Watch Your Tongue: Dead Silence

Dead Silence: 2007:  +-: Horror:  Dolls and horror movies seem to be making a come back since the days of Chucky, especially when you consider Annabelle, which I plan to watch soon and review.  

Dead Silence, directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannel, strayed far from their level of excellence demonstrated in the Saw franchise.  There were parts of this movie that I liked, but lack of prominent cast members as well as poor execution keep this movie from achieving higher, or even mediocre, status.  In addition, there were many "cheap" scares that just involved "quiet to loud" sequences that lacked little substance.


"I can't believe that my creators wrote this movie!"

Don't get me wrong, there were some adequate scares in this movie such as when the wife gets thrown across the room by the doll and when she appears with her tongue out, but this is the same scare that appears throughout the movie.  It will jolt you once, but after about the third time, it gets very repetitive.  


This was one of the beginning scenes that set the tone.



The initial scare of the wife with no tongue was noteworthy.

Donnie Walhberg's appearance in this movie also lessened my appreciation because I just don't feel he is a convincing actor.  It's not that his performance was lackluster, it just seems forced.  Let's face it, he's an actor because his brother is famous, enough said.  If Mark Walhberg hadn't existed and been famous, what chance do you think Donnie would have starring in a movie?  None, exactly..


Just go away Donnie, please.

Back to the movie and the scares.  There were some instances where I liked the music and it heightened the suspense a bit.  One of the best parts is when the Mary Shaw comes into the window for a moment and also when the doll follows the movements of the main character in the car.  These worked well a few times, but after that it, was just rehash.


This part was somewhat frightening, but most of it was being jolted by loud noises.

You can start to see James Wan's techniques germinate in this one, but overall, he still had some refinements to make.  Obviously he made them because he went on to direct some killer movies. Maybe this was where he as trying out some ideas.  


Wan seemed like he was searching for effective techniques to frighten audiences.

The plot itself was pretty ridiculous, but once you bought into it, the movie seemed to flow a little better.  Fight the premise and the whole movie falls apart.  I wouldn't disagree with anyone that took that stance.  I almost did a few times but fought turning the movie off because it was getting late and I didn't want to start another movie.  I'm sticking to my horror movie a night experiment so this had to do.  Tonight I need something really gory and scary to make up for this farce.


The plot was often spoon fed to the audience ad nauseum.

Some parts that I enjoyed were when Mary Shaw is performing and a young boy critiques her ventriloquist act, when it's mentioned that Mary wants to become a doll when dead, and when they enter the theater with all the dolls staring at them in unison.  I also liked it when Donnie Walhberg dies.  It was as if I was watching the movie just to see that happen.  Hey we all need goals right?


Finally, the only way I can tolerate Donnie Walhberg.

Ultimately, this movie does deliver some scares and will make you jolt out of your seat a few times, but after that it just seems like an idea that seemed good on paper, but just dissolved when it was made into a movie.  To their defense, making a horror movie based on a doll, especially after the successes of the Child's Play franchise, must be difficult.  Especially when the doll itself isn't scary looking.

 
There's nothing scary about a doll that looks like Pee-Wee Herman...wait maybe there is!!

I look forward to seeing Annabelle and forgetting this attempt at a horror movie based on a doll:  63%


"Shhh, this movie isn't very good!"

James Wan Faceoff: The Conjuring VS Insidious 2

       VS.  
THE CONJURING: 2012:++: HRR: OK, hype aside, this movie is a scary, terrifying movie.  The best part about it is the way that it seems to tie together all the other James Wan movies.  It's almost as if it's a prequel to all the other movies and a sequel to a movie never made.  Does this make sense?  If not, please read on...

So there were 3 other people that "directed" this movie, but let's face it, it's all James Wan.  A little while ago, M Knight had a following, but then he crapped the bed with The Village & Devil, but he had his run..Everything about the scenery, the camera shots, the pace, the music, etc SCREAMS James Wan and it's almost a perfect movie.  Almost..

Overall, I thought the possession scenes were on the par of the The Possession, one of my favorite horror movies, as well as the Devil Within, which is a "Textbook" possession movie.  The mythology was intact, made sense, and made the movie deep.  Ok, so it was loosely based on a possessed doll, but this movie has ties to one of the best horror movies, Amityville Horror.  How you ask?  Ask me on a comment and I will answer you.  Obviously, James Wan loves the actors in Insidious and this one also has the actress in The Departed.   This movie is more sinister than Sinister, which is hard, because that movie is also top 10 of all horror movies for me.  

It's actually an interesting comparison to bring in M Night into this scheme because he had his favorite actor, in Bruce Willis.  In Unbreakable & Sixth Sense M Knight used Bruce Willis almost like Wan uses Patrick Wilson who stars in The Conjuring as well as Insidious 1& 2.  Vera Farmiga, who also starred in The Departed, put on a great performance and actually made me believe in her abilities better than The Departed.  Her "Bostonian" accent in that movie made me cringe a few times, almost as badly as DiCaprio's. Yes, I just criticized Leo.  Who cares, I can do that.  It's my damn blog.  BTW, I gave him many accolades in Inception, which was reviewed in "Movies II".

The possession scenes, especially the last one, were truly terrifying and actually quite original.  The setting set the mood and the music is a Wan standout.  Joseph Bishara is very talented and reminds me of the composer in The Shining.  I especially enjoyed the scene in the chair with the sheet.  I also liked the scene where the ghost pukes into the main character's mouth.  Office Spaces' Ron Livingston was decent and actually makes you forget about his role in said movie, which must have been challenging.  I will not give away any plot aspects of this movie, I just want to give you broad strokes because it's still new and therefore I will only say:::91%

Insidious Chapter 2:  2013: ++: HRR:  I've watched Insidious about 3 times because I love the movie.  James Wan really discovered his niche in that movie and brought back the much maligned "horror house" movie.  It had a great backdrop, excellent ghost/ villain (although he was a virtual clone of Darth Maul), and above all else didn't insult your intelligence with "quiet to loud" segments that don't necessarily scare you, but jolt you.  That's not a horror movie.  That's a way to make someone have a seizure, no offense.

Insidious Chapter 2 is a great sequel, but not a great movie.  It does just what the first movie didn't, or left out, on purpose to "tee" up a sequel.  This was done in a very sneaky way, which gives me more of an appreciation of Insidious.  It had so many cheesy scares in it with loud noises, that I thought I was watching a Friday the 13th movie.  The title sequence was also very annoying.  I didn't mind it in the first one, but in this one, it didn't make sense.  No offense to the music, but it just didn't "fit" in this one, the title scene that is.  The music in this sequel was one of the only stand out elements and my hat's off to the composer.

Why is this movie a great sequel?  Well, because all the twists and turns were inspired and created from the first movie, especially the part when the first scare happens in the original and the door remains open.  I loved the way that the medium shows up in the second one as a younger version.  However, that just vindicates the first movie, not this one.  I will go out on a limb and say the villain/ ghost was terrible and not at all as scary as the first villain.  Plus, it needed so much explanation it made the plot draaaaag on, no pun intended.  

This movie is short, about 1 1/2 hours long, although it felt very long.  Patrick Wilson did a decent job, but his acting starts to get very predictable.  Perhaps it's the fact that he was just in The Conjuring.  If you see my initial review of the first movie, I wished that the medium died.  Luckily she did die and that was one of the best parts of the movie.  The only issue is that she returns in this one.  WHY??  Plus, I'm sorry, but the Ghost Hunters are tiresome and this movie didn't need any more comedic elements. The shaky plot was enough.  I get it that he wears a Banksy shirt and likes Hot Pockets.  He had one funny part, but overall, it screamed desperation on the part of Wan to make some funny parts.  People laughed, but I really didn't.

I enjoyed the parts of the "Further", so that was the most redeeming element of the movie.  I also didn't mind seeing the medium's house. The scene between the male medium and a possessed Patrick Wilson was excellent.  BUT, the piano bit and the little baby's toy that kept going off was extremely annoying.  This movie also made me think of M Knight.  Why?  Because it showed how a director can hit a peak and than fizzle.  Hopefully this is only because this was only meant to be Insidious 1 1/2.  The ending was laughable.  DON'T MAKE A THIRD ONE!:::::75%

The Conjuring wins hands down! 

Weekly Horror Showcase: Insidious

INSIDIOUS:  2011 -+:HRR:  Insidious is a great, eye catching horror movie with some interesting mythology.  I especially liked the bit about "Astral Projection" which made for an excellent twist at the end.  God, the psychic in this movie was annoying, and I believe she was the landlord from..a Woody Harrelson movie..Kingpin I think?.  I can't remember it..hey why don't you respond with a comment! 

The scenes in this movie were visceral and extremely surprising, especially when they move to the newer house.  The scene when she is chasing the one apparition and he appears in the closet was heart-stopping!  I also liked when the one lady was just dancing in the living room.  The main demon looks just like Darth Maul, but whatever, that's a minor gripe.  He was pretty cool, especially when he walks on the wall.  The music, wow, it was a big selling point in this movie.  It was absolutely terrifying, and many times actually created many of the scares itself.  Well done!

James Wan did an excellent job directing this movie written by Leigh Whannell and overall, it delivers.  Were the ghostbuster people annoying?, yes, but I guess it did need some comedic elements.  I wished that the medium would have died, that's my only other request.  Patrick Wilson was pretty good, and Rose Byrne was also good.  This movie has some ties to Paranormal Activity.

Stand out scenes are the part when the kid comes out of the closet, when the son gets possessed and beats on the dad, when the dad goes into the Further, and when they are running back into the home.  I also liked the part when the one ghostbuster sees the ghosts.  Very much like The Shining.

This movie is all over the place on top horror lists.  It's an example that movies these days can be pretty good, and not lost in the usual over rated crap.  Guess what, there's a sequel coming out so get off your butt and rent this.  It's not on Netflix, but it's pretty easy to get..:::enjoy this scary one and of course, watch it alone and with ALL the lights off!::::93%