At the Theater - "The Conjuring" - Amongst a myriad of ideas and creepy little events in this Ghost Story/Possession Account, I can only think of one that I hadn't seen some variation of before. The difference between this film and a hundred others of this nature is that it's all put together so considerably well- the Direction is commendably solid, the script is intelligent and the acting is surprisingly good. Most of those little nits to pick are taken care of- most importantly, the film features a logistically sound ending. That "From the Director of Saw and Insidious" disclaimer usually marks the death knell in regards to whether or not I'm interested in a current Horror release, but Director James Wan (Saw, Death Sentence, Insidious, Dead Silence) finally pulls a quality movie out of his ass. Be forewarned- there's several super-spooky moments and a ton of jump scares... I found myself conscientious of the distance between my chompers, so as not to accidentally clack them together when something flashed onscreen.
Set in Rhode Island circa 1971 and promoted as yet another "based on a true story" event, The Conjuring features Patrick Wilson (Watchmen) and Vera Farmiga (The Departed) as real-life paranormal investigators "Ed & Lorraine Warren." After an opening segment in which the supernatural troubleshooters lecture at a local college and recollect their recent experience with a demonic doll, the duo are shortly contacted by a family desperate for help.
Ron Livingston (Office Space) and Lili Taylor (Say Anything), playing "Roger" & "Carolyn Perron", are a couple who move into a dilapidated farm house with their five daughters looking for a quieter, simpler lifestyle in the country. Unbeknownst to the family, the property was once owned by a murderous Witch with a history of ill-will towards children- of course, weird shit starts happening rather quickly.
The cast is solid across the board with everyone putting in good to very good work- though I will admit to being at a loss when considering a standout. Shannon Kook, as a technical assistant to the Warrens, is a talent new to me, while John Brotherton (ABC's One Life To Live) portrays a local Police Officer who (refreshingly) sticks around as a sort of official witness to the proceedings. Joey King (Oz The Great And Powerful), Mackenzie Foy (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 1 & 2), Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland (FOX's Lie To Me) and newcomer Kyla Deaver round out the Perron daughters.
Expect a complete checklist of obligatory haunted house/possession film tropes; with the aforementioned super-creepy doll, a hidden basement with lighting issues, mysterious bruises, a tension-filled peak under a bed, an apprehensive (and ill-fated) family pet, a bouncing ball coming from a darkened corner, a possessed individual vomiting blood, etc.,- yet damned near every familiar moment is tied together with detailed care and an unusual understanding of what works and why. Some people bitch about cliches, but I've seen way too many movies to concede that familiarity is the biggest problem with most horror films- it's the lack of logic (dumb characters doing stupid things) and respect for the subject matter which trips up most entries in the genre. This film is one of the rare exceptions to the rule. I'll give most of the credit to sibling screen-writers, Chad & Carey Hayes, with Wan supplying his creep factor talents as a sort of icing on their cake, so to speak. It's a well-written tale helmed by a Director who's clearly in his comfort zone.
I'm a bit of a ruffian whenever haunted house stories cross my path; I'm always wondering, "Why don't they leave, or just get out and burn the fucker down?" Those particular questions/options are covered in the narrative and dealt with in an acceptable, though not entirely satisfactory manner. I do believe that when children are in peril, sane parents would pull out all stops to remove them from harm. Another issue I did have with this story is the notion that the Warrens kept all of their haunted items and Demonic artifacts in a locked room in their own home...all the while raising a naturally curious, pre-teen Daughter (Sterling Jerins) at the same residence. Yeah, that's a recipe for disaster... and sequels.
This is a throwback Horror film and a loving homage, of sorts- it's highly atmospheric and effectively creepy, utilizing a host of old school scare tactics and with only the absolute bare minimum of CGI FX to speak of. Check it out in a Theater with solid surround sound to make the most of those "things that go bump in the night" moments- and yes, take your sweetie and hold on tight.
8.0 out of 10
Of Note - This is a rated R film which apparently received it's rating due to "Frightening/Intense" scenes- there is no nudity, only a few (relatively) mild curses and very little blood to speak of. It's the first time that I can recall a movie being rated R only because it's scary...
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