I've heard of astral projections. But never in the context of a horror story. In this entity, the "spirit" assumes an out-of-body experience, leaving the physical body behind, taking the form of an "astral body" traveling to a realm habitated by malevolent spirits. In James Wan's "Insidious", the astral body navigates to what they call "further" - a dark brooding world of hopelessness and desperation.
I was never a fan of James Wan, the director who megged the first S&M cine-trash, "Saw". This Malaysian-born megman has sculpted a film that, though on the surface, reeks of cliches: a happy family moves to a seemingly haunted house, a possessed child, and things that bump in the dark - is nevertheless a nail-biter. Wan succeeds in manner of presentation.
Sure, there are ashen faced zombie-like creatures that stand behind curtains and sinister looking ghouls with "fire on his face", but they navigate around even in the daylight. After all, monsters don't always sleep in the daytime. A lot of horror films pattern their creepy creatures after the sleep-wake cycle of Dracula: awake in the night, devours people, have fangs and generally possess bad teeth; afraid of the crucifix, and photophobic. Ho-hum.
Well, surprise! In "Insidious", we find them hiding at the cupboards while the sun's poetically beaming in middle class America. We even see one dancing to an old spinning record, his back turned against the home owner. I had shivers! And, finally, we find them playing with the alarm! And by gosh! Made my hair stand on end! I was all spooked out!
Spoilers!
When the Lamberts move to a new house, their first child Dalton (Ty Simpkins) falls off a ladder then goes into coma, although examinations show "no cranial injuries" and normal electroencephalogram readings. When sightings of ghastly creatures become incessantly disturbing, Josh and Renai (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, respectively) decide to move to a new place - again! But it becomes clear it isn't the house that's haunted. It's the comatose child Dalton. Now how do they get rid of these pesky "visitors", all out to claim the "empty shell" in Dalton's body?
Give yourself a good scare. Catch it now!
The man with fire on his face...
Rose Byrne
Rose Byrne
Rose Byrne: This Australian actress plays Moira MacTaggert in the spectacular "X-Men First Class".
Patrick Wilson: He was a multi-awarded stage actor (even won for the musical, "The Full Monty") before making it to the silver screen. He'll be seen next in the morality drama, Matthew Chapman's "The Ledge" along side Liv Tyler, et.al.
Patrick Wilson (above and below) - As an award-winning stage actor, he even played a big role in "Miss Saigon", essaying the role of Chris (Kim's lover). So you can imagine how powerful his singing voice should be. "Last Night of the World", anyone?While on the subject of shivers and hair-raising spectacle, hear Patrick Wilson sing "Why God Why" for a scene in Cameron MacIntosh's "Miss Saigon". Amazing powerful voice in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1akeEcIe54
And don't stop there, listen to his "All I Ask of You", his duet with Emy Rossum for "Phantom of the Opera".
Insidious, for those who aren't too familiar with the word, is an adjective that means "stealthily treacherous or deceitful". 
