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James Wan Insidious Chapter 2 - Movie
By Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist
By
Rych McCain, Twiiter.com/rychmccain and Facebook
James Wan
Master Horror Film
Director!
Photos
Courtesy Film District Films
 |
| "Insidious Chapter 2" Director James Wan |
“Insidious
Chapter 2” scared up an impressive 42 million on its opening weekend
nabbing the coveted #1 position. The master architect behind the film is
producer, director, writer James Wan. He is no stranger to the horror film
genre having been the creator and original director of the first “Saw” movie that would later become a
franchise. Wan’s other gems include “Dead
Silence,” and his recent 100 million plus horror blockbuster “The
Conjuring.”
Wan was born in Kuching,
Malaysia of Chinese descent and was reared in Melbourne, Australia where he
studied at The royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. This is where he met
his good friend Leigh Whannell who would later partner with him to make films.
Before he made it to Hollywood, Wan shot his first feature length film, “Stygian” with Shannon Young which won
the “Best Guerrilla Film” award at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival in
2000.
 |
| Dalton (played by Ty Simpkins) getting it from a ghost |
Wan next made the trek to the Sundance
Film Festival in 2004 with his original “Saw”
project and it got picked up by Lionsgate Films. Two films, “Dead Silence” and “Death Sentence” followed,” then in 2007 he debuted “Insidious” at the Toronto Film Fest.
Sony jumped on it with both feet and here we are today. What was Wan’s basic
objective with “Insidious, Chapter Two?” He ponders and replies, “I’ve never
made a sequel before. This is my first sequel that I’ve directed and I usually
stay away from that. There have been many “Saw” sequels but I’ve never directed
any of them. Part of the reason for coming back was the chance to work with the
producers and same people, the cast and crew that I love. We had so much fun
making the first movie and also to re-visit the characters again. I love the
characters. It was like catching up with family members but I didn’t want to
re-hash what I did in the first movie. The first movie was a haunted house film
with a twist. For the second one, we felt the nature of where the story was
going. It felt more like a domestic thriller with a supernatural twist.
 |
| Director Wan on set |
That’s
what I think is going to be immediately different but it still lives in the same
world that we had created in the first film.” The film is a little confusing in
terms of the viewer losing track of who is possessing whom, was that done on
purpose? Wan lets out a good laugh, “I don’t think so. I tried to be as clear
as I could but it’s kind of tricky because to some degree you don’t want to try
to explain everything but yet you can explain enough so that people are not too
confused.”
 |
| NO this is not a klan meeting but a basement full of ghost |
Even though Wan has firmly established
himself as a horror director/writer, he has desires to do all sorts of films
from romantic comedies to action. And one of those desires has been fulfilled
as he is now directing “Fast and Furious
7” which is shooting as this interview is being written. What is the
transition like to helm one of the biggest action franchises in the business?
“It is a departure from what people have seen me put out. It’s not a departure
for me. I’ve been wanting to make action films since I came to Hollywood.
That’s my #1 love. It just so happens that I’ve been so successful with my
indie scary movies that I haven’t had the chance to break out of it. I grew up
loving “Raiders of The Lost Ark” and “Terminator” so those are the films that
I want to eventually make and ten years later I’m finally getting the chance to
do so.”
The
Constant Battle
I realize that there is a constant
never ending battle. Good vs. Evil. We may have a beautiful garden
but if we don’t maintain it the weeds will take over. It’s the same with
our minds. If we don’t guard our thoughts, the bad thoughts will grow
like weeds in a garden and strangle our potential and our productivity.
Jamie Masada, the owner of The Laugh Factory, has a quote posted,
“Laughter is the best Medicine”. That’s why I love making people
laugh. Laughter stops the angry depressing weeds from growing in our
minds. You can’t be laughing and be angry at the same time. Well
unless you’re doing an evil laugh. Remember, every minute spent angry is
60 seconds of happiness wasted.
Editor's
note:
To see Leroya's
performance at the Beverly Hills Country Club click on www.youtube.com/watch?v=abb1bBcaDvg or go to youtube and type in
"Leroya Poetry & Comedy at the Beverly Hills Country Club."
To see her on ABC-TV's
"The View"click on
www.youtube. com/watch?v=wf7y9joqIJI
©
2013 Rych McCain Media/Syndication TM
(You
DID Hear It From Me!)
Twitter@rychmccain and Facebook
