Castle Vanian Halloween Special: Demonic Dolls and Creepy Toys: Dead Silence (2007)

Wow. Dead Silence. What a movie. Where do we start?

It’s a unique movie, for sure. There’s nothing like it out there. It’s so different. There are very few original horror films coming out, even fewer that are actually nervy.

I’ve always been impressed that they’ve dared to not do a sequel to it. It’s nice that it stands alone.

Talk to me about the production quality. I mean… it’s Universal, so…

Yeah, you can’t bash the production value. There was money put into this one and it shows. It’s a class act, from start to finish. It’s a top-drawer horror film.

The set design, the theatre, the town… it’s beautiful. To make a town look abandoned, to get that ghost town feeling… To take that theatre in its heyday, then make it dilapidated and ruined… nothing was skimped there.

I love this story so much. Talk to me for a minute about the plot.

It’s very, very clever because it gives you everything you need to know but not in a way that you notice. When you get the big reveal at the end, and you realize its all been there in front of you the whole time, it’s a powerful moment.

It really is. Do you have any other favourite moments in the movie?

I had a couple. The one that creeped me out the most was with Henry as a kid (Keir Gilchrist,) when his father’s been turning Mary Shaw (Judith Roberts) into a doll and he just has to have a look. When he leans too far over, and it tips on him… very creepy.

I’m going to guess that Ryan Kwanten is your favourite actor because… Jason Freaking Stackhouse.

I’ll tell you what… when Dead Silence came out I probably didn’t have a clue who he was but I eventually became a fan because of True Blood. He always stole the show for me in True Blood as the comedy element but not in this. He’s the one who makes it believable. You know, you really don’t see him in enough things.

Donnie Wahlberg was superb as Detective Lipton. He was such a fucking prick. What was with the always shaving thing? It was such a nice pay off when he finally got his. Sure, he tried to do the right thing at the end, and he finally believed Jamie, but it wasn’t enough. Very gratifying.

What did you think of the dolls and Mary Shaw? The graphics in general, I guess.

It was superb! The CGI was a little bit ropey when she was trying to get out through the dolls. That’s probably my only gripe. Aside from that, it was all well done.

The whole twist ending is overdone these days but it works so well with Dead Silence. What did you think?

There wasn’t really anywhere else it could have gone. Jamie finally discovered the truth, only for her to kill him anyway. The first time I watched it, I didn’t realize. Watching it again, though, I couldn’t take my eyes off the father, knowing what he’d become.

Wanna wrap it up?

Dead Silence is just one of those films. A nice surprise. It’s nasty and creepy and unapologetic.