thebeliever

Well, I saw The Conjuring, and if you're a horror fan, you'll probably like it-- the cast is great, the director maximizes the scare potential in terms of how things are shot, sound is utilized as it should be in a horror film (to creep you out and add atmosphere).... however. However... if you're a hardcore horror fan like myself, don't get too amped; you've seen most of this before, if you've seen your share of great 70s horror films, particularly The Exorcist.

What this film misses is the intellectual heft, the sense of depth and mystery that films like The Exorcist bring to the screen. With films like that, you feel like you're in the grip of something larger, that something truly important is happening-- and therefore, the stakes are higher, the scares run deeper. The Conjuring, on the other hand, is more of a fly-by, a film that is scary on the surface, but doesn't have a lot that stays with you. (For a film that is an homage to 70s horror, but does it in its own creepy way, I'd recommend House of the Devil.)

In my opinion, a good horror film is hard to make, as hard as it is to make a great comedy. In sports terms, it's like pitching a complete-game shut out. The atmosphere builds and builds, and the whole thing can fall apart very easily. That's why I cherish them when I find them. The last horror film that absolutely scared the hell out of me was probably The Descent.