The Conjuring (DVD)

Description

Director James Wan made a splash in the horror
genre with Saw, a rather ingenious midnight movie that spawned a legion of
splattery imitators. Rather than continue in that overtly grody mode, however,
Wan chose to move on, with a series of films (most notably Dead Silence and
Insidious) that showed a healthy appreciation of the classics in the field, as
well as a gratifying progression of skills behind the camera. The Conjuring
stands as the moment when Wan puts it all together, fashioning a terrifically
freaky haunted-house movie that respects its audience, even when it’s busy
finding new ways to launch them out of their seats. Based on ostensibly true
events, the film works as something of a thesis on scary movies, featuring all
of the essential elements–a creaky door here, a scary doll there, dark
corners, well, everywhere–as well as a command of old-school pacing. Unlike
the majority of in-your-face modern horror, it knows when to hold back, and
when to go for absolute broke. Chad and Carey Hayes’s script follows Lorraine
and Ed Warren (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson), a pair of married paranormal
investigators dealing with the increasing mental toll of their profession.
When they take on the case of a haunted Connecticut farmhouse, their
misgivings come to a terrifying head. And then some. Wan gets some fantastic
performances from his cast, particularly from the alternately steely and
fragile Farmiga, and Lili Taylor, whose inspired work here more than
compensates for her appearance in the misguided remake of The Haunting.
Together, they make it unnervingly easy to believe in the things in the
shadows. The most impressive element of The Conjuring, though, ultimately
proves to be its utter relentlessness, steadily cranking the screws without
resorting to easy jump scares to tone down the tension. While always playing
fair, it qualifies as one of those rare scary movies that put the viewer
through the absolute wringer, without leaving them feeling ill-used at the
end. Prepare to jump. –Andrew Wright

Features:

Product Details:

• Genre: Horror, Mystery & Suspense/Thrillers
• Format: Multiple Formats, NTSC, Ultraviolet
• Contributor: Peter Safran, Patrick Wilson, Dave Neustadter, Lili Taylor, Walter Hamada, Carey Hayes, Ron Livingston, Rob Cowan, Vera Farmiga, Chad Hayes, Joseph Bishara, James Wan, Tony DeRosa-Grund See more
• Language: English
• Runtime: 112 minutes
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.24 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 27618092
• Director ‏ : ‎ James Wan
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, NTSC, Ultraviolet
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 112 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ October 22, 2013
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor, Joseph Bishara
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ Spanish, French