THE CONJURING Review

Reviewing THE CONJURING from Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. Stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga and directed by James Wan.

I've reached my quota for Horror Movies this year as I only promised myself that I'll only catch "The Conjuring" and "Mama" and now I'm through and what a send off the former is.

The movie follows the story of the Perron family who moves in to their new home and start to experience a lot of weird stuff going on such as clocks stopping at 3:07 in the morning, the family dog dying all of a sudden and much, much more. The haunting goes on until the mother Carolyn (Lili Taylor) decides to seek the help of Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren in their case to save her family.

Let's play "Hide and Clap"

I'm not entirely sure where the POV comes from as details are contradicting. Some claim that the film was based on the Warrren's POV while others claim that it's the Perrons. What's clear though is that they experienced the same things and they witnessed the same horror that tormented the family for days.

Effects wise, the movie did not scrimp on anything. It's nice that they still use practical effects and makeup in a few scenes and not rely solely on CGI. Much props for making Bathsheba a really scary force of demonic nature. The same thing can be said for possessed Carolyn who makes a big splash at the film's climax. Her's is also a source of inspiration for future collectible figures soon.

The suspense and horror aspect is fresh. Director James Wan knows that we're all sick and tired of all the mindless, useless CGI effects to scare the hell out of moviegoers so he takes a step back and employ all the tactics and strategies he used in films like "Saw" and "Insidious" to bring out the gasp factor. And it works brilliantly. Wan knows better that a film will work if you go and screw with the audience's minds before bringing out the A-Game.

Allow me to elaborate through this trailer...



Consider it mindblowing foreplay before sex. The subtle use of creepy music, the building of dread and the sense of doom and gloom made THE CONJURING such a great win for the horror movie genre.

The casting was great and Patrick Wilson shows why he's kicking ass in this genre (Wilson also appeared in that other massively popular flick INSIDIOUS as well as playing Night Owl II in Zack Snyder's WATCHMEN adaptation). Vera Famiga was also beautiful here. I don't know why she's suddenly this cute. Her other films sort of didn't cast her in the spotlight I guess.

James Wan knows what he's doing and crafted a brilliant horror movie that's BASED on a true story. There might be a few inaccuracies in the film's depiction from the Warren's case files and from the books that the Perrons released but this is as close as we could get to the actual events that occured with the Perrons and the Warrens and from Bathsheba...

Those moments when I can only ask "WHY?"

... unless of course you want her to stay by your side tonight.

Perhaps one of the best scenes here in the movie was the teaming up between the ghostly Bathsheba with the rest of the spirits locked away in the Warren's home particularly the sinister Anabelle doll which is used heavily in marketing the film.

The unholyalliance of Bathsheba and Annabelle 

Great movie. Great, creepy, scary movie.

VERDICT: "A" 

THE CONJURING is such a great movie but be sure to leave the lights on before you sleep and chuck away your old dolls at home. Oh and no matter how 'brave' you are you will let out a loud scream with all the creepy stuff in the movie.

Photos appear courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Special thanks to WB Philippines for the passes. The Conjuring opens AUGUST 21. 

The Conjuring Sets Sneak Previews Aug 12 & 13

MANILA, Aug. 8, 2013 – One of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year, New Line Cinema's horror thriller “The Conjuring” will hold special sneak previews on Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 12 & 13 in selected theaters nationwide.

This was announced today by Francis Soliven, General Manager of Warner Bros. Philippines, the film's local distributor. Soliven relayed the good news in response to the public's exceedingly high interest in the film, stoked by the movie's recent record-breaking bow in the U.S. and sensational internet buzz.

“The Conjuring” has surpassed $100 million at the North American box office on only its third weekend in theatres, crossing the milestone on Saturday, Aug. 3, and has earned an estimated $108.6 million domestically to date, and still climbing.

The terrifying supernatural horror thriller, from director James Wan, opened to rave reviews from critics, as well as audiences, a fact that was reflected in the film’s A- CinemaScore—an extremely rare mark for the genre. “The Conjuring” had an extraordinary $41.9 million opening weekend at the domestic box office, the largest opening ever for an original horror film.

“The Conjuring” is also off to a great start internationally, opening in just 13 markets thus far. The film opened in the UK this weekend, taking the #1 spot on Friday and Saturday, and it is also holding extremely well in other early release markets, particularly in Australia and Spain. The international total to date is an estimated $28.6 million, with many major markets yet to open, including the Philippines, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Mexico.

Based on the true life story, “The Conjuring” tells the tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives.

From New Line Cinema comes a feature film drawn from the case files of married demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. “The Conjuring” stars Academy Award® nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air”) and Patrick Wilson (“Insidious”) as the Warrens, and Ron Livingston (HBO's “Sex and the City”) and Lili Taylor (“The Haunting”) as Roger and Carolyn Perron, residents of the house. Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy and newcomer Kyla Deaver play the Perrons’ five daughters, and Sterling Jerins is the Warrens’ little girl, Judy.

James Wan (“Saw,” “Insidious”) directed the film from a screenplay by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes (“The Reaping”).

Opening wide across the Philippines on Aug. 21, “The Conjuring” is a New Line Cinema production and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

"The Conjuring" Has Record-Breaking Opening in U.S.

The Warner Bros. Pictures release conjures up $41.9 million weekend

BURBANK, CA – July 22, 2013 – New Line Cinema’s “The Conjuring,” from director James Wan, rode a wave of strong critical and audience acclaim to an extraordinary $41.9 million opening weekend at the domestic box office.

The film broke records for:

The largest opening for an original horror film
Warner Bros.’ largest 3-day opening for a horror film
The largest opening for director James Wan, who created the “Saw” franchise.

In addition, “The Conjuring” earned an A- CinemaScore, one of only three horror movies in the last 10 years to earn such a high mark from moviegoers (with no horror movie ever receiving a higher grade).

Based on the true life story, “The Conjuring” tells the tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives.

From New Line Cinema comes a feature film drawn from the case files of married demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. “The Conjuring” stars Academy Award® nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air,” TV’s “Bates Motel”) and Patrick Wilson (“Insidious”) as the Warrens, and Ron Livingston (“The Odd Life of Timothy Green”) and Lili Taylor (TV’s “Hemlock Grove”) as Roger and Carolyn Perron, residents of the house.

Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy and newcomer Kyla Deaver play the Perrons’ five daughters, and Sterling Jerins is the Warrens’ little girl, Judy. Rounding out the cast are Marion Guyot, Steve Coulter, Shannon Kook, and John Brotherton.

James Wan (“Saw,” “Insidious”) directed the film from a screenplay by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes (“The Reaping”). The film is produced by Tony DeRosa-Grund, Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Walter Hamada and Dave Neustadter serving as executive producers.

New Line Cinema presents a Safran Company / Evergreen Media Group Production of a James Wan Film, “The Conjuring.” The film is being distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

(“The Conjuring” will open across the Philippines on August 21.)

Horror Master Director James Wan Prepares "The Conjuring"

Truth is stranger than fiction…and a lot more frightening. No one knew that better than Ed Warren and his clairvoyant wife, Lorraine, whose lifelong personal experiences combating inhuman forces garnered them respect in the field of demonology long before the immense popularity of the paranormal on the screen. And long before Ed and Lorraine tackled the foreboding menace in a little place called Amityville, they encountered the most perilous evil even they would ever come up against. This terrifying case is the subject of the new horrror film “The Conjuring” from New Line Cinema.

James Wan, who had known of the couple’s work prior to taking the directing reins of “The Conjuring,” relates, “I've always been a big fan of the Warrens. I really admire them. They pioneered the modern-day style of ghost hunting with technical equipment, capturing evidence on film and audiotape. Since they've inspired so many stories, books and films, it was cool to actually make a movie where who they are is as much the focus as the family’s home they are investigating.”

The film reveals the real horrors lurking within a secluded centuries-old farmhouse in the seemingly peaceful countryside of Harrisville, Rhode Island, bought in 1970 by Carolyn and Roger Perron. However, the couple and their five daughters soon find themselves directly in the path of extreme, yet indefinable, danger. When Ed and Lorraine meet the family and the unnatural enemy waging war against them, they know they are in for the battle of their career...and lives.

Producer Peter Safran believes the case was seminal for the Warrens because they wanted not only to safeguard the Perron children, but their own young daughter, Judy. He conveys, “I think what they went through with those girls really laid the groundwork for their life path, including Amityville and beyond. I was particularly drawn to the events because I also have a daughter, and I can't even think of a limit to what I would do to protect her.”

Producer Rob Cowan comments, “Everybody identifies with the notion that something’s under your bed or in the closet, but this really happened, so it makes it all the more chilling.”

Screenwriters Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes had a unique take—telling the story via the tandem points of view of the Warrens and the Perrons. Chad remarks, “What we loved about writing this script is the contrast between two couples: there are the Warrens, who are devout Catholics and respected demonologists, and the Perrons, who aren’t at all religious. And then their lives collide. Who fixes what and how does it get fixed?”

“These strangers crossed paths over some very ugly entities,” Carey adds. “They took a very daunting journey, and going through their steps, we just got hooked. It became an obsession.”

Wan remembers, “When I read the script, I said, ‘Wow, this is great, here is a chance to do something different.’”

During the project’s development, Wan and the Hayes brothers went through the Warrens’ files—some 4,000 cases. “We found a lot of great material,” says Wan. “My goal was to incorporate some of the wildest things they'd encountered in their lifetime, yet still stay true to this particular family’s story. We drew a lot of inspiration from the Perrons’ recollections as well. I thought it was even more frightening to show the scares through the eyes of the pros along with the perspective of this family that has no inkling of the supernatural world.”

“We wanted to honor both families,” says Cowan, “so it was really rewarding when they said we’d achieved a genuine level of accuracy.”

Wan concludes, “Most people will, at some point, relate that they know someone who has, or that they themselves have, experienced something paranormal. On my other films, it was comforting to tell myself those things weren’t real, I’d just made them up…but for ‘The Conjuring’ I didn't have that luxury.”

Opening across the Philippines on August 21, “The Conjuring” is a New Line Cinema production and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

New Poster and Official Trailer for The Conjuring - Nightmare Fuel

New promotional materials for The Conjuring will probably give you a hard time sleeping in the dark. Here's the poster followed by the trailer I saw when I attended the press screening for The Great Gatsby.

Man the poster has everything that'll creep you out. It's got a creepy kid, a creepy house, a creepy clown-ish doll, creepy doll which resembles creepy kid AND creepy, creeky chair.

The Conjuring Has a New Poster and a New Trailer, Scarier than Insidious

New Line Cinema has released the main poster and second trailer of its upcoming horror thriller “The Conjuring” starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. Catch the poster below and the trailer at http://youtu.be/ajGDL21ijhw.

Based on a true story, “The Conjuring” tells the horrifying tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.

New Line and Warner Release Poster and Trailer for The Conjuring

New Line Cinema has rolled out the teaser poster and trailer of its upcoming horror thriller “The Conjuring” starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.

Based on a true story, “The Conjuring” tells the horrifying tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.