Dead Silence

There is something inherently disturbing about ventriloquist dummies in my opinion. While most of the ones you see today are a bit more cuddly and affectionate, the ones from the past have always made me cringe a bit.

Dead Silence starts out with a young couple in the city who receive a mysterious package containing a ventriloquist's dummy. When his wife is found killed later, the husband (Ryan Kwanten) returns to his home town to investigate who sent the dummy, which he believes is linked to her death. The dummy is linked a dead ventriloquist and dummy-maker named Mary Shaw, who was believed to have been involved in the death of a young boy in the 1930's. Her history leads to her becoming part of a children's nursey rhyme warning not to scream if she sees you or she'll rip out your tongue.

The movie satisfies a lot of things for me. It relies more on chills and scares than on gore. There are some truly creepy moments and some great scenery and atmosphere. The story moves at an even pace, explaining things well and gives a nice twist in the end. Overall, it is one of the better horror movies I've seen in a while.

Did I enjoy it? Very much. If only Mary Shaw could rip out the tongues of theater talkers...
Would I see it again? I think so.
Buy the DVD? I plan on it.