**1/2
Every couple of years, the American moviegoing public is greeted with a film that instantly earns the enviable tag of “One of the Scariest Movies Ever Made!” This designation used to be reserved for only the most special of terror tales – Psycho, The Exorcist, Alien – but these days, it’s a catchphrase free-for-all, without much meaning. Saw, The Descent (far and away the best of the bunch), Paranormal Activity, Insidious – the list goes on. (But no Jack and Jill? What the hell?)
The Conjuring is the latest picture to manufacture this reputation for itself, and it seems to have taken hold in many moviegoers who are treating it like the second coming of Linda Blair. I suppose it’s possible to be shaken to the core by this movie – even if it’s ultimately not much more frightening than, say, The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone or Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island – but ultimately, it’s just one more haunted-house yarn, albeit one that’s modestly elevated by James Wan’s relatively restrained direction and a roster of characters who are more levelheaded than the usual gang of idiots who populate films of this nature.
Reportedly based on a true story – and if you believe that everything in this film really did happen, then I have 20 acres of Jersey shore property I can sell you cheap – this examines what paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) consider the most frightening and baffling case of their careers. It’s the early 1970s, and they’re called upon to check out a house newly purchased by the Perrons: dad Roger (Ron Livingston), mom Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and their five daughters. It’s a pleasant enough property, but once the Perrons move in, weird things begin happening. First, of course, they discover the lovable family pooch laying dead outside. Then birds begin slamming into the house. Then all the clocks stop at 3:07 … every night. Strange clapping sounds, unexplained bruises all over Carolyn’s body, doors creaking open by themselves – time to call the Ghostbusters! Or, in a pinch, the Warrens.
To his credit, Wan relies on establishing and maintaining mood more than engaging in cheap scares or buckets of blood, but there’s only so much that can be done with a premise as overexposed as this one (is there anything less cinematic than watching people monitoring cameras and tape recorders?). The filmmakers try to generate some tension with a leering doll that’s no match for Trilogy of Terror‘s Zuni doll, a guest appearance by the title apparition in Mama, and even the Pixar ball being rolled across a floor, but the return on investment is minimal – the concession prices will scare more people than any of these devices. The Conjuring boasts top production values and an admirable refusal to condescend to its audience, but we really should be demanding more from our horror flicks.
This article appears in Jul 24-30, 2013.
I liked the movie. I personally don’t put any stock in the tagline “Based on a true story.” I am not sure that there is any one who truly believes it or not. I feel that that is all part of the game. I think it sort of like adding tags to a blog or an article. I must admit that we have seen this film in one form or another over the past forty-years. From the Amityville Horror, to the granddaddy of them all The Exorcist, however, what makes director James Wan’s new take on the paranormal horror genre different than the two classic films mentioned, is the execution. I think Wan’s vision of horror is superb as he brings all the paranormal horror genre tropes together perfectly. The writers hit every motif in the book, from smells of rotting meat, birds crashing into the house, unexpected other-worldly appearances, to weather that changes from mild to severe in the middle of a scene. We still know that this is stuff from Amityville story, even down to 8 minutes difference in the time that the Perron’s witching hour, to Ronald Defeo’s and the Lutz’s witching time. Also, composer Joseph Bishara creates the creepy, dread-filled atmospheric environment with his deep tones of the brass and the shrill shrieks of the violins. The tension rises as the temperature drops on the set. Together, with the subtle noises, the intense score and the shock images of the dead bring on the primal fear of the characters that transfers directly to the audience. As the film progresses the suspense becomes even more palpable. The tension rises and so does the freaky factor. Done without the use of CGI, Wan goes back to the days before computer graphics and does the effects either in camera or manually. This gives the atmosphere a certain sense of realism that the audience feeds on. The director uses the traditionally cheap jump scare effectively, and in the most sublime way. My wife and I felt this was a frightening fun film. I think the audience did too considering all the short shrieks, gasps and jumps. On the way out, we heard audience members laughing nervously as they were telling each other about their favorite scenes.