Movies
Don’t Scream: Revisiting Wan & Whannell’s ‘Dead Silence’ (2007)
“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
Netflix did not give me a lot to work with this month. I may have also zoomed through many of my favorite things on the platform these last few months. So, many of these are titles I have been meaning to check out, and I hope they are worth the wait. However, I cannot promise the carnage, chaos, and confusion I normally provide for this column. This means you’ll have to forgive me for having less razzle dazzle and a little more uncertainty while I list some stuff off the less beaten path. Gather around, and I’ll tell you what I am trying to get into this March!
Archive (2020)
In 20238, George Almore’s newest AI prototype is nearly complete. However, this humanesque machine is also hiding one of George’s secrets that must remain hidden. While I love some British sci-fi and believe we should watch as many of the 2020 movies that slid under our quarantined radar, I’m pulling up for another reason. I want to see Theo James in something that isn’t The Monkey. Literally. I didn’t enjoy that movie, and I seem to be the last person I know who was unfamiliar with James before that. So, I’m trying to rectify that and see what he can do in anything else. Hopefully, after catching this on Netflix, I will have a new movie that comes to mind when he is mentioned. Fingers crossed, friends!
Green Room (2016)
A punk rock band gets trapped in a venue where skinheads want to kill them. So many people have told me this movie is worth my time, but because it’s always too soon for violent racists in this decade, I keep putting it off. However, I am so curious to see what Patrick Stewart, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, and the late Anton Yelchin are doing in this movie. Green Room is also one of the few A24 horror movies that I have not seen, which makes it even more intriguing. While I doubt 2026 will calm down enough for this not feel too real, I think it’s time for me to be brave and cross this movie off my list already. So, I might have to grab a drink, a weighted blanket, and remote so I can open Netflix.
M3GAN 2.0 (2025)
Two years after M3GAN’s murder spree, she is rebuilt by her creator to take down a military-grade weapon made from her stolen tech. Is this movie as good as the original written by Akela Cooper? Obviously not. No one can do what Cooper does and we shouldn’t hold people to that very high bar. Is this movie way too damn long? Also, yes. However, was there still a lot of fun to be had along the way? I thought so. While M3GAN 2.0 isn’t the sequel we wanted, I’m happy to rewatch it for free at home. We lose a lot of the threads I loved in the first one, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t the new Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day anyway. In a perfect world, Akela Cooper will reopen the computer (after receiving a very large check from Blumhouse) and give us a third installment to bring our dancing diva back into the horror fold.
Life After Beth (2014)
A man discovers his dead girlfriend is back, and that might be for the worst. I never watched this horror comedy, but I’m sad and hoping Aubrey Plaza can change that. After all, if she can’t wake us up after a long winter, then who can? I also imagine Plaza as a zombie is kind of great. Along for the ride is Molly Shannon, so between the two of them, I expect some chuckles and guffaws. Maybe the powers that be at Netflix knew we could all use a laugh, and that’s why this is waiting for us on the other side of February. Or possibly they wanted to apologize for that last season of Stranger Things. Or maybe it’s just a wacky coincidence, and I’m looking for meaning where there is none. Either way, I have a date with this movie, and you might want to check it out too.
Teen Wolf (2011-2017)
Getting bitten by a werewolf turns life upside down for a high school student and his best friend. Hear me out! I doubt there is a world where I will watch all six seasons of this. Hell, I doubt I’ll even finish the first season. However, I skipped this MTV moment when it originally aired. Which is why I didn’t know who Dylan O’Brien was when Send Help was announced. So, I’m using this Netflix account to see where he started now that I have seen him in something. You can join me in this or mark your time as safe and watch something else. I don’t blame you either way, and I hope you’ll respect my privacy during this adventure.
That’s what I’m doing with my Netflix account this month. Here is hoping April gives us more scary movies because some of us deserve it. Most importantly, I deserve it.
Shudder is still that girl even in March. Our beloved streamer is adding classics like The Fog and Messiah of Evil. They are also adding a couple of films that are precious to my generation, like May. The app always has an eclectic lineup, but this month is an embarrassment of riches. At least if you are like me, and looking at a list of movies you have had on your watch list forever. That is why it took me a hot minute to figure out which five titles should be this month’s priority. However, I cracked the code and think I have something old, something new, and definitely at least a couple of things that will turn blue. Check out what I am trying to see on Shudder this month. Also, be sure to let me know if you are as geeked about these titles as I am.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
The Last Horror Film (1982)
A New York taxi driver stalks an actress during the Cannes Film Festival. I love 80s slashers and have been on a quest to watch them all. This one has eluded me for a couple of years, and I am so happy Shudder is finally letting me cross it off my list. I am not expecting this to break my top 1980s slashers. I’m not even counting on it to be one of the best movies about a stalked actress of that era. However, I’m excited to finally see it for myself with an adult beverage in hand.
You can watch The Last Horror Film on March 1st.
Fade to Black (1980)
A film fanatic begins murdering people who betray him while stalking his idol. I finally caught this on Shudder in the last couple of years and will be using its return as an excuse to rewatch it. Very few movies cater to the slasher kids and film nerds as well as this one. Fade to Black is the kind of psychological horror comedy that is the reason 1980s horror remains unmatched. The costumes, the obsession, and the kills are the most fun you can possibly have on a Shudder Saturday. Do yourself a favor and hit play immediately.
You can watch Fade to Black on March 9th.
Hostile Dimensions (2023)
Two filmmakers travel through alternate dimensions seeking out the truth about a missing graffiti artist. This found footage film has been on my list for years, and I am so grateful that Shudder is finally letting me see it. I have heard so many great things, and the FOMO was killing me. Hopefully, Hostile Dimensions lives up to the hype. Otherwise, I have to ask my nearest and dearest to explain themselves and then stop accepting recommendations from them. Will it scratch the found footage itch I have this month? There is only one way to find out, and that is why I will be sat the day this drops on the app.
You can watch Hostile Dimensions on March 9th.
1000 Women in Horror (2025)
Women have been an integral part of the genre since Mary Shelley started thinking about Frankenstein. However, we do not always get the credit and respect we deserve. Which is why I am thrilled 1000 Women in Horror is celebrating the badasses who revolutionized horror films. Not only is the documentary opening the libraries for us, but it’s also bringing current faves along for the ride. Akela Cooper, Toby Poser, and Jenn Wexler are just some of the names I know who are about to inspire so many women to get serious about making their movies. I cannot stress enough how happy I am that Shudder is adding this to its lineup.
You can watch 1000 Women in Horror on March 20th.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
College friends backpacking through Britain are attacked by a werewolf. As a werewolf film enthusiast, I know they are not all made equally. That is one of the many reasons why this is easily one of the best werewolf movies the genre has. The transformation alone is worth the price of a Shudder subscription. So, it shouldn’t come as a shock that this is one of the five titles I’m most excited to see this month. Hell, it’s probably in everyone’s top five to be completely honest. I cannot think of a better way to close this month out than with a top-tier werewolf flick.
You can watch An American Werewolf in London on March 31st.
I told you, Shudder is that girl. Whether you’re on spring break, taking a mental health day, or just dissociating, this app has got you covered. Make sure you dig into some of this sick, twisted, and cool cinema. As for me, I will see you next month with more recommendations.
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