Horror,
no other genre of film offends as much as this except for pornography. While
the criticism of one is justifiable, that of porn, I have always felt the
criticism of the other is not as justified as some think. I have said for
years, and still do, no other genre of film portrays the battle of good vs.
evil or the power of light over darkness better than Horror. With the release
of The Conjuring, we not only have one of the scariest movies in years but possibly
the scariest movie ever. It is surprisingly spiritual with a strong emphasis on
we overcome evil with God, and God alone. The other startling, statement is the
devil exists and he and his demons are out to destroy all that is good.
The
Conjuring is presented as a more true than not story. It is the story of a haunting that took place
and according to many still takes place in Harrisville Rhode Island. The movie
is the story of the Perron family who lived in the house for approximately 10
years starting in 1970. The experienced haunting in the house shortly after
moving in and according to Andrea Perron in her book House of Darkness, House
of Light, the day they moved into the house. The events in the house became so
severe that they eventually brought in the assistance of the Warren’s played in
the film by Vera Farmiga, most recently of the television show Bates Hotel and
Patrick Wilson who plays the part of Ed Warren. Farmiga plays the part of
Lorraine Warren. The real Lorraine Warren has a brief cameo in the film.
The
Warren’s noted for their paranormal investigations over the years, including
their investigations in the real Amityville Horror tale are also noted for
their faith and belief that ghosts are manifestations of demons. Much like The
Amityville Horror there is likely to be controversy surrounding this tale as to
what is true and what is not. The producers and Perron family, including the
two parents and all 5 children claim the film is true with the exception of a
few dramatic licenses. Even in some of those licenses though, there is truth
but related to other events with other individuals. The story line is scary,
thought provoking and entertaining.
The
Conjuring is a well crafted film and one that will easily recover the $12,000,000
it cost to make. The cast is superb. I especially enjoyed the work by Patrick
Wilson and Vera Farmiga but the supporting cast all around. There are several
things in this movie one needs to pay attention to, especially to understand the
excellent craftsmanship by director James Wan. First and foremost I recommend paying
attention to the sound and editing. I believe a possible Oscar nomination for editing,
it is par excellence. The scare tactics used here are at times expected, other
times not, yet they will have you jumping out of your seat, even at times
screaming out loud, there are genuine scare moments. The other area regarding sound
is an area I want to make sure to mention. I not only suspect an Oscar
nomination here, this movie has to presently be a odds on favorite for the
award. I have seen few films that use the concepts of sound as powerfully. The
Conjuring plays not only on our visual senses but it powerfully plays on our
emotions and hearing. Sound is a powerful tool and the use of sound here is as
powerful as any movie I have seen. That with a well scripted tale, wonderful
use of light and a script that meshes together. This movie not only scares the
viewer but entertains them.
This
film reeks (in a good way) with spiritual overtones. Many will consider it the
scariest movie ever; others will say that it is the scariest movie since The
Exorcist. The amazing thing is this movie and The Exorcist both deal with
Demonic Possession and both were based on true stories. I personally liked The
Conjuring better and that says something for me. There is an even stronger message
related to the ability of good to overcome evil, light to penetrate and
overcome dark, and ultimately, the ability of God to defeat Satan. Unfortunately,
I suspect many people of faith will be as critical of this film as they have
been of horror and supernatural themes, including exorcism and demonic possession
as they have been in the past. That is a shame, especially with such strong
Biblical themes regarding demonic possession, even the son of God, Jesus Christ
performing demonic exorcisms along with his disciples. Many people of faith
seem to choose to live in a world where they ignore the reality of evil, yet
that evil clearly exists. At some point it is in understanding evil and the fear
of evil that one becomes best equipped to defeat the evil around them and in
the lives of those they love. In real life The Warren’s seemed to understand
this and it is portrayed excellently in The Conjuring.
In
the battle against evil another perspective presented in a thought provocative
way is the reality that when attacking evil, that evil in return will attack
not just those attacking it but the families and loved ones of those attacking
it. In one poignant scene; Ed Warren is placing crosses around the Parren’s
house. He is asked what he is doing and he explains the power of the cross. He
also makes a profound statement, the demons and spirits hate it, in fact, “it
pisses them off,” so much so that the person(s) attacking the evil forces can
expect to be attacked from those “pissed off entities.” We see this come about
and it is a powerful reminder of the reality of the forces many face. People of
faith who choose to engage in the battle I believe God has called us to in
various places in the Bible know this. We need to remember; when the Bible
says, “The gates of Hell will not prevail against us,” the implication is that
we are on the attack, not sitting back, we aren’t to hide from, stay away from,
we are to be on the attack, the bible makes clear, we are not in a battle
against flesh and blood but against principalities and darkness. We have many reminders
in the Bible including, “That greater is he who is in us than he who is in the
world!” While many may choose to stay out of the battle of good and evil, the
reality is the battle goes on around us. The other reality is this, we need to
prepare, movies like this I believe help those of faith understand the need of preparation
and for those without faith, the reality of the evil that exists around us.
For
those who read my reviews you know I normally withhold from a lot of spiritual
commentary but it is impossible to review a film of this nature without doing
so because the message and theme related to spirituality is so strong. I love movies
like this when they are well done and The Conjuring is done exceptionally.
There
were only a few areas I thought The Conjuring could have been tightened up; a
little more character development would have been nice but the movie still
worked. For this reason, on a scale of 1 – 10, for the number of letters in
conjuring, I give a well deserved; almost perfect 9 for this film. I consider it
a must see for all people of faith, seeking truth in spirituality, or even
those questioning the reality of evil. Many may not like it for various reasons
but it doesn’t change the reality of the spiritual forces around us and the
attacks of evil on all of that which is good and from God.
Now
from those people of faith who will be critical without seeing the movie, who
think all things horror is evil, (except all those horror stories in the
scripture) let the criticism not begin, but continue.
Visit
the following web site to read up more on the real story of The Conjuring: http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/conjuring.php
You
can also see a review of the film, by the real life Andrea Perron, one of the
people who lived the experience, to see the review simply click on the video
below. If the video doesn’t appear,
click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yiL6IU5oZFM
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The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry. Believe me, there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work. Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.
Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid
You can also order the book at all major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and so forth. It is available via e-book for .99 Cents or if having a way to download, can download the full audiobook at soundcloud.com and simply going to Mike Furches / The Keystone Kid. The audio version of the book is available for a free download.
Click here to visit the web page The Virtual Pew
Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter
Mike Furches on Faceboook.
Click here to visit Mosaic Church where Mike is Pastor
The Keystone Kid/Virtual Pew Message Boards
Click to subscribe to my blog
There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free audio book link of The Keystone Kid at mike@furches.org You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/.
Hopefully, you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word. Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew
1249 N. St. Francis
Wichita Kansas, 67214
Email: mike@furches.org
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Donations to The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew Blog
Personal Furches Web Site
Hollywood Jesus
Reviews With Mike
The Virtual Pew Sermons
The Virtual Pew News
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