes, 53 seconds. The first shows more of Tom’s developing psychic powers, while the second extends an existing sequence.
The third mostly acts as a glimpse behind the scenes to hear Koepp direct young actors, while the final one develops Tom’s deepening obsession. All seem interesting enough but not great.
Stir of Echoes manages to become creepy and offers better chills than some other more heavily hyped ghost stories. While it borrows from other genre efforts, it mixes all the elements nicely. The Blu-ray brings good audio and a few useful bonus materials, but picture quality seems dull and dated. Although I like the movie, the Blu-ray needs an update.