Day: November 8, 2013

The Conjuring

- Roshan

Released in July of 2013 The Conjuring is a supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and written by Chad & Carey Hayes. The movie is said to be based on true events about one of the cases that  Ed and Lorraine Warren, who were American paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent cases of haunting, investigated and exorcised. The movie stars Vera Farminga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor & Ron Livingston. Set in the 70s it is a really creepy movie.

The Perron family – husband & wife Roger & Carolyn – have moved into a farmhouse in  Harrisville, Rhode Island with their five daughters in 1971. Their first day goes smoothly with the family moving their belongings in but their dog Sadie does not want to enter and stays outside the house. In a hall closet one of the daughter finds a boarded up entrance to an old cellar. Slowly things start going weird first with Carolyn waking up with strange bruises on her body and all the clocks in the house stop at exactly 3:07. One of the daughter Cindi has an episode of sleepwalking, something she hasn’t done in a long time and they find Sadie dead outside. They also find a couple of birds who die after they fly straight into the windows of the house. Throughout the first half of the film we also see some scenes of Ed & his wife Lorraine teaching a seminar on supernatural occurrences, possessions and exorcism. Ed & Lorraine have a young daughter called Judy and they show a restricted room in the Warren household which houses special objects that were used by spirits while haunting someone.

Meanwhile back at the Perron house, while Roger is away for work,  after hearing various clapping, giggling, and seeing the picture frames shattered on the stairs, Carolyn is locked up in the cellar and it is apparent that there is a presence in with her. Right after this, Cindy is awakened after sleepwalking into Andrea’s room and is horrified when she sees a spirit at the top of a wardrobe in the room, who attacks Andrea. The Perrons meets Ed & Lorraine and asks them them to for help and the Warrens visit them and conduct an initial investigation and conclude that the house may require an exorcism, but they needed authorization from the Catholic Church and further evidence before that. Researching the history of the house they find out that  the house once belonged to an accused witch, Bathsheba, who tried to sacrifice her children to the devil and killed herself in 1863 after cursing all who would take her land. Originally 200 acres the land was divided and sold off separately to various people and find reports of numerous murders and suicides in houses that have since been built upon parcels that were once part of the property. They then return with 2 other people to the Perron house to gather enough evidence to request the Vatican for a sanctioned exorcism; while Ed can perform one he isn’t ordained. Cindy sleepwalks into Andrea’s room once again and reveals a secret passage behind a wardrobe. Lorraine enters the passage and falls through the floorboards into the cellar, where she sees the spirit of a woman whom Bathsheba had long ago possessed and used to kill her child. Another of the Perron children, Nancy, is violently dragged by her hair along the floor by an unseen force.

Recording whatever they could the Warren have the evidence sent to get sanction while the Perron’s take refuge in a motel. However, using a locket of Lorraine’s that fell in the cellar Bathsheba haunt & attack Judy back at the Warren’s house though Ed arrives in time to prevent her from getting harmed. Carolyn now possessed by the spirit of Bathsheba takes two of her daughters Christine and April, and drives back to the house. Ed, Lorraine and their two assistants rush back to the house, joined by Roger where they find Carolyn trying to stab Christine with the shears while April has hidden in the gaps beneath the house . After tying up Carolyn Ed decides to do the  exorcism himself, though Carolyn escapes and again attempts to kill April. Lorraine is able to help Carolyn fight the spirit by talking to Carolyn and reminding her of a trip the Perron family took to the beach; earlier Carolyn had spoken to her about a photo that they took while there and said that the memory was very important to her. Ed completes the exorcism, sending Bathsehba away & saving Carolyn and her daughter. The Perrons pack up and leave the house happy to survive and after the Warrens reach home they find that the Church has sanctioned the exorcism.

Good scary movie with a lot of well used techniques. Works well to keep you scared and interested in the movie. 8 outta 10!

Tolerance

- Roshan

TOLERANCE

This was a reader’s ‘Letter to the Editor’ on Tolerance, published in the UK daily “SUN”. Unsure of it’s authenticity and writer but here goes:

“I am truly perplexed that so many of my friends are against another mosque being built in London on the Thames? I think it should be the goal of every Englishman to be tolerant. Thus the Mosque should be allowed, in an effort to promote tolerance.

That is why I also propose that two nightclubs be opened next door to the mosque, thereby promoting tolerance from within the mosque. We could call one of the clubs, which would be gay, “The Turban Cowboy”, and the other a topless bar called “You Mecca Me Hot.”

Next door should be a butcher shop that specializes in pork, and adjacent to that an open-pit barbeque pork restaurant, called “Iraq o’ Ribs.” Across the street there could be a lingerie store called “Victoria Keeps Nothing Secret “, with sexy mannequins in the window modelling the goods.

Next door to the lingerie shop there would be room for an adult sex toy shop, “Koranal Knowledge “, its name in flashing neon lights, and on the other side a liquor store called “Morehammered.”

All of this would encourage the Muslims to demonstrate the tolerance they demand of us, so the mosque problem would be solved. If you agree with promoting tolerance and you think this is a good plan, please publish my letter.”