Ringing in 2005 with ‘Noise’

The supernatural thriller “White Noise,” the first major-studio (Universal) release of 2005, features a rare movie appearance by Michael Keaton.

Since his electrifying comedic turn as a hustler working in a morgue in 1982’s “Night Shift,” Keaton, now 53, has proved himself to be one of the most interesting actors working in films. He is utterly unafraid to take his characters to the edge.

His versatility was especially evident in the two films he made in 1988. In Tim Burton’s surreal comedy “Beetlejuice,” he was the foul-mouthed and smelly title character, a spirit from beyond the grave, while in Glenn Gordon Caron’s “Clean and Sober,” he gave an unflinching portrait of alcoholism.

And the following year, he proved to be a more than believable superhero in Burton’s “Batman” blockbuster.

But after 1992’s “Batman Returns,” Keaton seemed to sputter, choosing less-than-impressive vehicles, including “Speechless,” “Desperate Measures” and “Jack Frost.”

After being out of the public eye for a few years, the actor returned in the well-received 2002 HBO TV movie, “Live From Baghdad.” Earlier this year, he starred as the president of the United States in the poorly received comedy “First Daughter.”

In “White Noise,” opening Friday, Keaton plays an architect who, while grieving over the mysterious death of his wife, begins to communicate with her through EVP -- electronic voice phenomenon -- a process in which the dead allegedly can communicate with the living through sound and image using the static and white noise of modern-day electronic devices.

The good news for his fans is that Keaton has two more films scheduled for release this year: “Game 6” and the Disney family comedy “Herbie: Fully Loaded.”

-- Susan King