gmbcorp today: PODCAST: James Wan, Leigh Whannell

Monday, April 4, 2011

PODCAST: James Wan, Leigh Whannell

INSIDIOUS's Leigh Whannell and James Wan

Perhaps lumped in with the "Splat Pack" filmmakers (Eli Roth, Rob Zombie, Alexandre Aja) for the sheer volume of gore and goring that the sequels to their self-proclaimed thriller Saw unleashed, director James Wan and writer-actor Leigh Whannell will surprise audiences with the straight-faced camp and old-school spookiness of their maniacally enjoyable new film Insidious:

The writer-director team behind SAW and the filmmakers of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY redefine the haunted house genre in INSIDIOUS. This horror film is the terrifying story of a family who shortly after moving discover that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma. Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to discover that it was not their house that was haunted.

Sitting down with Wan and Whannell in midtown Manhattan, the three of us discussed the delicate balance between silly and scary, whether they're drawn more to creating or subverting, the avant-garde composer who inspired their eerie soundscapes, and whether they think Poltergeist is "a Tobe Hooper film" or "a Steven Spielberg film."

To listen to the podcast, click here. (15:19)

Podcast Music
INTRO: Hasil Adkins: "Haunted House"
OUTRO: Jerry Goldsmith: "Carol Anne's Theme" (from Poltergeist)