The Conjuring

[adamhenderson]

I watched it yesterday. And for me it seemed like people built it up a bit too much..So many people told me it was scary and I sat in the dark watching it expecting to at least jump once or twice. Didn't happen. It was a pretty descent movie over all. Just wasn't as scary as I was lead to believe.

Agree with this 100%. I was expecting (maybe the right word is actually 'hoping') to be scared silly, and I came away without jumping in my seat once. There were a few effective scenes, which I will expand upon below.

Highlight below for spoilers:

1. The creepy ghost-woman on top of the cupboard was pretty well done. I jumped a fraction of a bit.

2. The clapping game was also effective as a suspense builder (though I have read it is derivative of a film called The Orphan-- which I haven't seen.)

3. I thought the end scene with the sheet over the mother was pretty frightening.

Apart from these though, I thought it was maybe hyped up a bit too much. I also think that hype is particularly harmful to horror movies, because if I go in expecting to be scared, I'm usually not. Yet when I go in thinking the movie won't be that scary, I usually do get scared (most recent example of this is Paranormal 3-- the only good one in the series, imo).

Anyway, that's the end of my two cents.

[Kandarian Demon]

Originally Posted by adamhenderson

I also think that hype is particularly harmful to horror movies, because if I go in expecting to be scared, I'm usually not. Yet when I go in thinking the movie won't be that scary, I usually do get scared (most recent example of this is Paranormal 3-- the only good one in the series, imo).

I think it's harmful because it makes us feel disappointed about, or maybe even dislike, movies that it's possible we WOULD have enjoyed at some level if it hadn't been for the hype.

I mean... it's not like every horror movie we watch is "the scariest horror movie of all time!". I think most of us are probably able to enjoy a movie that is just "ok" for what it is... not a masterpiece, but still entertaining. I might even tell my friends that the movie was pretty good.

But if I watch a movie believing the hype, maybe just a little bit, and then it turns out to be "just ok", I will leave the theater feeling disappointed, and I will probably tell my friends not to waste their time.

I do happen to think that "The Conjuring" is actually a VERY good movie, though... even if it is a little hyped.

[adamhenderson]

You're right Kandarian Demon! I remember not hearing anything about 'The Strangers' when it came out and deciding to see it on a whim and being terrified because I wasn't expecting it.

'The Conjuring' definitely is wheat as opposed to chaff. Did you think the doll was a little bit too movie-ish to work though? I read that the real doll was a Raggedy Anne (sp?) doll, which would have been much scarier in my opinion. But I'm all about realism in my horror-- the more realistic the props, setting, characters, etc, the more I'm willing to suspend disbelief. I think I was spoiled by 90s horror, which saw a movement away from the imaginative/creative horror of the 80s (Child's Play, Freddy Kruger, etc).

[Kandarian Demon]

Originally Posted by adamhenderson

The Conjuring' definitely is wheat as opposed to chaff. Did you think the doll was a little bit too movie-ish to work though?

I am probably the wrong person to ask - I'm very easy to scare when it comes to dolls :D For some strange reason, Chucky never scared me... haven't seen the remake yet. But in general, living dolls creep me out.

The only thing that really bothers me as far as realism goes is when a movie has too much CGI. For example, I recently watched "Mama", and was pretty disappointed to see a "monster" that was so clearly NOT in the same room as the characters. I realise that you can do a lot more with a CGI creature, but even the most unrealistic looking rubber monster will always look better than obvious CGI - if you ask me.

[adamhenderson]

No we're in total agreement on the CGI. I think it works in epic movies (where armies are pitted against each other and the like), but CGI and horror should be kept in separate corners.

I also found Mama disappointing in that regard!

[neverending]

Perhaps part of the problem here is equating a jump with being scared. They're not the same thing at all. Getting someone in a movie audience to jump is really quite easy- it's just mechanics, and has nothing to do with plot or characters, and actually instilling a feeling of dread in a viewer. This is a major problem with both modern horror films and horror audiences.

[ChronoGrl]

Hrm.

I was expecting to really like this movie but it didn't really 'click' for me I guess... I thought that the first third was incredibly well-done, a good solid creepy haunting... But when the movie shifted into more of a possession/exorcism movie, it just lost me, probably because it's not really my favorite sub-genre. I can see why people liked it I suppose but I got bored toward the end and just switched it off. :-/

[Kandarian Demon]

Originally Posted by neverending

Perhaps part of the problem here is equating a jump with being scared. They're not the same thing at all.

I totally agree! I do think that jump scares used in moderation and in appropriate scenes can be used as a tool to make a scary scene even more scary - but they are not scary on their own. They're not going to stay with you once they're done - unlike those truly scary scenes that you will think back on years later. I've heard some people say that they find them physically unpleasant, but that's not the same thing either.

Originally Posted by neverending

Getting someone in a movie audience to jump is really quite easy- it's just mechanics, and has nothing to do with plot or characters, and actually instilling a feeling of dread in a viewer. This is a major problem with both modern horror films and horror audiences.

Again I agree - but to be fair, some jumps are actually pretty cleverly done. As a life-long horror fan, I can predict most of the jumps before they happen. But sometimes, if they are totally unexpected, they can be pretty effective.

One scene that comes to mind is one in the original Spanish version of REC - where that body suddenly drops from the top of the stairs, and you absolutely didn't see it coming. That combined with the fact that the image itself was disturbing and that, at least to me, the movie was quite scary, made that jump scare work very well.

[neverending]

I was commenting on adamhenderson's statement that he hadn't been scared because he didn't jump even once...

[EmilyBibbFilms]

I still really need to see this movie! Keep hearing such mixed reviews about it, but it does look creepy! And I keep hearing about freaky that doll is aha