“As a preliminary exercise let the learner place himself before a mirror… and endeavor, while in the act of speaking, to maintain a fixity of countenance, a rigidity of the muscles and nerves of the face and lips, so that no visible movement may be noticed in them… let him begin by enunciating the vowels fully forward in the mouth, saying, with distinctiveness and regularity, each sound by itself – ah-a-e-i-o-u.”

Australian creatives James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell, famous for their collaboration on several horror films including Saw (2004) and Insidious (2010), and proven admirers of creepy dolls, are undisputed champions of Millenium horror. Their use of dark imagery, startling jump scares, gloomy atmospheres, and imaginative villains dominated 2000s popular culture. While Whannell has proven he is a master storyteller, Wan has solidified himself as a premiere horror director. Yet, despite their talent, their films are not immune to critique, especially their sophomore feature Dead Silence (2007), which had box office trouble and unfortunate reviews.

“Next close the mouth, and rest the upper teeth on the inner part of the lower lip. Be certain that the expression is perfectly easy and natural. Then practice the vowel sounds without disturbing the expression. It will soon be discovered that several different tones can be produced on the same vowel. Begin by forcing the sound against the extreme front part of the roof of the mouth.”

Dead Silence follows Jamie Ashen (Ryan Kwanten) on the hunt for his wife’s murderer after a mysterious ventriloquist dummy named Billy appears on their doorstep in a box with no return address. While Jamie goes to retrieve takeout, his wife Lisa (Laura Regan), following a deafening silence, is brutally thrown from their bedroom, and her tongue is ripped out. Jamie arrives home and hears Lisa’s voice coming from the bedroom. He finds her sitting up under the covers, her tongueless mouth agape. Unfortunately, Jamie becomes Detective Lipton’s (Donnie Wahlberg) main suspect in her murder. However, Jamie senses something malevolent took his wife from him.

“Then force the sound against the back part of the roof of the mouth–the palate–still keeping the countenance easy and natural.”

Jamie ventures back to his and Lisa’s hometown of Ravens Fair. Nearly abandoned, Ravens Fair has since been deteriorating from its former glory, having once had a marvelous theater that was celebrated by the town. Also found deteriorating is Jamie’s estranged father Edward (Bob Gunton), now on his fourth wife, the charming Ella Ashen (Amber Valletta). Jamie is adamant that the doll, Billy, has something to do with Lisa’s death. With the help of local mortician Henry Walker (Michael Fairman), Jamie is introduced to the gruesome history of Mary Shaw, the town ventriloquist, and her many children, including Billy.

“Next, practice to stop, or shut off the sound by the upper part of the windpipe. In order to ascertain the exact spot here indicated, perform the act of swallowing and you will find a subdued ‘cluck’ made in the throat at the precise spot where you can develop the power of speaking inwardly.”

Mary Shaw was an expert ventriloquist in 1930s-1940s Raven’s Fair. Wan and Whannell use the once-deemed evil entertaining act as fodder for the film, which only adds to the sinister lore of Shaw. Dating back to Ancient Greece, the act of ventriloquy was performed by engastrimyths (breaking down to ‘in,’ ‘stomach,’ and ‘speech’). According to ventriloquist Valentine Vox, engastrimyths were linked to necromancy, “the ancient art of allowing a dead person’s spirit to enter the necromancer and speak to the living.” In the 16th century, the act of throwing one’s voice or speaking without moving the lips disturbed many, including “disgruntled God-fearers” who “believed mysterious voices emanated from any number of holes in the ventriloquist’s body—from the vagina to the nostrils.” Some centuries later, ventriloquism became more benign. However, its link to spirits and the dead continue to haunt the art’s legacy. All but one child in Mary Shaw’s audience at the Guignol Theater on Moss Lake in 1941 believed her act. Young Michael Ashen interrupted Mary’s show, “I can see your lips moving!” Soon after the brief confrontation between Michael, Mary, and Billy, Michael disappears. The town blames Mary. An angry mob descends upon Mary’s home and cuts out her tongue.

“Let the above be considered the first and most important lesson to be carefully and diligently practiced. Above all, be careful to avoid straining the throat. The power of contraction and expansion must be developed gradually.”

While intriguing and disturbing, this backstory left some audience members and film reviewers unfulfilled. The film barely earned back its budget of $20 million and was given poor ratings by reviewers (Tomatometer: 20%, with an audience score of 51%; Letterboxed score: 2.7/5.0; IMDb score: 6.1/10). When released, Fangoria’s Michael Gingold wrote, “Unfortunately, the story isn’t fresh enough and its people aren’t compelling enough to keep the spookery from seeming old hat… Before Mary’s spirit comes after a victim, all noises drop off the soundtrack… Perhaps that’s what the title Dead Silence is meant to refer to—but too often, unfortunately, it also reflects the likely audience reaction to this film.”

Despite a bumpy start, audiences have returned to Dead Silence over the past decade and have paid their respects to Wan and Whannell’s story, the balance of jump scares and deafening silence, the artistry of Billy and his siblings, and the overwhelming gloomy atmosphere without levity. Additional credit for the bleak atmosphere goes to composer Charlie Clouser. He has worked with Nine Inch Nails and Rob Zombie, and has produced scores for several Saw movies as well as the theme for American Horror Story since 2011.

Reconsider Dead Silence. Mary Shaw belongs in the same category as Bloody Mary and Candyman. The specters of both Mary and Billy earned their place amongst other spooky horror titans that warn you of their seemingly unavoidable evil.

Beware the stare of Mary Shaw
She had no children, only dolls
And if you see her in your dreams
Be sure to never, ever scream…
Or she’ll rip your tongue out at the seam.

Sources:

Fangoria Movie Review: ‘Dead Silence’ By Michael Gingold” March 16, 2019 

“Inside the World’s Only Museum Dedicated to Ventriloquism.” Smithsonian Magazine May 2, 2019, Jennifer Nalewicki

“The Demonic Origins of Ventriloquism.” Atlas Obscura March 28, 2016, Andy Wright

“How to Begin and Practice Ventriloquism, with Entertaining Dialogues for Rehearsal.” Essay by Antonio Blitz. In The Boys’ Own Book of Indoor Sports and Choice Parlor Games. New York, NY: Hurst & Co., Publishers, 122 Nassau St., 1878