Dead Silence
Released: 2007
Rated R for horror violence, images and language
Cast: Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg, Bob Gunton, Judith Roberts
Runtime: 1 Hr. 30 Mins.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Favorite Quotes: “Scare me and I’ll shoot you.†“Jaime! You don’t want to make me chase you! I don’t even have a full tank of gas.â€
Summary (from IMDB): From the brilliant horror masters that brought us the Saw franchise, we are offered up another taste of true fear. The story takes place after Jamie Ashen (Ryan Kwanten) comes home to find his wife Lisa (Laura Regan) disfigured and dead in their apartment just minutes after a mysterious, not to mention creepy, package was left on their doorstep containing an old ventriloquist dummy. With no alibi, a detective (Donnie Wahlberg)is left to assume Jamie as the prime suspect. Driven by an old ghost story, Jamie returns to Ravens Fair, his old hometown to prove his innocence. The story leads him to believe that the vengeful ghost of Mary Shaw was the real murderer. But when Jamie returns to Ravens Fair, he finds out more than he bargained for.
When my wife and I rented this, we weren’t expecting much. We were wonderfully surprised. We went out and bought it the next day and immediately watched it again.
The Bad Stuff
- Ryan Kwanten isn’t the best actor. He is ok, but the movie would have been better if the lead role was played by someone who had more than one look on his face.
That is pretty much the extent of his facial expressions.
- The movie itself is slow, possibly too slow for some people.
- There is a moment where CG plays a big part. The CG looked ok, but it just didn’t fit with the rest of the movie.
The Good Stuff
- Donnie Wahlberg is fantastic. He is my favorite character. He has all of the best lines and is very likeable in a jerk way.
- Judith Roberts as Mary Shaw is utterly terrifying. Everything from the way she carries herself to the tone of her voice is frightening. I mean, look at this:
Creepy…
- The use of the ventriloquist dolls is great. Making subtle movements with the eyes and head is unbelievably eerie. Some could say that they do the movements too many times, but I think it fit the situation every time.
- The movie has an uneasy feeling from the beginning to the end. I was amazed that it could hold the tension through the whole thing.
- The story is great. Leigh Whannell and James Wan have done another great job.
- Making all of the ambient sounds disappear was a great touch. It truly made the scene a whole lot creepier.
This movie was great. I suggest anyone who likes ghost stories to see it. It holds the tension and is fantastically creepy.
