The Conjuring is a horror sensation! I’ll start off saying that I’m no fan of horror, I grew up on the Friday the 13th (1980) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), but the slashers and gore just didn’t have interest for me even with Scream (1996). The one bright spot was The Grudge (2004). So I was at Wonder Con, I think I was waiting for another film, and saw The Conjuring panel. There was James Wan, Lorraine Warren, the paranormal investigator of the film, Andrea Perron (the daughter played by Shanley Caswell, she and Cindy are attacked by the spirit on the wardrobe) and Cindy Perron (the person portrayed by Mackenzie Foy, she sleepwalks and goes into the wardrobe).
What captured my imagination is that the entire stadium (myself included) gasped and was shaken by the clip of the clapping game. This is the film by James Wan who also directed Saw (2004) and Insidious (2011). It was written by Chad Haynes and Carey W. Hayes. The movie begins with the brooding score by Joseph Bishara (who also scored Insidious) and the dark logo of Warner Bros. which already sets my nerves on edge. We hear the interview subject, Debbie (Morganna May) interviewed by Ed Warren played by Patrick Wilson who was also the lead in Insidious. Then, there is the close-up of the cracked eye of Annabelle, when I saw it I was about to walk out of the theater, but I was staying just to see if I could take it.
What captured my imagination is that the entire stadium (myself included) gasped and was shaken by the clip of the clapping game. This is the film by James Wan who also directed Saw (2004) and Insidious (2011). It was written by Chad Haynes and Carey W. Hayes. The movie begins with the brooding score by Joseph Bishara (who also scored Insidious) and the dark logo of Warner Bros. which already sets my nerves on edge. We hear the interview subject, Debbie (Morganna May) interviewed by Ed Warren played by Patrick Wilson who was also the lead in Insidious. Then, there is the close-up of the cracked eye of Annabelle, when I saw it I was about to walk out of the theater, but I was staying just to see if I could take it.
Debbie explains that the doll would be found with it’s arm or leg moved. The actual Annabelle is a large Raggedy Ann doll which is just as scary. Then, we see Debbie with her roommate, Camilla (Amy Tipton) and the heading “Annabelle Case - Year 1968.” Lorraine Warren asks if they thought if the doll was possessed. She is played by Vera Farmiga, who is absolutely brilliant here, her performance along with Wilson centers this film. Camilla contacted a medium who said the spirit of a seven-year girl named Annabelle Higgins was lonely. They explain that they are nurses and gave permission for the spirit to possess the doll. Shudders from me.
The ladies return to the apartment and see a scrap of paper that reads, “Miss Me?” They see Annabelle in the corner and find her with red crayons in her hand. They enter the spare room they had left Annabelle and find broken pictures and red scrawling all over the room. A crayon rolls on the floor. Freaking out. Debbie takes Annabelle to the bin outside of the apartment. Then, they hear a knocking, it becomes a pounding. Debbie opens the door and sees the message. Camilla hears a knocking and opens the door. This is a movie that runs shivers throughout the movie.
The ladies return to the apartment and see a scrap of paper that reads, “Miss Me?” They see Annabelle in the corner and find her with red crayons in her hand. They enter the spare room they had left Annabelle and find broken pictures and red scrawling all over the room. A crayon rolls on the floor. Freaking out. Debbie takes Annabelle to the bin outside of the apartment. Then, they hear a knocking, it becomes a pounding. Debbie opens the door and sees the message. Camilla hears a knocking and opens the door. This is a movie that runs shivers throughout the movie.
Ed explains that there never was an Annabelle, Lorraine continues that they were tricked, by an “inhuman spirit.” This is part of a film strip presentation that Ed has his assistant, Drew Thomas (Shannon Kook), stop. They are presenting to a university and the question is asked about the location of Annabelle, Lorraine says “Someplace safe” which is true. The couple go over the various descriptions they have been called and end with Ed and Lorraine Warren. We get an explanation of Lorraine as a clairvoyant and Ed as the only non-ordained Demonologist acknowledged by the Catholic church. They had many cases, but this one was kept from public until now, this was said by Lorraine Warren at the Wonder Con panel.
There is a last text, “Based on a true story.” I was fascinated by the Warrens story and special ordered The Demonologist (1980) by Gerald Brittle. I had to special order it since book stores did not carry it on their shelves at the time of the movie, it is now on shelves. The Warrens are well known for investigating the Amityville House, not in the films, but it has tonal similarities here. It pans up to a window again with the score loud, until the color resolves, and we get the sound of children. Then, we get the heading, “1971 - Harrisville, Rhode Island.” A station wagon and moving van pull up to the house. Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) announces that they reached the house. What is great about Wan’s direction is that the terrors are strong, but there is enough parts where we get family life and the normal life with the Warrens and Perrons that kept me going. Then, we get the mother, Carolyn Perron (Lili Taylor) shuffling all of the kids inside. Roger sees at the door the family dog, Sadie, who stands outside the door. Smart dog.
There is a last text, “Based on a true story.” I was fascinated by the Warrens story and special ordered The Demonologist (1980) by Gerald Brittle. I had to special order it since book stores did not carry it on their shelves at the time of the movie, it is now on shelves. The Warrens are well known for investigating the Amityville House, not in the films, but it has tonal similarities here. It pans up to a window again with the score loud, until the color resolves, and we get the sound of children. Then, we get the heading, “1971 - Harrisville, Rhode Island.” A station wagon and moving van pull up to the house. Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) announces that they reached the house. What is great about Wan’s direction is that the terrors are strong, but there is enough parts where we get family life and the normal life with the Warrens and Perrons that kept me going. Then, we get the mother, Carolyn Perron (Lili Taylor) shuffling all of the kids inside. Roger sees at the door the family dog, Sadie, who stands outside the door. Smart dog.
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| The Conjuring Wonder Con panel; James Wan, Lorraine Warren, Andrea Perron, and Cindy Perron, 2013, photo by the author. |
Nice camera work by John R. Leonetti that moves through the chaos of setting up house. Cindy takes a wind chime to hang outside of the house. She calls for April (Kyla Deaver) who has found a music box next to a tree, it seems to grow dark as the music plays, this is so wrong. A game is played with Christine Perron (Joey King) blindfolded and spun around. She hears her sister's clap. This game is so not fun, I wouldn’t play it as a joke. Christine asks for a second clap. Carolyn sees Cindy (Mackenzie Foy) in the corner trying to be quiet. Christine opens the basement door. Nancy (Hayley McFarland) claps and Christine grabs her. Something has broken, everyone huddles into the room, and Roger checks on it.
He removes a board to check out the cob-webbed cellar with a match. At the bottom, he sees a piano. He places a box of matches on the stair and tells his family not to enter the cellar. Roger sees his wife in their room, Sadie is barking outside, it seems like a normal, loving family. In the morning, Carolyn wakes up and finds a bruise on her knee. She checks on her kids and Nancy says there was a smell in her room, but it’s gone. Carolyn notices that the clock is stopped at 3:07 and goes to see Roger checking out the cellar with a flashlight. April goes happily looking for Sadie. She screams and her parents rush to find that the family dog has died. Of course the demonic has to take care of the dog that is trying to warn them.
He removes a board to check out the cob-webbed cellar with a match. At the bottom, he sees a piano. He places a box of matches on the stair and tells his family not to enter the cellar. Roger sees his wife in their room, Sadie is barking outside, it seems like a normal, loving family. In the morning, Carolyn wakes up and finds a bruise on her knee. She checks on her kids and Nancy says there was a smell in her room, but it’s gone. Carolyn notices that the clock is stopped at 3:07 and goes to see Roger checking out the cellar with a flashlight. April goes happily looking for Sadie. She screams and her parents rush to find that the family dog has died. Of course the demonic has to take care of the dog that is trying to warn them.
This shifts to “Monroe, Connecticut - Warren’s Home”, Ed is showing a reporter the room where all of the objects are cursed or part of some ritual. He reminds his visitor not to touch anything. Ed explains that he has a priest bless the room once a month. The man asks why not throw them in an incinerator. Ed tells him that it would only destroy the vessel, whatever evil in there, would go out. He takes him to see Annabelle and we see Ed in the reflection of the cabinet she is in. He finds his daughter, Judy (Sterling Jerins), there in the room. Ed warns her about never going in the room. Later, he finds Lorraine brushing Judy’s hair, and Ed tells her that the reporter might write a positive article. She tells him, “Stop blaming yourself.” The mystery of what happened is revealed in the film, part of the Warrens' arc here.
Night, we see the clock ticking until it reaches 3:07. Christine is trying to sleep, we move to a close-up, and then she is pulled that she thinks is a trick by her sister and roommate Nancy. The tv is running static, Roger is asleep, and then is wakened by a thumping sound. A door creaks open. Shivers. On the stairs is Andrea (Shanley Caswell) who says Cindy is sleepwalking. This is the slow build up, Wan goes against the jump-scares, which makes us understand the signs of what is happening. When the terror kicks in, it is relentless, Wan intended the film to get a PG-13 rating and it received a rated R “for sequences of disturbing violence and terror.” An R rating for scariness, but it’s true, I’ve seen the film several times and I’m just spooked looking at darkened hallways and rooms. The Conjuring which was intended by Wan to be called the Warren Files, probably not as scary a title, is terrifying and not for people who don’t like the scares. Still, I wanted to see the film, to confront my fear, though I still haven’t finished the book on the Warrens. The Conjuring is one of the best horror movies filled with pure terror!
Five Music Boxes out of Five!
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