Horror Master James Wan Admits This Wholesome Disney Classic Is His Guilty Pleasure

James Wan
Director James Wan, on set, 2021. ph: Matt Kennedy /© Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection

Director James Wan burst onto the scene in 2004 with the intense indie horror picture Saw. Since then, he has helped launch the Conjuring and Insidious franchises, proving that he truly has the Midas Touch. When Wan is not dreaming up billion-dollar franchise concepts, it seems he enjoys reconnecting with films that imprinted upon him as a child.

One such example is the Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. During an interview, the famed director revealed to FilmLinc that this animated effort was his guilty pleasure and that it had made a significant impression on him at a young age. The picture both frightened and delighted young Wan.

“When I was a kid, there were two movies that had a huge impact on me,” James Wan told the outlet. “The first was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I remember how much it made me love film, but at the same time, how completely frightened I was of the creepy witch. Then there was Poltergeist. That film has scarred me for life. It made me terrified of anything that’s clown or doll-related. Hence, Saw has a creepy ventriloquist doll.”

James Wan, FilmLinc

Hearing the Saw co-creator name Poltergeist as highly influential makes a lot of sense. His fascination with puppets and clowns has infiltrated many of the director’s films. Among the most memorable may be the criminally underrated Dead Silence. And it’s hard to blame him for finding that witch in Snow White creepy. I was a little intimidated by her in my formative years, as well.

Snow White synopsis via Google Movies: The Grimm fairy tale gets a Technicolor treatment in Disney’s first animated feature. Jealous of Snow White’s beauty, the wicked queen orders the murder of her innocent stepdaughter, but later discovers that Snow White is still alive and hiding in a cottage with seven friendly little miners. Disguising herself as a hag, the queen brings a poisoned apple to Snow White, who falls into a death-like sleep that can be broken only by a kiss from the prince.

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