Dead Silence

Dead Silence is a 2007 horror movie from the makers of the Saw movie series. It has less Gorn, but the chilling horror that this film provides covers the loss.

The movie tells the story of Jamie Ashen, who receives an anonymous package containing a ventriloquist doll named Billy. Shortly after, he goes to run a quick errand, leaving his wife alone in the house with the doll. When he returns, he finds his wife dead and mutilated with her tongue torn out. Police suspect Jamie as her murderer. When he journeys to his hometown of Raven's Fair (taking the doll with him) to bury his wife and to find some answers, they send detective Jim Lipton to spy on him.

Jamie arrives to his home where he finds his aging father, Edward, has remarried to a young blonde named Ella. She reminds him of an old poem that told about Mary Shaw, a murdered ventriloquist who seeks revenge, killing and ripping out the tongues of anyone who screams upon seeing her ghost. After getting more disturbing information and warnings, Jamie decides to bury the doll, hoping this will end his torture.

To say that things get worse doesn't even begin to cover it...


 * Abusive Parents / Domestic Abuser: Jamie's father Edward is implied to have been both of these in the past.
 * Actor Allusion: Donnie Wahlberg plays a character named Lipton.
 * Asshole Victim: From the moment he was shown on the screen, we all knew that will get what's coming to him before the end credits start rolling.  could also be considered an example -
 * Bad Cop, Incompetent Cop: Jim Lipton to the core. Lazy, stubborn and violent Jerkass.
 * Berserk Button: "I can see her lips moving!"
 * Big No: Could be considered an example of Despair Event Horizon.
 * Body Horror:
 * Chekhov's Gun:
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Marion. It's uncertain if she is insane or senile (or perhaps a bit of both).
 * Dead Guy Puppet:
 * Demonic Dummy / Creepy Doll: Even though Billy is the doll shown throughout most of the film and he is also an example, the clown doll in the rocking chair is one of the most horrifying dolls in movie history...ever.
 * It certainly doesn't help that it looks like Pennywise the Dancing Clown from IT.
 * Nor does the fact that Mary Shaw decided to stick her ridiculously long tongue through it.
 * Demonic Possession: The film was originally going to have a different take on - the alternate ending and a deleted scene shows
 * Disney Villain Death: Subverted.
 * Disproportionate Retribution:
 * Dummied Out: The DVD reveals an alternate opening and the slightly modified Twist Ending that accompanied it. That's right, there was originally supposed to be another twist in the ending.
 * Evil Clown: The doll Mary Shaw first talks directly to Jamie with. Combining Evil Clown and Creepy Doll into an ungodly horror.
 * Evil Old Folks: Mary Shaw, prior to becoming a ghost.
 * Eyes of Gold: As a ghost, Mary Shaw has eerie yellow eyes.
 * Facial Horror
 * Fake American: Jamie is played by Ryan Kwanten, who is Australian.
 * Ghost Town: Raven's Fair.
 * Ghostly Goals
 * Gorn: Generally avoided, but the faces of Mary's victims and are definite examples.
 * Harmful to Minors: As a child, Henry
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Jamie's father is Warden Norton!
 * Hope Spot:
 * I Don't Like the Sound of That Place: Raven's Fair.
 * Infant Immortality: So, so averted.
 * Ironic Nursery Tune: Beware the stare of Mary Shaw. She had no children, only dolls. And if you see her in your dreams, be sure you never, ever scream. Or she'll cut your tongue out at the seam.
 * Kill It With Fire:
 * Lawful Stupid: Lipton.
 * Logo Joke: The Universal Studios logo at the beginning of the film uses the 1926 version.
 * May-December Romance: Edward and Ella.
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast:
 * Nightmare Face: The victims. Oh god, the victims.
 * Nothing Is Scarier: As soon as everything does deathly quiet, you know some serious shit is about to go down.
 * Ominous Music Box Tune: The theme tune.
 * Parent With New Paramour
 * Police Are Useless: They just carry the dead body out of the apartment and declare that the husband is the murderer, completely ignoring the lead clue. Good job!
 * Puppet Permutation:
 * Quieter Than Silence: One of the signs of Mary Shaw's appearance is all the normal everyday sounds slowing down, distorting, and finally fading out, leaving absolute silence behind. The only things that make any sound are the victims and her...
 * Shout-Out: In the hidden room, one of the puppets is Billy from Saw.
 * The fact that the main dummy in this film is also named Billy (and also wears the same outfit as the Saw Billy) is a further reference.
 * Sins of Our Fathers: One of the plot devices.
 * Slasher Smile: Mary Shaw is a master of this. Sweet dreams!
 * Soul Jar:
 * Tongue Trauma: Mary Shaw's prime method of killing is ripping out her victim's tongues... and then tying them to her own tongue to gain the victim's voice.
 * Too Dumb to Live:
 * Twist Ending: What did you expect? This movie was made by the directors of Saw.
 * Ventriloquism: But of course.
 * Weaksauce Weakness: It's heavily implied (and outright stated in the deleted scenes) Mary Shaw can only kill you if you scream while she's around. Fortunately for her, there are absolutely no deaf nor mute people to be seen in the entire film.
 * Wham! Line:
 * Would Hurt a Child:
 * You Killed My Wife: Jamie's reason for trying to find the truth behind Mary Shaw.
 * Soul Jar:
 * Tongue Trauma: Mary Shaw's prime method of killing is ripping out her victim's tongues... and then tying them to her own tongue to gain the victim's voice.
 * Too Dumb to Live:
 * Twist Ending: What did you expect? This movie was made by the directors of Saw.
 * Ventriloquism: But of course.
 * Weaksauce Weakness: It's heavily implied (and outright stated in the deleted scenes) Mary Shaw can only kill you if you scream while she's around. Fortunately for her, there are absolutely no deaf nor mute people to be seen in the entire film.
 * Wham! Line:
 * Would Hurt a Child:
 * You Killed My Wife: Jamie's reason for trying to find the truth behind Mary Shaw.