THE CONJURING: a movie review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, and Evergreen Media present The Conjuring.   Starring Vera Farminga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, and Ron Livingston.  Directed by James Wan.  Written by Chad & Carey Hayes.  Cinematography by John R. Leonetti.  112 Minutes.  Rated ‘R’ for sequences of disturbing violence and terror.

A litmus test for a horror film is when an audience made up primarily of wise-cracking teenagers has been silenced.  Such was the case with The Conjuring, a suspenseful and stylish horror/thriller and notable entry in the “bad place” genre from an unexpected source:  James Wan, director of Insidious and curator of the Saw series.  Supposedly based on the real-life experiences of demonologist duo Ed and Lorraine Warren, its basis in truth is probably about the same as Fargo’s claim.  Yet that doesn’t diminish the power of this terrifying film. 

We follow the Warrens (Vera Farminga and Patrick Wilson) on their early explorations and encounters with the spirit world, while Carolyn and Roger Perron’s (Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston) big, happy family moves into a large country house that seems like an idyllic fit for them.  Strange events start happening in the Perron’s home, from disturbing noises and stopped clocks to mysterious, deep bruises found on Carolyn.  During a long trip away from home by truck driver Ron, the family comes under heavy attack by dark forces, with the mother trapped and pummeled in the basement while her four daughters are terrorized by a physical manifestation of demonic forces.  Carolyn seeks out the Warrens after one of their college lectures, and the spirit world explorers are plunged into a nightmarish combination of haunted house and exorcism territory.

Director James Wan is the chief orchestrator of terror here, with deft rhythm and timing on his false and genuine scares.  As with humor, the element of surprise is important and the film attacks the viewer with enough off-kilter moments to jolt even the most cynical horror film veteran.  And to Wan’s credit, little of the torture porn violence of Saw is used here. John Leonetti’s extended and panning cinematography also keeps the audience guessing where the next apparition will appear.

The acting is also first rate, particularly Farminga and Wilson, who have strong chemistry portraying a married couple, flesh-and-blood humans facing primal evil.  Livingston does a decent job looking helpless and scared, and Taylor plays yet another terrorized victim well, which is why she’s cast so often in those roles.

Some of the writing goes off the rails, particularly when an extended scene in the house’s basement goes on too long and is inconsistent with the general intelligence the Warrens have shown throughout the movie.  Fortunately, the plot gaffes are few and forgiven by the generally solid storytelling and Wan’s build-up of dread.

As I left the screening, an angry and escalating shouting match started between theater patrons, as if the bad place had shifted to our movie theater.  This is not the feel-good movie of the summer, but if you are appreciative of genuinely frightening horror, The Conjuring is required viewing.

My rating:  ***1/2 out of ****.

    

WORLD WAR Z: a movie review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Paramount Pictures et al. present World War Z.  Starring Brad Pitt, Mirielle Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Fana Mokoena, Matthew Fox, and David Morse.  Directed by Marc Singer.  Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, and Damon Lindelof, based on the novel by Max Brooks.  Cinematography by Ben Seresin (credited) and Robert Richardson (uncredited).  116 minutes.  Rated PG-13 for intense frightening zombie sequences, violence, and disturbing images.

Zombies have become a part of our vernacular and have a genre all their own, and World War Z is a respectable addition to zombie lore.  The insect swarm-like zombies of this motion picture are an original twist, and enough suspense and high stakes are added to make it a worthwhile viewing experience.

If anyone had been reading the entertainment press's accounts over the past year, World War Z was either 1) never going to be released or 2) going to be an unmitigated disaster.  It started as a project based on the critically and commercially successful Max Brooks novel, but the movie was going wildly over its budget and the third act was recently rewritten.  The only evidence I could see onscreen of the many "cooks" was the over-sanitized zombie violence, which is generally more sci-fi action-like than the grim realism and graphic gore of The Walking Dead.

As for the main plot, Brad Pitt portrays Gerry Lane, a former U.N. worker thrust back into service as a zombie-like virus threatens his immediate family's safety and quickly strangles the globe.  Unless he travels with a research team to one of the original hot spots in Korea, his family will lose their cramped but safe quarters aboard a military ship for "more essential" personnel.  A global journey begins that takes him to Korea and then Israel, in which he meets Segan, a brave Israeli soldier (Daniella Kertesz), who becomes an essential partner in their future journeys of mutual survival.

Though many zombie aficionados may balk at a film with a surprising lack of blood, suspense thriller fans will be pleasantly surprised with the use of tense jeopardy scenarios and build up instead of buckets of gore.  Overall, the zombies are portrayed in selected scenes more like insect swarms or an invading military force, but Gerry and Segan have a few precarious close encounters with the infected ghouls that could make your date or spouse jump in your lap.

Those seeking the existential horror of The Walking Dead, or the social commentary on race and family units of Romero's original Night of the Living Dead, may be disappointed.  However, audiences who like globe-hopping suspense thrillers may want to join Brad Pitt in his zombie-fighting adventures.

My rating:  *** out of ****.

THIS IS THE END: a movie review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Columbia Pictures, Mandate Pictures, and Point Grey Pictures present This Is the End.  Starring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Washington, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Michael Cera, and Emma Watson.  Directed by Evan Goldberg and Rogen.  Written by Rogen and Goldberg, based on their 2007 short film "Jay and Seth vs. the Apocalypse."  Cinematography by Brandon Trost.  107 minutes.  Rated 'R' for crude and sexual content throughout, brief graphic nudity, pervasive language, drug use, and violence.

Seth Rogen and company have beaten Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and their comedy/horror troupe by two months' release time for a comic version of the apocalypse.  This will probably work towards This Is the End's box office advantage.  But with Rogen's wildly uneven filmography, could he and his co-conspirators make a movie that successfully appeals to dark humor lovers?

The answer is a qualified "yes." The loose premise is that all the actors are playing fictionalized versions of themselves (one hopes), and are generally on their worst behavior in facing the end times.  Rogen picks up Canadian Jay Baruchel from LAX, presumably for some buddy and male bonding time, but eventually drags Baruchel to a wild, celebrity-filled party at James Franco's mansion.  What starts happening outside the bacchanal is the filmmakers' version of the Rapture.  Those left behind face fire, massive earthquakes, and demons that walk the Earth.

Of course, the comedian party animals are left behind and don't fend for themselves too well.  Each are guilty of escalating outrages, particularly Danny McBride, with Michael Cera receiving a dishonorable mention.  The usually mild-mannered and quiet Cera is particularly a good sport in this film, doing a couple of simulated acts that could shock anyone.

In several scenes, the movie delivers the laughs.  Rogen and Baruchel's argument about gluten-free diets is a comic gem.  Parodies of horror movie cliches such as false scares and exorcisms are on target, such as a night scene where an ever-growing group of grown men uncomfortably snuggle up together out of fear.  And the cast's exaggerated send-up of themselves works as a whole.

Yet even at 107 minutes, the film is still too long.  Even though several set pieces are quite funny, the last half hour feels like this premise was based on a shorter film skit, which it was.  As an audience member, you can feel the clock ticking and the passable special effects padding the stretched-out climax. Also, how many dick and scatological jokes can one tell and still be funny?  Rogen and Goldberg must think quite a few.

Even with its flaws, for those who like their humor on the dark side and don't mind having their sensibilities offended, This Is the End offers an entertaining night at the movies.  For those who use the term "off color humor," the film offers consolation that they will not be left behind, but they should leave this film behind.

My rating:  *** out of ****.