Well, I did it: I survived seeing The Conjuring. Trust me when I tell you this was a pivotal moment in my movie going life. I was too young, thankfully, to see The Exorcist in theaters when it was released in 1973. More on that later, but I had zero excuses left to not see The Conjuring with my beloved earlier today. As I sat through the trailers leading up to the feature film, I was thinking, "There's just no way this movie's really going to be *that* scary."
I was wrong. It is. It really is. The Conjuring is masterfully done. I've heard some believe it's a kind of throwback horror film - an homage to some of the best, most frightening movies of all time. It zeroed in on some of my deepest, darkest fears and literally wrung me out emotionally. If you're a fan of classic haunted house horror flicks, this one is a must see. Grab some popcorn, grab your date's hand (try not to draw blood from all the squeezing) and just sit back and go with this one. You'll love it.
The Conjuring is not a perfect film. Sure, the plot seems a bit far-fetched, especially the whole "based on a true story" angle (if you'd like a little more information about the "true story," this site has some great photos and general information). Sometimes things get a bit hokey. That's okay, because when this film scares, it does so brilliantly. Director James Wan did a first-rate job. The Conjuring excels at building tension and delivering scares with very little gore. This movie is proof that buckets of blood aren't always necessary for good horror. Pacing is huge in any great horror movie, and The Conjuring is almost perfectly paced. The tension builds and builds...and builds some more. You know something is coming, but you jump out of your seat anyway. And the acting performances in The Conjuring, particularly by Vera Farmiga and Lili Taylor, are outstanding.
Have you seen the James Wan-directed Insidious? Remember how good the first half of that movie was, pacing-wise? Same deal with The Conjuring, but for the full film. Mr. Wan: You did it. You made the scariest movie I've seen in well over a decade (or more). Hats off. Now go away and never do this again. I don't think I can take the apparent sequel that's coming.
Is The Conjuring as terrifying as The Exorcist? In my opinion, no, but I saw William Friedkin's brilliant horror film as an eight year old girl. My parents left me and my best friend with a babysitter, and it was on TV. She thought it would be awesome for us to watch. I had nightmares for years, literally YEARS, and I hate that babysitter to this day. I still maintain that Linda Blair's spine-tingling performance was the most terrifying thing I've ever witnessed on film. I can't imagine how scary this movie was in theaters.
The Conjuring definitely spooked everyone in our theater, but no one fainted. No one whipped out a Bible and began reciting verses to save their soul from whatever evil entity wanted to claim it. I was truly scared, but it was a fun kind of scared for me, and it was wonderfully liberating. I've always maintained that I'm just too chicken to go see the truly frightening movies in the theater. This was a test, and I passed with flying colors. Well, actually I'll admit, I did hide behind my hands twice, and I just happened to turn my head to the side a bit during one particularly tense scene (hey I had a crick in my neck, okay?) - but I stayed in my seat. I did not run screaming from the theater. I did not get stuck sitting out in the lobby like a loser while everyone else watched the last few minutes of the movie.
Would I go see The Conjuring again? Absolutely not. There's just no sense in pushing my luck. I might not make it through twice. And this doesn't mean I'll ever be able to watch The Exorcist again, either. Heck, I can't even look at photos of Linda Blair in full-out possession mode without getting all tingly. But now I get it: Sometimes, being scared is just plain fun. Clearly, America agrees with me, because horror films are doing extremely well at the summer box office.
Have you seen The Conjuring yet? Will you see it? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go turn on every single light in this house, hug my dog and wait for the nightmares that are probably coming.
Photos courtesy of TotalFilm.com and The Hollywood Reporter
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