Dead Silence
A 2007 horror film about a vengeful ventriloquist's doll.
Last updated
Mark Twain · Public domain
It grossed $22,382,047 worldwide against an estimated production budget of US$20 million.[1] In the horror film Dead Silence, Ryan Kwanten portrays Jamie Ashen, a husband who discovers his wife has been killed after coming back to their home.[2]
Making and release
Filming took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from October 2005 to May 2006.[3] An international Blu-ray release occurred in 2010, but the U.S. Blu-ray did not arrive until August 11, 2015.[4] The film's total domestic gross in the United States was US$16.8 million as of April 16, 2007.[1] Screenings of Dead Silence ceased in most theatres 16 days after its release.[1]
According to James Wan, he deliberately chose to shift away from the torture-based approach seen in Saw and instead create a story centered on a haunted house and ghostly elements, a genre he personally enjoys.[5] Wan observed that because Saw left a powerful impact, viewers often anticipated a film similar to it, yet Dead Silence was a different kind of movie.[5] On June 26, 2007, Dead Silence became available on DVD and HD DVD, and an unrated version was also put out.[6] Revenue from DVD sales for Dead Silence has reached US$17,304,718 in total.[6]
What the cited sources add
The PopMatters account describes Dead Silence as "unlike anything else James Wan has made" and notes it garnered a cult following despite initial negative reception.[2][7] Cody Parish of PopMatters said the film is "unlike anything Wan has made".[7] The same source states that Dead Silence features Wan's first spectral female villain, Mary Shaw, and establishes his red and black color palette.[2] Common Sense Media reports that the film includes dead bodies of children and that the violence is not as nasty as Saw's sadistic torture.[8]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 2 stars out of 5, calling the first death "genuinely pretty scary" but noting the story deflates afterward.[9][10] The Common Sense Media review observes that the film becomes less frightening when CGI effects reveal Mary Shaw in full.[8]
References
- Wikipedia, "Dead Silence" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Dead Silence", Box Office Mojo (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Why 'Dead Silence' Is the Forgotten Gem of James Wan's Horror Oeuvre » PopMatters", PopMatters, 2020-06-11. facts only, no text reused. popmatters.com
- Wikipedia, "Dead Silence" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Set Visit: Dead Silence", IGN, 2007-01-22; "Dead Silence filming locations — MovieMaps" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dead Silence" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Dead Silence Unrated Blu-ray", Blu-ray.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dead Silence" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "James Wan on Finishing 'Aquaman' Sequel, AI Fears and Where 'Saw' Came from", The Hollywood Reporter, June 2, 2023 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dead Silence" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: The Numbers, "Dead Silence – DVD Sales", The Numbers, 1997–2012 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Dead Silence" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Why 'Dead Silence' Is the Forgotten Gem of James Wan's Horror Oeuvre » PopMatters", PopMatters, 2020-06-11 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Movie & TV reviews for parents, "Dead Silence Movie Review Common Sense Media", Common Sense Media. facts only, no text reused. commonsensemedia.org
- Bradshaw, "Dead Silence", The Guardian, 2007-07-06. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com
- Wikipedia, "Dead Silence" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bradshaw, "Dead Silence", The Guardian, 2007-07-06 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Dead Silence (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Dead Silence (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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