Dead Silence
When I announced today's choice on Twitter, a few people said "I really wanted to like that one, but it just didn't work for me." I totally get that, mainly because I feel the same way.
After a nicely atmospheric opening (love the choice to use the 1930's Universal logo) things quickly get mired in a mess of clunky exposition and odd character quirks. I liked Detective MarkyMarksBrother (Donnie Mark?) despite that his character was seemingly defined by the fact that he was constantly shaving. No exaggeration, every one of his scenes includes him pulling an electric razor out of his pocket and shaving his chin. Why? Because characterization, I guess? When presented with a killer ventriloquist's dummy movie, your first thought upon finishing it shouldn't be "what brand of razor was he using and why doesn't he just switch because he's clearly not getting the close shave he desires."
There aren't many scares but the ending is aaaaaaalmost batshit crazy enough to warrant a recommendation. I won't spoil anything, but there is a revelation during the climax that is certainly something I've never seen in a movie before. If only the whole movie had been as gleefully silly as that scene it might have been a minor gem. As it stands, it's a misfire. Not bad, but not worth going out of your way to see.
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