The Ouija Files: Murch Goes to LA to Promote DVD/Blu-ray Release of 'Ouija'

BY BOB MURCH

HI FRIENDS! A few weeks ago I got an email from Joy Moh and Michael Gonzales from Think Jam, a digital marketing company that Universal Home Entertainment hired to organize the media release event for Ouija’s release on Blu-ray & DVD on Tuesday, February 3. They asked me if I wanted to be included and of course I said yes! A party and Ouija? They didn’t have to ask me twice.

No way around it – I’ve been lucky. I got to consult on the movie, was filmed by Universal for the extras on the Digital Download and Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, and was now going to be part of the release party. Does this stuff actually happen? Turns out the answer is YES.

Using my contacts at Hasbro, Winning Moves, and TCG Toys, three of the makers of Ouija today, each agreed to donate some of their Ouija boards as prizes for the event and we were even able to plan a hands on séance for the media as well.

Thank you Nicole, Philip, Joe, Michael, and Jacalyn - your boards made the event and gave everyone the chance to experience for themselves Ouija.

But, what would an amazing Ouija opportunity be without a little drama? By a little drama I mean a blizzard. I was scheduled to head out last Wednesday first thing in the morning but Mother Nature had other plans. New England and Boston in particular got slammed and buried with almost three feet of snow. The blizzard started Monday morning and went through Tuesday night. The mayor issued travel bans and the airport was closed. Things weren’t looking good for me to fly out Wednesday morning.

The Ouija Files: Murch on His Extras Contribution to the 'Ouija' Movie

BY ROBERT MURCH

We’ve all done it. Your favorite movie finally comes out on DVD and you can’t hit play fast enough. You know every word and irritate whomever you talked into watching it with you. Then, you head on over to the "Extras" section where you can hear the director's thoughts, get the behind-the-scenes scoop, and if you’re lucky, even learn something.

So, you can imagine how psyched I was when I got the chance to film for the DVD release of Ouija® the movie which possesses theatres on October 24th. I consulted during pre-production of the movie and I thought that was cool. Thanks to Gene Orlando from the Museum of Talking Boards and Bennett Schneir, one of the producers of the movie, I got my chance.

I was put in touch with the production company Universal Studios Home Entertainment hired. At first they wanted to film in the LA area, which would have been awesome except that they wouldn’t be able to film all the Ouija stuff that makes great B roll.

In the end they came to Boston where they transformed my home into a set! They filmed me talking about how Ouija and talking boards got their start and we followed them through the ages trying to answer the million-dollar question: How did Ouija go from family fun night to family fright night?