Hi all,
I would never say that I am a horror movie fan. I'm not. I find them terrifying experiences which ultimately become a test of the strength of my will as I jump and scream until the end. But I do like being scared. And it's so, so confusing. Especially when many of the movies I end up buying (cheaply) are horror films. That's what this new series of posts will be about. My genuine terror at horror movies every week. Every horror film you can think of will be covered (hopefully), nothing is off limits. This is going to be a test of terror every Thursday night for me and my thoughts and opinions uploaded to the internet every Friday. This should be fun. Welcome to Fright Night Fridays.
Thanks,
James
The Conjuring
2013, USA, Directed by James Wan
Well, that was terrifying.
This is one of the most genuinely frightening films I have ever seen. After I
finished watching it (at around midnight), I was shaking because of the terror.
It could also have been because my usually fool proof way of making it through
horror movies wasn’t as successful. I’ve found that when I watch scary films
all I have to do is grab on to something tightly and I’ll be fine. It’s like
the mattress (or my leg) is absorbing the terror making me able to watch the
film. Well, after watching The Conjuring,
I’m fairly sure I’ve broken a few springs in my bed and my fingers were barely
able to move. It’s a story that we’ve seen numerous times before, a couple of
paranormal experts investigate a house and a family rocked by terrifying incidents,
but what it lacks in originality, it makes up in style. We’ve all seen many of
the set pieces the film uses, but it uses them in a way that is completely
terrifying. It ratchets the terror up to eleven and watches us scream. Like
many horror movies, the characters aren’t particularly three-dimensional (well,
excluding the Warrens, particularly Lorraine who is one of the strongest female
horror protagonists I’ve seen in a while), more conduits for the horror that
the story forces them to undergo. However, what really makes this film stand
out is that it doesn’t look like it’s made in 2013. It looks like a film from
the 70s or 80s with minimal effects and maximum terror. Unlike many new horror
films, it doesn’t rely on blood and gore to get the fear from its audience,
which makes it much more terrifying because it feels more realistic. I’ve also
heard that this is set to become a franchise with a second sequel in the works
and a spin-off based around the creepy doll Annabelle coming later in the year.
If it’s anywhere near as terrifying as this film, then we may be witnessing the
start of a brilliant new franchise. We may also be witnessing the start of many
sleepless nights and bloodied fingers for me.
Gore/Violence:
2 (a bit at the horrifying climax, but not much)
Sex/Nudity: 1
(a reference right at the start)
Scares: 5
(watching this at midnight was an extremely unwise decision)
Best Scene: The
sheet catches someone in the wind
Overall
Verdict: 9
Thanks,
James
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