Earlier this month, FilmDistrict held a video contest in search of the biggest Insidious fan ever, hosted by director James Wan. The prize? A walk-on role in INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2.
After a nationwide search that generated over 800 fan video submissions and 250,000 views on the film’s official YouTube channel, the winner has been selected!
The announcement was officially made on the film’s Facebook page(https://www.facebook.com/InsidiousFilm) and James Wan via a Twitter photo from set last night that said, “We sifted thru tons of entries. Everyone's a winner in my book, but like Connor Macleod said, there can be only one.”
The Twitter photo can be seen at: https://twitter.com/creepypuppet/status/301164004439629824/photo/1
21-year-old Michael James Grise from Orlando, Florida, won for his truly inspired and horrifying video. Grise will receive an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles where he will be joining the cast and crew for his on-camera appearance in the currently-shooting production of INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2. His entry was personally selected by director James Wan, writer Leigh Whannell and producer Jason Blum.
Check out the winning video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxtZKKSQMAM
All video entries can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/insidiousmovie
INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2 arrives in theatres nationwide on August 30, 2013.
ABOUT INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2
INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2 is the sequel to 2010’s hit film that captivated horror movie audiences worldwide. Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye and Ty Simpkins return to reprise their roles in the film, directed by James Wan from a script by Leigh Whannell, who also wrote the first film. www.insidiouscastingcall.com
Showing posts with label Leigh Whannell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leigh Whannell. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Be in "Insidious Chapter 2" - The Contest
by Leroy Douresseaux
Remember Insidious, that really creepy horror movie from two years ago? There is a sequel due this summer (2013). And I just got this press release about a contest related to the sequel:
FilmDistrict is looking for the biggest Insidious fan ever with a chance to win a walk-on role in INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2, directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell, the team behind the original Insidious and Saw films. The lucky winner, to be personally selected by Wan, Whannell, and producer Jason Blum, will receive an all-expense paid trip for two to Los Angeles where he/she will get a walk-on role in the movie, filming now and due for release in theatres this summer.
HOW TO ENTER: Fans can enter by logging on to www.insidiouscastingcall.com, starting Tuesday, January 22nd and uploading a video to the Official Insidious: Chapter 2 YouTube or Facebook Page that tells James why he/she is the biggest Insidious fan and deserves to be cast alongside stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne in the sequel. The contest closes on February 4th, 2013.
The filmmakers have recorded a personal video explaining the contest for fans that can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/insidiousmovie
Winners will be announced on February 8th on the Official Insidious: Chapter 2 Facebook Page.
ABOUT INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 (In Theatres – AUGUST 13, 2013)
INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2 is the sequel to 2010’s hit film that captivated horror movie audiences worldwide. Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye and Ty Simpkins return to reprise their roles in the film, directed by James Wan from a script by Leigh Whannell, who also wrote the first film. www.insidiouscastingcall.com
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Review: "Insidious" Scarier Than Darth Sidious
Insidious (2011)
Running time: 103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for thematic material, violence, terror and frightening images, and brief strong language
DIRECTOR: James Wan
WRITER: Leigh Whannell
PRODUCERS: Jason Blum, Oren Peli, and Steven Schneider
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: David M. Brewer (D.o.P.) and John R. Leonetti (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Kirk M. Morri and James Wan
COMPOSER: Joseph Bishara
HORROR/FANTASY/MYSTERY/THRILLER
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Barbara Hershey, Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, and Andrew Astor
Insidious is a 2011 supernatural horror film from the people behind films like Saw and Paranormal Activity. This film was a surprise hit during this past spring, and some reviews compared it favorably to The Exorcist. Actually, Insidious only shares a few ideas and elements with the classic, 1973 Oscar-winning horror movie. I would say that it is more similar to the 1982 hit, Poltergeist. On its own, Insidious is a superb scary movie that can occasionally freeze your blood.
The story focuses on young parents, Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne), and, as the film begins, they are moving into a new house with their three children. Their eldest child, a son named Dalton (Ty Simpkins), falls into a coma, and then, weird things begin to happen. The house is filled with noises, voices, and occasionally, the appearance of strange figures.
In a desperate move to escape the madness, Josh and Renai move the family to a new home, but the supernatural events follow them and increase in intensity and in violence. Then, Josh’s mother, Lorraine (Barbara Hershey), and her friend, Elise Reiner (Lin Shaye), arrive with something shocking to tell the couple about the horror.
To put it simply, Insidious works because the creators know that scary movies do not have to scare audiences with blood, gore, loud noises, or monsters jumping out of the closet. Although Insidious does have some ghostly beings in the closet, the film relies on a chilly atmosphere to scare. The atmospherics make viewers anticipate ethereal frights and also those sneaky happenings that will make their skin crawl. Joseph Bishara's edgy score will also have some skin crawling.
The film also depends on its characters, and while they aren’t great, they do their part to make this movie work. Elise, Specs (Leigh Whannell), and Tucker (Angus Sampson) are funny and seem like they stepped out of The X-Files.
Insidious falls apart a little in the second half, and the ending is a little predictable. However, the ending is done in such a way that it, like the rest of the film, will stay on your mind for a few days. I heartily recommend Insidious for those who enjoy horror movies about supernatural possession and evil spirits.
7 of 10
A-
Thursday, July 14, 2011
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Thursday, October 28, 2010
Review: "Saw III" Gory and Boring... Which is Actually Kinda Impressive
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 223 (of 2006) by Leroy DouresseauxSaw III (2006)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong grisly violence and gore, sequences of terror and torture, nudity, and language
DIRECTOR: Darren Lynn Bousman
WRITERS: Leigh Whannell; from a story by James Wan and Leigh Whannell
PRODUCERS: Gregg Hoffman, Oren Koules, and Mark Burg
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David A. Armstrong (director of photography)
EDITOR: Kevin Greutert
HORROR with elements of drama
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Dina Meyer, Mpho Koaho, Barry Flatman, Lyriq Bent, and J LaRose
The Jigsaw killer (Tobin Bell) and his apprentice, Amanda (Shawnee Smith), are still subjecting hapless victims to their cruel, sadistic, and intricate games of death. While city detectives frantically hunt for them, they’ve chosen two new pawns, the detached and clinical Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh), and Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), a grieving father obsessed with getting revenge for the death of his young son.
Saw III, of all the Saw films, may delve most deeply into the psychology of both the game masters and their “players.” However, for all its attempts at discovering the reasons and rationales for the characters’ actions, Saw III is listless, although it is as gory and gross as the previous movies. Watching the characters desperately fight to escape the mega sadistic contraptions Jigsaw and Amanda have prepared for them (there’s a twist here) is painful – ready-made to cause viewer squirming and flinching. But the whole gruesome exercise seems as dull and as unappealing as harvesting belly button lint.
Most of Saw II’s crew has returned for Saw III, including director Darren Lynn Bousman and screenwriter Leigh Whannell (who based Saw III’s script on an idea by original Saw director James Wan), but they couldn’t rebuild the fire they started for Saw II. The production values are also of lesser quality. The set looks like a rundown mechanic’s garage, and the cinematography is dull and poorly lit even for a horror flick. The acting amounts to sneers, hard stares, hollering, and over-emoting. Hardcore gore attics (and Saw fanatics) may very well find much in this flick to love, but if it weren’t for the scene with the puréed putrid pigs, Saw III wouldn’t have a single memorable moment.
4 of 10
C
Saturday, October 28, 2006
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Review: "Saw II" is an Excellent Follow-up to Original Film
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 164 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux
Saw II (2005)
Running time: 93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – R for grisly violence and gore, terror, language, and drug content
DIRECTOR: Darren Lynn Bousman
WRITERS: Leigh Whannell and Darren Lynn Bousman
PRODUCERS: Mark Burg, Gregg Hoffman, and Oren Koules
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David A. Armstrong
EDITOR: Kevin Greutert
HORROR/THRILLER with elements of fantasy
Starring: Donnie Wahlberg, Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Lyriq Bent, Tim Burd, Franky G, Noam Jenkins, Erik Knudsen, Dina Meyer, Beverley Mitchell, Tony Nappo, Glenn Plummer, and Emmanuelle Vaugier
Called to a crime scene, Detective Eric Mason (Donnie Wahlberg) isn’t really interested in the grisly murder before him. The crime scene has all the markings of Jigsaw, the notorious killer (from Saw) who disappeared leaving a trail of bodies behind him. Jigsaw leaves a message taunting Detective Mason, but Mason’s mind is on his troubled, estranged son. Still, the police get a break and discover Jigsaw’s hideout. There, they find Jigsaw, revealed to be John (Tobin Bell), an older, wheelchair-bound man who claims that he’s dying of cancer. And he has one more game to play. Mason and the S.W.A.T. team find a multi-monitor setup playing Jigsaw’s latest game.
Each screen captures a scene from a charnel house. Eight strangers, including Mason’s son, Daniel (Erik Knudsen), are trapped in the dilapidated house, forced to play Jigsaw’s twisted game. In various locations in the house, Jigsaw has hidden antidotes to a nerve gas that is steadily pumped into the house from some unknown location. The eight player/captives have less than two hours to solve the riddles and games that test their wits and put their lives in jeopardy. They also have a mysterious connection. Meanwhile, Mason and Amanda (Shawnee Smith), another detective familiar with Jigsaw, try to find the location of the death house.
Saw II is mean, nasty, gory, shocking, and occasionally repulsive, but it’s just about everything a good horror movie should be. Yeah, there are a few slips ups. Putting Jigsaw/John front and center turns the movie into a kind of a police thriller. How a fatally ill man can set up all those contraptions of death (doing it with very little help) stretches the willing suspension of disbelief into the realm of supernatural.
The acting is quiet good; in fact, Donnie Wahlberg could give his brother Mark a run for his money. It’s fun to see the police run around confused and confounded. The eight player-captives are a nice lot of miscreants, and the script characterizes them just right for this concept. We understand just enough about them to understand why they’re in this predicament Jigsaw created specifically for them. Also, this scary movie has some scenes (the well of needles) that’ll make you want to scoot down really deep into your seat, skin crawling and hairs on end. Saw II is all bloody hell and bloody fun. There are head wounds, drug needles, sharp objects, blood splatters, and mortal combat nicely spaced by a twisted script. What more do you want from a scary movie?
7 of 10
B+
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Saw II (2005)
Running time: 93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – R for grisly violence and gore, terror, language, and drug content
DIRECTOR: Darren Lynn Bousman
WRITERS: Leigh Whannell and Darren Lynn Bousman
PRODUCERS: Mark Burg, Gregg Hoffman, and Oren Koules
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David A. Armstrong
EDITOR: Kevin Greutert
HORROR/THRILLER with elements of fantasy
Starring: Donnie Wahlberg, Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Lyriq Bent, Tim Burd, Franky G, Noam Jenkins, Erik Knudsen, Dina Meyer, Beverley Mitchell, Tony Nappo, Glenn Plummer, and Emmanuelle Vaugier
Called to a crime scene, Detective Eric Mason (Donnie Wahlberg) isn’t really interested in the grisly murder before him. The crime scene has all the markings of Jigsaw, the notorious killer (from Saw) who disappeared leaving a trail of bodies behind him. Jigsaw leaves a message taunting Detective Mason, but Mason’s mind is on his troubled, estranged son. Still, the police get a break and discover Jigsaw’s hideout. There, they find Jigsaw, revealed to be John (Tobin Bell), an older, wheelchair-bound man who claims that he’s dying of cancer. And he has one more game to play. Mason and the S.W.A.T. team find a multi-monitor setup playing Jigsaw’s latest game.
Each screen captures a scene from a charnel house. Eight strangers, including Mason’s son, Daniel (Erik Knudsen), are trapped in the dilapidated house, forced to play Jigsaw’s twisted game. In various locations in the house, Jigsaw has hidden antidotes to a nerve gas that is steadily pumped into the house from some unknown location. The eight player/captives have less than two hours to solve the riddles and games that test their wits and put their lives in jeopardy. They also have a mysterious connection. Meanwhile, Mason and Amanda (Shawnee Smith), another detective familiar with Jigsaw, try to find the location of the death house.
Saw II is mean, nasty, gory, shocking, and occasionally repulsive, but it’s just about everything a good horror movie should be. Yeah, there are a few slips ups. Putting Jigsaw/John front and center turns the movie into a kind of a police thriller. How a fatally ill man can set up all those contraptions of death (doing it with very little help) stretches the willing suspension of disbelief into the realm of supernatural.
The acting is quiet good; in fact, Donnie Wahlberg could give his brother Mark a run for his money. It’s fun to see the police run around confused and confounded. The eight player-captives are a nice lot of miscreants, and the script characterizes them just right for this concept. We understand just enough about them to understand why they’re in this predicament Jigsaw created specifically for them. Also, this scary movie has some scenes (the well of needles) that’ll make you want to scoot down really deep into your seat, skin crawling and hairs on end. Saw II is all bloody hell and bloody fun. There are head wounds, drug needles, sharp objects, blood splatters, and mortal combat nicely spaced by a twisted script. What more do you want from a scary movie?
7 of 10
B+
Saturday, October 29, 2005
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Monday, October 18, 2010
Review: Original "Saw" was a Nice New Thing
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 105 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux
Saw (2004)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – R for grisly violence and language (originally NC-17)
DIRECTOR: James Wan
WRITERS: Leigh Whannell, from a story by Leigh Whannell and James Wan
PRODUCERS: Mark Burg, Gregg Hoffman, and Oren Koules
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David A. Armstrong
EDITOR: Kevin Greutert
HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER
Starring: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung, Monica Potter, Makenzie Vega, Michael Emerson, Shawnee Smith, and Tobin Bell
Would you die to live? Would you kill to live? Those questions are at the center of the horror film, Saw.
Two men, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell), awake in dilapidated bathroom and face those very questions. The serial killer known as the Jigsaw killer abducted them. They’re chained to the wall across the room from each other with only notes and tape recordings leaving them instructions on how to survive. Gordon learns through his clues that he will have to kill Adam if he wants not only to save himself, but also his wife, Alison (Monica Potter), and daughter, Diana (Makenzie Vega), whom the Jigsaw killer has abducted and whom Jigsaw will slay if Gordon doesn’t kill Adam before the deadline. Meanwhile, a policeman, Detective David Tapp (Danny Glover), obsessed with discovering the identity of the Jigsaw killer, is watching Gordon’s home.
Some professional film critics compared the 2004 Halloween horror hit, Saw, to a grisly film version of the popular reality series, “Fear Factor.” The film is on occasion shockingly grisly, but Saw is something rare in American filmmaking – the horror film as a mystery thriller. For all its gore, Saw is mystery that like great whodunits asks many questions around one central question. If the audience is fixated on Lawrence Gordon and Adam’s predicament, it must also contend with who, what, when, why, and how.
Quite a bit of Saw is also told in flashback, and that’s a double-edge sword. The flashbacks and take the edge out of a very edgy movie, but at the same time, these flashbacks answer so many questions while intriguing the audience by raising more. Simply put: the acting, directing, writing, and production (the film was shoot and cut in 18 days) are well done in service of this film. It’s all smartly geared to created a horror movie that engages the mind, sends chills down the spine, makes us turn away, and stunningly reminds us what people will do to survive.
7 of 10
B+
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Saw (2004)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – R for grisly violence and language (originally NC-17)
DIRECTOR: James Wan
WRITERS: Leigh Whannell, from a story by Leigh Whannell and James Wan
PRODUCERS: Mark Burg, Gregg Hoffman, and Oren Koules
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David A. Armstrong
EDITOR: Kevin Greutert
HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER
Starring: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung, Monica Potter, Makenzie Vega, Michael Emerson, Shawnee Smith, and Tobin Bell
Would you die to live? Would you kill to live? Those questions are at the center of the horror film, Saw.
Two men, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell), awake in dilapidated bathroom and face those very questions. The serial killer known as the Jigsaw killer abducted them. They’re chained to the wall across the room from each other with only notes and tape recordings leaving them instructions on how to survive. Gordon learns through his clues that he will have to kill Adam if he wants not only to save himself, but also his wife, Alison (Monica Potter), and daughter, Diana (Makenzie Vega), whom the Jigsaw killer has abducted and whom Jigsaw will slay if Gordon doesn’t kill Adam before the deadline. Meanwhile, a policeman, Detective David Tapp (Danny Glover), obsessed with discovering the identity of the Jigsaw killer, is watching Gordon’s home.
Some professional film critics compared the 2004 Halloween horror hit, Saw, to a grisly film version of the popular reality series, “Fear Factor.” The film is on occasion shockingly grisly, but Saw is something rare in American filmmaking – the horror film as a mystery thriller. For all its gore, Saw is mystery that like great whodunits asks many questions around one central question. If the audience is fixated on Lawrence Gordon and Adam’s predicament, it must also contend with who, what, when, why, and how.
Quite a bit of Saw is also told in flashback, and that’s a double-edge sword. The flashbacks and take the edge out of a very edgy movie, but at the same time, these flashbacks answer so many questions while intriguing the audience by raising more. Simply put: the acting, directing, writing, and production (the film was shoot and cut in 18 days) are well done in service of this film. It’s all smartly geared to created a horror movie that engages the mind, sends chills down the spine, makes us turn away, and stunningly reminds us what people will do to survive.
7 of 10
B+
Thursday, May 18, 2006
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