Whispers in the Dark (film)
| Whispers in the Dark | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Christopher Crowe |
| Written by | Christopher Crowe |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Michael Chapman |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Thomas Newman |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $30 million[1] |
| Box office | $11.1 million[2] |
Whispers in the Dark is a 1992 American thriller film directed by Christopher Crowe and starring Annabella Sciorra, Jamey Sheridan, Alan Alda, Jill Clayburgh, John Leguizamo, Deborah Unger and Anthony LaPaglia. The film was released by Paramount Pictures on August 7, 1992. It was nominated for a Razzie Award for Alan Alda as Worst Supporting Actor. There is an unrated version available on laserdisc, featuring a more explicit opening credits sequence and flashback scenes.
Plot
The confessions of a sadomasochistic sexually obsessed patient disclosed as fantasies during Manhattan psychiatrist sessions begin to permeate the troubled doctor's subconscious as erotic dreams. This leads to a heated love affair. At the same time a series of shocking murders occur with evidence suggesting it is her new lover/patient.
Cast
- Annabella Sciorra as Ann Hecker
- Jamey Sheridan as Doug McDowell
- Anthony LaPaglia as Det. Morgenstern
- Jill Clayburgh as Sarah Green
- John Leguizamo as Fast Johnny C.
- Deborah Unger as Eve Abergray
- Alan Alda as Leo Green
- Anthony Heald as Paul
- Jacqueline Brookes as Mrs. McDowell
- Gene Canfield as Billy O'Meara
- Joe Badalucco as Undercover Cop
- Bo Dietl as Detective Ditali
Allison Field, Nicholas J. Giangiulio, Sondra James, David Kramer, Philip Levy, Karen Longwell, Art Malik, Dominic Marcus, William Timoney, and Lisa Vidal appear as voices.
Production
Principal photography began on October 21, 1991. Filming took place in and around Manhattan, New York. The place for Ann Decker's apartment was filmed at 500 5th Avenue in Manhattan. The lake house at the end was filmed at Nantucket, Massachusetts. Due to severe cold weather in Massachusetts at the time, some of the filming of the water front scenes was done in Sebastian, Florida. Production was completed on January 18, 1992.[citation needed]
Reception
Caryn James of The New York Times said, "in its worst moments, [the film] is exploitative, with the detective flashing gruesome photos of tortured women at Ann. More often, it is so loopy it should have been played for laughs."[3] Todd McCarthy of Variety stated, "A turn-off psycho-sexual thriller, 'Whispers in the Dark' grows steadily more absurd by the reel until literally stumbling into the ocean at its climax.[4] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film zero stars out of four, calling it "the leading candidate for the title of Worst Movie of the Year" and "so bad that it could catch on as a camp classic on college campuses this fall."[5] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C- grade.[6] Los Angeles Times staff writer Peter Rainer called it "a textbook thriller" and stated "Doug is so Too Good to Be True that, when the inevitable murder makes its scheduled stop, [the audience] can sniff red herring a mile away. But then this movie has so many of them—including a hot-footed cop played by Anthony LaPaglia and a psychiatrist friend of Ann's played by Alan Alda—that [audiences] practically need a trawler to get through it."[7] Hal Hinson of The Washington Post wrote, "What follows can't be described without spoiling the only thing the movie has going for it: its lethal, suspenseful punch. By the time it's delivered, though, you'll probably be laughing too hard to be scared."[8]
The film presently has a score of 33% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews, with an average grade of 4.5 out of 10.[9]
Box office
The film was released on August 7, 1992, in 1,188 theatres, making $3.2 million in its opening weekend. While it grossed over $11 million,[2] it was not considered to be financially successful.[10][11]
References
- ^ http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/59434
- ^ a b "Whispers in the Dark". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
- ^ James, Caryn (August 7, 1992). "Psychiatric Murder Mystery". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
- ^ McCarhy, Todd (August 3, 1992). "Whispers in the Dark". Variety. 39.
- ^ Siskel, Gene (August 7, 1992). "'Whispers' shows Hollywood at it worst". Chicago Tribune. Section 7, p. C.
- ^ "Whispers in the Dark". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
- ^ "MOVIE REVIEWS : 'Whispers in the Dark': More Like Plotlines in the Dark". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
- ^ Hinson, Hal (August 7, 1992). "Unintentional Laughs and 'Whispers'". The Washington Post. C7.
- ^ "Whispers in the Dark". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ^ "Weekend Box Office : Eastwood Still Tall in the Saddle". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
- ^ "How Hot Was Hollywood's Summer? : Movies: With ticket sales approaching $1.8 billion, this looks to be the third biggest season on record". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-03.