The Mothman Prophecies

Plot synopsis:
Newspaper columnist John Klein (Gere) and his wife Mary (Messing) are involved in a car accident. Mary, the driver of the vehicle, swerves her car to avoid hitting something in the road. A brain scan reveals a tumor and she subsequently passes away. Later, John discovers an assortment of mysterious drawings which she created before her death, depicting a strange black winged creature she saw on the night of the accident.Two years later, while driving to Richmond, Virginia, Klein gets lost and inexplicably finds himself far away in the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Klein's car breaks down, as he makes his way to a nearby house on foot to contact help. The owner of the house, Gordon Smallwood (Patton), reacts violently to Klein's appearance and holds him at gun point. Local police officer Connie Mills (Linney) defuses the situation while Smallwood explains that this is the third night in a row that Klein has knocked on his door asking to use a phone, much to the confusion of Klein. Klein ends up staying at a local motel and tries to figure out how he ended up lost from his original destination.Officer Mills mentions to Klein that many strange things have been occurring in the past few weeks within Point Pleasant. While conversing with Smallwood one day, it is revealed to Klein that he had heard voices from his sink telling him that in Denver, 99 will die. Scared that Smallwood has the same ailment that contributed to his wife's death, Klein takes him to a doctor to get checked out. Smallwood is found to have a migraine, but no serious medical condition. While discussing the day's events at a local diner, Klein notices that the news is showing a story on an airplane crash in Denver that killed all 99 passengers aboard. The next night, Smallwood frantically explains that he had met the voices in his head. The being is named Indrid Cold.Later that night, Smallwood calls Klein and says that he is standing with Indrid Cold. While Klein keeps Cold on the line, Officer Mills goes out to check on Smallwood. Cold answers Klein's questions, convincing him that he is a supernatural being. This episode starts a string of supernatural calls to Klein's motel room. One of these phone calls tells Klein that there will be a great tragedy on the Ohio River. Later, Klein receives a call from Smallwood and rushes to check on him. He finds Smallwood dead from exposure to the elements.The entity described as the Mothman becomes a personal obsession for Klein. He meets an expert on the subject, Alexander Leek (Bates), who explains the nature of the supernatural being and details his own experience with it. As Klein reaches the bridge into town, there is traffic congestion originating from a malfunctioning traffic light. As Klein walks onto the bridge to investigate further, the bolts and supports of the bridge begin to strain at the weight. The bridge starts to come apart, making Klein realize that the tragedy that was prophesised to him was in fact the bridge. As the bridge collapes, Officer Mill's car falls into the water below. Klein jumps in after her and pulls her from the river and up to safety. As the two sit on the back of an ambulance, they see that they have just survived the collapse of the Silver Bridge. The epilogue displays a series of graphics stating that the cause of the bridge collapse was never fully determined. It also states that although the Mothman has been sighted in other parts of the world, it was never seen again in Point Pleasant.

Tags: paranormal, boring

Review:
Richard Gere stars as a Washington Post reporter who inexplicably finds himself in a small West Virginia town where a series of strange goings-on have been happening.
Bizarre, well-made supernatural thriller is all the more chilling for the fact that it's rooted in actual events.Washington reporter ends up in a small West Virginia town where a strange entity is foretelling of a disaster.Although many critics harpooned this film for its seemingly aimless storyline, it's really a forgivable thing since Mothman is such an atmospheric and slickly-directed film.
The filming locations are good and the moody soundtrack is quite effective.For those who like their thrillers a touch on the X-Files side, The Mothman Prophecies is a terrific choice.*** 1/2 out of ****.
The story of the Mothman is one of the most fascinating I've ever come across, and while The Mothman Prophecies takes a great deal of liberty with the story, it's a terrific film all the same.I've never cared for Richard Gere, but I fully admit that he's very good here.
In addition, we get some fine acting performances from Richard Gere, Laura Linney and Will Patton.Don't be fooled, however, with the "based on a true story" tag line.
(**** out of *****)What a wonderful and rich role for Gere who should maybe experiment more in movies that deal with the realms of the unknown.A much respected reporter for the Washington Post John Klein (Richard Gere) is about to have his life turned upside down when his wife dies in an automobile accident that seems to have been caused by a mysterious flying creature which he never did see himself.
The plot takes Gere to the Ohio/West Virginia border where he meets with the local residents who all seem to be having their troubles with strange lights, weird phone calls and a bird like creature which they call the Mothman.
`The Mothman Prophecies' looks simply `weirdly' gorgeous on the big screen.There is not enough Mothman revealed to the viewer but country folk Gordon Smallwood (the well cast and superbly acted Will Patton) creates a much needed conduit into the effects that the Mothman has on the people of Point Pleasant and this is what the film is really all about - The consequences that the supernatural can have on the psyche of a small backward town's population.
Although the ending is Mothman free it certainly does jolt the emotions and evokes a sort of belittling sympathy for the human beings of this planet.Watch this film and then go read the book for a much better look at really went on.
It's already a strong candidate for best horror film of 2002...and even as a hardcore genre fan, I'd have to put it on my list of favorite horror movies of all time.I had been fascinated by the Mothman myth since 1995, when I first read of its existence in a book of legends and folklore.
The film takes some bizarre, allegedly true events that occurred in the mid-60s in Point Pleasant, West Viriginia and updates the strange phenomena to present day using a somewhat fictionalized story.Richard Gere plays John Klein (a character that I assume is based on real life author John Keel), a Washington Post reporter whose wife dies of a brain tumor shortly after a bizarre, seemingly unexplainable car accident.
If he keeps up, one can see Mark Pellington, Victor Salva, and Alejandro Amenbar doing for the horror/thriller genre what John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and Dario Argento did for it in the 70s.Some critics have been apt to attack the film for its reliance on classic horror movie conventions...as if this is a bad thing.
Yet the best element of The Mothman Prophecies is that, like the films of Hitchock, it is intended for its audience, and continues to engage them long after rolling the end credits.
Arlington Road (1999) and The Mothman Prophecies.This One is a Creepy, Haunting, Freaky Paranormal Story based on Real Events and John Keel's Book of the Same Name (1975).
Music video director Mark Pellington has given us a movie that not only interests genre fans, but actually pulls through on bringing you a big case of the creeps.Washington Post writer John Klein is happily driving with his wife Mary one night after going house hunting.
When faced with the observations presented in Keel's book, "The Mothman Prophecies" only makes a few minor changes, including the time the actual events took place.
The script keeps the relationship between John and Connie from turning the movie into a sappy love story, which makes the leading characters more sympathetic and pure at heart, thanks to Richard Gere and Laura Linney's great performances.What really gets to you about "The Mothman Prophecies" is that you are left questioning right up to the end what this creature's motivations are.
I am a West Virginian who visits Pt. Pleasant often because it is an interesting town with Revolutionary War history and such, and I can say that this film is mostly fiction, but that's okay!The true facts are these:  Many different people saw the mothman creatures in the late 60's in the Pt. Pleasant area.
Linney continues to amaze with subtlety and I am always looking forward to more of her work.Debra Messing has a brief role, but she does make a mark and get a chance to show that she has dramatic acting chops which she refined onstage in roles such as "Angels in America."  I would like to see her in more dramatic work since I enjoy her comedic work on "Will & Grace" each week.I also thought Alan Bates made a marvelous turn in the film as a professor (in more sense than one) of the mothman.
He has some great lines, including, when Gere asks why the mothmen don't explain their presence if they are superior creatures:  "You are superior to a cockroach; do you ever bother to explain yourself to a cockroach?"At the end of the film a title says that the cause of the bridge collapse was never known.
Kudos to Pellington and his marvelous cast for making such a thought-provoking and engaging film.It should be noted that Pt. Pleasant has a great sense of humor about the mothmen, and they even have events for people to come and enjoy the lore.
Based on true events, the film examines a series of inexplicable occurrences through the eyes - and mind - of one man played by Richard Gere.
Richard Gere loses his wife in a very strange car accident that is caused by a mysterious figure (which he does not see, but his wife does.) After investigating he uncovers reports of a 'creature' called the MOTHMAN that supposedly haunts a West Virginia town.
One in particular is a great scene where Richard Gere speaks to the MOTHMAN on the phone and he is able to tell him everything that is going on in his hotel room.
A lot of books changed my life.If that's good or bad,I do not know.One of the books which changed my life is The Mothman prophecies.That book changed my general vision of the world.I will not talk about the book;it's not for everybody but I recommend it.Now,I'll talk about the great movie based on that book.The movie did something similar the book did;it does not pay much attention the facts the main character reveals.It pays more attention to human perception's frailty.And it's really great that the movie chose that way because the facts are so bizarre that,without putting attention to the human perception's frailty,it would have been a ridiculous movie.The Mothman prophecies works greatly as a thriller with a paranormal touch.The things the movie shows go from some clichés,typical of the genre(like a telephone which sounds disconnected),to things really sinister,disturbing and intriguing.Richard Gere and Laura Linney bring excellent performances because they give their characters a lot of humanity.The script keeps very well the mystery during all the movie finishing with a great ending.The Mothman prophecies is a great movie with authentic suspense,a great story and very fun..
I sat in front of TV, watching beautiful, dark vistas of Point Pleasant almost frame-by-frame; hell, nowadays old factory and sleepy industrial town are better setting for horror then old castle or haunted mansion.Movie is perfect - I mean that!
The steady cam shots really boosted the films performance in general.Having never read the book and knowing very little about the real events other then a couple wikipedia searches, I was thrown into a whole new world in terms of the subject matter.
And that I think must've have been director Mark Pellington's intention because wow; it's been a long time since I've had the opportunity to see a film that although styled like a horror - really brings out the human aspect of fear rather than a dramatical gore fest with no real back story.One last thing, the score and choice of soundtrack has to be heavily credited; there's some scenes in this film where you start becoming unconscious of your own breathing and really dive right into what's being thrown at you.
After having high hopes from reading about the actual incidents at Point Pleasant in the 60s, I thought that this movie might be good.
In fact, the only thing that kept me from sleeping through the entire movie was the constantly ringing telephones and alarm clocks that keep waking Richard Gere up throughout the film.
It is unbelievable how good the sound is handled in this one, not a single "quick scare" scene, sounds are used to build up tension in you and never to get cheap scares.This movie is the mother of all paranormal suspense thrillers with so much focus on the paranormal that it will creep you out like no other, it is really commendable how much the director knows about this topic and the way people accept it inside the movie.Suffice to say that for me this movie enters the top 10 for all time best paranormal suspense movies I've seen in my entire life, seriously.If you didn't see it, please, go watch it, you wont regret it!.
Let`s face it , he`s a movie star because of his looks not because he has an abundance of thespian talent , but I`ll give him credit for his performance opposite Debra Messing at the start of the film which both poignant and moving .So a thumbs up from me because it`s a haunting supernatural drama , even though I take the true story with a big pinch of salt.
"The Mothman Prophecies" is one of the great horror films of our time.
"The Mothman Prophecies" is one of the great horror films of our time  matching the eerie tones of isolation and psychological deterioration from "The Shining" and delivering intelligent thrills instead of cheap scare tactics.
Of the decade so far I would rank it as one of the finest of its genre without hesitation.The film purports to be based on a true story, and although numerous facts are twisted (not least of all that the actual events depicted in the film took place forty years ago and the protagonist of the film, strictly speaking, never really existed), it will easily appeal to those "Mothman buffs" out there as well as it will to regular audiences.
The movie has some nice in-joke references (such as the fact that one character's name, Leek, is "Keel" spelled backwards  the name of the author of the book "Mothman" is based upon) and Pellington clearly did his research prior to filming.The movie stars Richard Gere as a Washington reporter who loses his wife (Debra Messing) in a freak car crash.
People are seeing strange things: men in black, demonic beings and a strange winged creature with blood red eyes."The Mothman Prophecies" lets everything up to the viewer's imagination  when the reporter gets a telephone call from a man named "Indrid Cold" who seems to have infinite knowledge and an alien voice, Pellington doesn't draw conclusions.
We don't know  making the proceedings all the more eerie.Some Mothman enthusiasts have claimed the film really doesn't focus enough solely on the Mothman, and tries to turn into a supernatural thriller rather than a documentary-style production on what actually happened in Point Pleasant in 1967.
It's a very effective scene.Gere delivers a fine, surprisingly powerful performance as a grieving man  the character is loosely based on Keel, but there are a lot of dramatic additions, such as the internal conflict involving the death of his wife and his spiritual link with the Mothman himself.
If you like Richard Gere with good acting and lots of action, this is a great mystery..
Richard Gere, Will Patton, Laura Linney, Debra Messing, and Alan bates all acted greatly in this film.
There's nothing wrong with any of that, if the authors wanted the change for dramatic effect, it just points out that this is intended to be a mostly fictional story and not strongly based on fact.Perhaps more interesting, once one has seen the movie, is to read a few of the websites devoted to the "mothman" sightings.
In my opinion, that's the mark of a superb thriller, made even better by a very good performance from Richard Gere in the leading role as a Washington reporter trying to sort out the mystery of Point Pleasant, West Virginia.How faithful is it to the real events that supposedly inspired the story?
Mark Pellington directed this intriguing supernatural thriller that stars Richard Gere as reporter Joe Klein, who becomes interested in reports of a mysterious Moth Man, after his wife was killed in a car accident, and her last words involved seeing such a figure.
Claiming to be based on a true events, "The Mothman Prophecies" recounts the story of John Klein (Gere), a reporter whose wife Mary (Messing) has died in a car accident under unexplained circumstances.
This movie was awesome,and Gere played a good part.They did not go too over board which is great.If you are interested in paranormal/scary stuff with truth to it then this movie is for you.If they had added more special effects or over dramatization then the realness of the movie would not have worked.This is a movie that is a must see for horror fans or UFO/weird flick lovers.If you like Richard Gere as an actor than you will definitely like this movie even if you don't get into the whole paranormal scene.Good acting,good plot,and awesome suspense.Please do not miss this movie as you might think it not worth the watch it is amazing..
As a student of film, "The Mothman Prophecies" is by far my favorite movie of all time.
Even before the film was made, I read a lot of books and web sites (remember the fun Mothman web site at Geocities started in the mid-90s?) about the Mothman events in Point Pleasant and when the movie came out, I was excited and a little disappointed.
I was excited because a movie about the Mothman was being made but I was a bit disappointed that the setting of the film starring Richard Gere and directed by Mark Pellington was set in the present and not in the 1960s, when the real events occurred.
And though the final product has some weaknesses, the overall effect of MP is pretty good  because many images and moments linger in the mind days or weeks after watching it.Before reviewing the movie, there are several things to point out between the movie/book vs the Mothman myth.
In fact, the atmosphere of MP is so good that it easily overcomes the film's many weaknesses, like how the story concentrates almost entirely on the Richard Gere character.
It makes the film feel like the disaster was the whole point of the story.But even with these weak points, The Mothman Prophecies is worth watching and absorbing.
That said, Mark Pellington is speedily earning a new fan.Both films are two of the most suspenseful films I have seen, with a couple of the best endings I've seen in movies.A good film to watch with the lights out..
The movie is slow at first, and at times, disturbing, but it isn't a boring movie in general.Richard Gere is John Klein, a reporter for the Washington Post, and two years after his wife's death, he's sent to go to Richmond, VA, but he mysteriously ends up in Point Pleasant, which is a small town on the West Virginia/Ohio border.
At last, a great movie with Richard Gere, Not like Dr. T and his women wich i hated, The story is engaging and mysterious during the whole movie, Mark Pellington is one fantastic film maker, after his great Arlington road,wich i also loved, this one isn´t as dark as Arlington.., but is very moody and stylish, i won´t give away anything, you just have to buy it and keep it.
And I wish Debra Messing had more screen time -- she's very effective though in the brief role she has; I'll be watching "Will and Grace" more regularly after seeing this.What amazed me about this film, however, was Richard Hatem's script -- he had a heck of a challenge in taking John Keel's lackluster, repetitive, scatter-shot book and crafting a story around the events in it (NOTE:  DO NOT READ THE BOOK before seeing the movie!
I gave the movie a 2 rather than a 1 only because it had Richard Gere in it who is a great actor.
Keel's book (the man who Richard Gere's character was based on) than the movie featured.Overall, it's a pretty good film and I look forward to Mark Pellington's next movie as I've been impressed with his work on this and Arlington Road so far..
I figured it couldn't hurt to take a chance, especially in light of the fact that many of the "blockbuster" films I had seen lately were flops in my opinion."The Mothman Prophecies" is a story about a reporter, John Klein (played by Richard Gere), and the paranormal.