THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES
Starring:
Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Will Patton, Debra Messing and Alan Bates
Director: Mark Pellington
Running Time: 118 mins
Certificate: 12
Available to buy on DVD 21st October
After hitting her head in a minor road accident, John Klein's (Gere) wife Mary (Messing) is found to be suffering from a brain tumour. Before the accident she said she saw something racing towards her making her serve, something she can't stop seeing in her mind, but John didn't see it. Two years after her tragic death, John is drawn to the town of Point Pleasant where the local police sergeant, Connie Mills (Linney) has been inundated with reports of a strange creature in the area. When she shows John the drawing people have made of the creature, he realises that it is the same thing his wife saw two years earlier.
Based on the events witnessed by journalist John Keel in 1967, this is a retelling of those events but set in modern times. According to the movie, the lesser-known Mothman has been witnessed all over the world and this is his big introduction into your subconscious but will he stay there? Yes I think so.
The movie plays like another big screen X-Files adventure but is quite cleverly done. The way the film is shot is very impressive. It uses subtle references to the creature's characteristics to cut between scenes and the mixing of dreamlike images and reality makes the movie that more spooky. What it lacks in genuine scares it makes up with good sense of creepiness that will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing up.
Richard Gere is good as John Klein and delivers a believable performance to an easily dismissive subject matter, giving the story a certain amount of credibility. It does have it's problems however, the film drifts into an 'is it real or am I mad' stage in the second act which is really not needed and you always have the feeling that Mulder and Scully might drop in.
Still the film is quite spooky and the very good ending that ties up a lot of the questions but it leaves just enough unanswered to keep you wondering if the Mothman is real.
Animated intro sequence, HBO First Look: A behind the scenes documentary (15 mins), 'In Search Of The Mothman' documentary (45 mins), Cast and crew interviews (30 mins), Trailers, Interactive menu, Scene access & Dolby Digital (5.1)
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