by Chris Lovato
This week, it’s a Special Edition of the Halloween Must Watch Movie List!
The search for scary movies to watch this Friday is a tough one, but here’s a gem you’ll want to catch if you haven’t seen it already. From James Wan, the man who brought us Saw and Insidious, comes: The Conjuring.
Set in rural Rhode Island in 1971, The Conjuring tells the based-on-a-true-story of the Perron family. When they move into a new house (read: fixer-upper), the family starts to notice strange goings-on. The discovery of a hidden basement makes things worse, and it isn’t long before the family starts to believe that the house is haunted.
Calling on the help of Ed and Lorraine Warren, two famed paranormal investigators, the family finds out that they’re not being haunted; there’s a demonic entity in the house, and it wants the family dead. What it really wants, however, is much more blood-chilling…one of them.
I can’t say too much about the plot without giving everything away, but trust me, there’s more than enough to carry through the whole movie.
Each cast member adds a different element to the film. Vera Farmiga (The Departed, Source Code) is Lorraine Warren, a paranormal investigator and clairvoyant. Her ability to see things others can’t makes her invaluable, although her gift comes at the cost of a dark history with the paranormal. Patrick Wilson (Insidious, Watchmen) is Ed Warren, a self-proclaimed demonologist who’s torn between fighting the creatures in the dark and protecting his family. Ron Livingston (Office Space, Swingers) is Roger Perron, the head of the family and the reason the family moves into the house; however, Lili Taylor (High Fidelity, Say Anything) steals the show as the mother of 4 children and the target of the demon.
The CGI in this movie does nothing to detract from it, but the real star is the scenery. Every set adds to the creepiness, and the house itself provides an excellent playground for the demon. The crew makes use of every set element to make sure that the family knows something’s there, and it blends effortlessly with the computer imagery to bring the story to life.
This movie ties together a series started by The Amityville Horror and continued most recently by Annabelle, and the doll even makes its introductory appearance in The Conjuring. More specifically, it establishes the link between the films, and provides a rather stark and intriguing look into the world of paranormal investigation. It even offers a found-footage element, to draw from a popular horror trope, but in a different way to help enhance the story.
Overall, The Conjuring is hands-down a Must Watch this Halloween, and don’t forget to follow it up with Annabelle.
Acting 5 / 5
Plot 5 / 5
Setting 5 / 5
Fear Factor 5 / 5
Overall 5 / 5
Author’s note:
Dear readers,
This review marks the end of my tenure with Kings River life. It’s been a great year, but outside projects don’t quite allow me the time and dedication being a Staff Writer needs.
So, I’m announcing an indefinite sabbatical.
KRL has given me a wide variety of material for my writing portfolio, and I’d like to thank Lorie for giving me the chance to be on staff. None of this would have been possible without you.
I’d also like to thank the rest of the KRL staff; you guys make this possible too!
A special thank-you goes out to Trista Holmes for introducing me to KRL; it meant the world that you’d recommended me to write that Supernatural review.
If you’d like to keep up with my other work, just pay a visit to StudioElev1.com; I’ll be posting more stories before the year closes out!
Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Chris Lovato
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