Patrick Wilson Shines on Insidious: The Red Door Soundtrack
Patrick Wilson has, in recent years, made something of a darling of himself among horror fans. Between leading roles in both the Insidious and Conjuring franchises, as well as turns in Prometheus, Hard Candy, and Bone Tomahawk, to name just a few, have cemented him as a paragon of the modern horror age. In the face of his acting career, it can be all too easy to forget one simple fact: the man can sing.
In 2004, in one of Wilson’s earliest roles, he starred alongside Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler in the big screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s beloved stage musical, The Phantom of the Opera (itself a musical adaptation of the turn of the century French novel by Gaston Leroux). Wilson played Raoul, childhood friend and love interest of Emmy Rossum’s Christine. In taking on the role, Wilson performed one of the most loved songs of the musical and, truly, of Weber’s catalog, All I Ask of You. The duet is the love theme for Raoul and Christine, and stands as one of Weber’s best.
This role was by no means a fluke for Wilson, who had been treading the boards in Broadway musicals since 2005, even gaining a Tony nomination for his role in the stage production of The Full Monty. Knowing all of this, it should come as no surprise that Wilson finally has a song on a non-musical film soundtrack. He, alongside fan favorite macabre rock band Ghost, has recorded a cover of Shakespears Sister’s 1992 hit song “Stay”, to be included on the soundtrack for the upcoming film Insidious: The Red Door.
Taking on such an iconic and unusual song could have presented some difficulties, but Wilson and Ghost manage to make it their own. Wilson sings the main verses, originally done by Shakespears Sister’s Marcella Detroit, but her ethereal vocals are replaced by a softer, slower tempo cadence that gives the song a clandestine feeling, as though the listener is eavesdropping on a confession. Detroit’s whistle register later in the song is replaced by a shrieking guitar courtesy of Ghost, who also cover the change-up refrain, giving the song an even heavier edge in juxtaposition to Wilson’s intimate vocals. The former Broadway star’s fuller range comes into play in the song’s epic finale, creating a small masterpiece of a cover song that will rank among the best ever to come from a horror soundtrack.
Will this lead to more vocal work by Wilson on film soundtracks? Only time will tell, but if he can produce any more artistry like this, it will definitely be something to look forward to.
Insidious: The Red Door released in theaters and to VOD streaming on July 7th, and though it has received mixe
d reviews with a poor showing on Rotten Tomatoes hovering at 38%, it still ranks as the highest grossing entry into the series yet, earning near to $200 million.
To stream or purchase the single, visit: https://i.ghost-official.com/Stay