Dead Silence - 2007

Dead Silence - 2007

What can I say about Dead Silence? Welp, I can tell you that if you have any issues with dolls, clowns, ventriloquist dummies, or puppets, this is so NOT the movie for you. There are very few movies that actually scare me. This movie unnerved me and gave me that scared little kid feeling again. Now that is not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, because it was a breath of fresh air as far as horror movies go. I do have it as part of my collection. It is one of those movies I pull out when I want a really good scare. Even though I know what is coming, those blasted puppets are unnerving every time you see them.

When I saw this movie the first time, I was really nervous that this was going to be a rip off of Child’s Play or something along the lines of Blood Dolls or Demonic Toys. I was so happy to find out I was so wrong. The whole feel of this movie reminds me of the old spook movies of the ’60s and 70’s when the atmosphere was as much a character as the actors/actresses playing the roles. The soundtrack compliments the feel of the movie, it is not just packed with the most popular new songs to get them a chance at more air time.

The story is not an original story, but it does have an original twist that makes it a movie to go on a must-watch list. The plot is supernatural but not the crazy, over the top, kind of supernatural. More you get the feel of old superstitions and small-town fears. There are some great jump scares as well as a bit of “gore” but not too dramatic. The story does not get lost in all the “extra noise” that can happen in some films. (Too much blood, too fast-paced, overuse of CGI). The dolls themselves are creepy without knowing their backstory, most of the dolls have pretty subdued colors and are pretty plain, they don’t have the overly scary look, it is very subtle and just eerie. Especially, Billy, he is the doll that graces the cover of the film and is our primary “dummy” for this movie.

The story seems to center around a poem about a woman named Mary Shaw and her doll collection. Now, this does not sound all that scary, but let me assure you, but the time the credits roll on this film. You will be bothered by the story and the poem. This film does a great job of leading you in the right direction, but not giving you everything all at once. Enough is going on to make you wonder if you are seeing someone lose their mind or if there is something more sinister going on.

The makeup department did an amazing job of making Mary Shaw look like one of those terrifying things I saw in my dreams when I was a little girl. Kudos to Judith Roberts for being able to portray both sides of this woman. The kindly old ventriloquist who enjoys using her dolls to put on shows for the locals in her beautiful old theatre. The frighteningly terrifying spectre that parents tell their children about to make sure they do what they are told. Judith can most recently be seen playing the “Golden Girl” convict Taslitz in the wildly popular Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” and that character is a completely different type of character from this. Which is a testament to her amazing acting ability. Though I do curse her for giving a face to my nightmares.

Next up is the beautiful, yet mysterious Ella, Jamie’s stepmother, who looks like she is but a few years older than Jamie himself. She is married to Jamie’s overbearing and gruff father Edward, but more on him later. Ella is played by the beautiful Amber Valletta. Many people will recognize her as Angie in the 2009 Gerard Butler hit Gamer, or as Lydia Davis in the highly popular TV series Revenge. Ella is the person that tries to bridge the gap between Jamie and Edward as the peacemaker. She is a pretty gentle creature with an easy smile and what seems to be a caring heart.

Edward Ashen is Jamie’s father and Ella’s husband. He is played by the legendary actor Bob Gunton. Most people will recognize him as Chief George Earle in the 1993 Stallone futuristic action film Demolition Man, the crooked Warden Norton in the 1994 adaptation of the Stephen King novel “The Shawshank Redemption”, and Dean Walcott in the 1998 Robin William film Patch Adams. Most recently you can see him as Leland Owlsley in the popular Netflix series Daredevil. I can honestly say that there is nothing that I have seen this man in that I have not enjoyed his performance. He is just as entertaining as Edward, a man who has wealth, a big beautiful house, a beautiful wife, but does not have a loving relationship with his only son. He has secrets that he would like to keep hidden deep inside that could be key to everything Jamie is looking for.

Well, I have talked about all these people who interact with our “hero”, I guess we should talk about Jamie at least a bit. Our “hero” Jamie Ashen is played by the handsome and talented Australian actor Ryan Kwanten. Ryan is the most recognizable as the airheaded brother of Sookie Stackhouse in the HBO supernatural drama True Blood. Jamie is a man who has suffered a catastrophic loss and is looking for answers that he feels he can only find if he goes home. Jamie’s companion for this journey is the creepy little doll, Billy that arrived at his home, the night of the tragedy. This is not a very deep character, but watching him go through all this makes him a very sympathetic character. I look forward to seeing his star continue to climb.

All in all, this is one of those films that I recommend you watch during the day with the lights on. This is not a film that I watch at night, home alone, or right before I am going to go to bed. This film is the whole package to me, a great spooky story, amazing cast, creepy locations, as well as just an overall creepy atmosphere. Now I will say that there are a few very special dolls that make cameos in this film. I am not going to tell you which ones they are, but can you find them all? Hint, there are 4. Happy hunting in trying to find them. I hope that you guys have a great time with this movie. Let me know what you think.

Ratings:

1 of 5 - There is no real nudity or sexuality in this movie.

3 of 5 - This is another one of those films that there is not a lot of deaths, but they have a pretty small cast.

3 of 5 - It is not that there is a lot of blood, it is more the makeup department does an amazing job on the gory scenes that are in this movie.

4 of 5 - I see spiders crawling all over this movie. Between the jump scares, the atmosphere, and those blasted creepy puppets, this movie is up there on the scare charts.

1 of 5 - this is another one of those films that is NOT panda friendly in any way, shape, or form.

Recommendations:

Stay Alive

Silent Hill

The Conjuring

Mirrors