Product: Communion (1989)
Rating: 2.0
Interesting, but somewhat weak portrayal of the bestseller.
The movie was a highly anticipated portrayal of Whitley Strieber's experiences written about in his NY Times bestseller "Communion". It starts out with an excellent first half, introducing the viewer to Whitley and his family, the famous cabin, and some of Whitley's friends. Those who have read the book will be right at home here. The scenes dealing with recreating his experiences, both in real time as well as hypnotically regressed flashback, are quite compelling and will likely frighten many viewers. At the very least, they provide a solid framework for the powerful and puzzling emotions Whitley experiences as a result of the encounters. Where the book excelled and the movie fizzled is in the area of "What is this all about...?, as Whitley left a lot of room for speculation in his writing, and yet the movie provides an obscure or confusing possible look at what the "Visitors" really may be. If the viewer has read some of Whitley's other Communion related works, and especially focuses on his many statements that the enigmatic Visitors may not be at all what we think they are, much of the theatrical symbolism starts to make sense. However, for those who are wondering what this is all about, I'm afraid to say that the movie really won't satisfy.