As we move into the spooky part of the year, we thought we’d try something from the James Wan-iverse: The Conjuring (2013). It shares a lot of DNA with the Insidious franchise, but doesn’t really measure up.
It’s the story of two families: Lily Taylor and Ron Livingston and their four daughters move into an old house in Rhode Island. Livingston is a trucker who has put all their money into buying this place. The girls don’t love it, and are less than thrilled when they find a boarded up basement. Then things get really creepy. (The dog dies.)
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are supernatural investigators. They too have young children and live in an old house, with a museum of possessed objects. And here is my first problem with this movie - these two couples were just too similar. Although they don’t really look much alike, I kept getting them confused. For one thing, both were a little financially strapped - supernatural investigation pays no better than trucking, I guess.
Anyway, they are called in to investigate the haunting, bringing their assistants Shannon Kook and John Brotherton, who are no Tucker and Specs. Also, Wilson and Farmiga are no Elise, and we really wanted them to be.
Finally, this just isn’t as scary or surprising as Insidious series. It’s just a random haunting. When they track down the origin of the spirit, they also turn up about 20 other incidents, to the extent that it is almost funny - but none of it seems original.
And as far as Annabelle, the haunted doll, who gets a cameo, Ms. Spenser just said, “Creepy doll movies are stupid.” And there you have it.
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