It's currently a great time to be a horror fan, as the genre has been experiencing a renaissance over the past few years. October is historically a busy month as well, with scary new projects arriving in time for Halloween. One of the horror movies hitting theaters this month is Timothy Woodward Jr.'s The Call, starring genre legends Tobin Bell and Lin Shaye. The latter actress gets to tap into her scarier side for the new release, and she recently explained why filming was such a cathartic experience.
Lin Shaye has a ton of history with the horror genre, including the original A Nightmare on Elm Street and the Insidious franchise. She's not typically the villain of these stories, but The Call allows the actress to go into a darker place. I had the privilege of speaking with Shaye about her role in the new movie, where she explained why being scary can be so fun. She said,
It was fun. It really really was fun... I have so much terror and anger in my face it scares me to look at. And it’s very cathartic. I always feel one of the gifts of acting is you’re allowed to express your deepest fears in s safe place. Because you're awarded and congratulated for exposing yourself in a way that you’re not allowed to in real life.
Touche, Ms. Shaye. Lin Shaye has had a long career in film, and she knows exactly what it takes to bring characters to life on the big screen. And that sometimes includes exposing the most intimate or darker sides of yourself in front of the cast and crew. While her Insidious character Elise Rainier is a bright light in a dark property, The Call's Edith Cranston required a different side of Shaye.
Acting is a uniquely difficult profession, as it requires performers to exert themselves emotionally and transform into someone else. Horror movies are inherently heightened, with actors entering a dark place in order to properly tell that story. Lin Shaye found this actually quite fun, and allowed her to safely explore sides of herself that are otherwise dormant.
Lin Shaye is a scream queen in her own right, as she's worked on a ton of iconic properties throughout her years on the big screen. She's the protagonist of the Insidious franchise, starring as the lead character in the last few installments. She's also had a role in the original Nightmare on Elm Street as well as Ouijia, the recent Grudge sequel, and Critters. She previously worked with The Call director Timothy Woodward Jr. in the 2018 horror flick The Final Wish.
The Call pairs Lin Shaye with another horror icon: Saw legend Tobin Bell. While he's seemingly done playing John Kramer in that bloody franchise, Bell was able to work with Shaye on their most recent addition to the genre. As such, both actors will once again be in theaters to scare October moviegoers for Halloween.
The Call is currently in theaters and drive-ins. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
