Review: The Conjuring (2013)

Quite good and creepy. I like Patrick Wilson a lot ever since Watchmen (even Hard Candy although he plays a disturbing scumbag in that, but he's a great actor). There is one dumb bit of cgi showing some black figures attached to the family members and some cg puke (ok, ok, a breaking chair too), but they only stand out since there is so little computer FX in this. It's definitely nice to have the emphasis on good old fashioned scares and atmosphere instead. The Warrens make for some great main characters, and the way they acknowledge all the skepticism helps your suspension of disbelief. The poster with the doll on it is pretty misleading, but I like marketing that doesn't ruin the movie. Wan does an excellent job directing this, and it feels different enough from Insidious so you don't feel like you're watching the same film regardless of the cast and crew similarities. Of course, it doesn't beat The Exorcist, but compared to most of the crap these days, it's outstanding.

Review: Insidious (2010)

A new horror movie that's actually good? Yes, it's true. And it's PG-13? I was actually shocked to find that out. What can I say... I like the red stuff especially when it's practical (no fuckin CGI!). First, I want to complain about the poster. Why? Because I hate it, and it made me not want to see the movie. I hate possessed kids movies, which is all you get from the crappy one sheet and DVD/Blu-ray cover (they should've used the witch one I have to the left or a silhouette of the red demon). Evil kids have been so overused, and they usually end up with some dumb scene of a kid beating up adults, which no matter how you slice it, just looks silly. Plus, you can't beat The Exorcist. Thankfully, this film is smarter than that. There is one semi-ridiculous moment like I just mentioned, but it's very brief, and the rest of Insidious makes up for it.

The actors in this film are excellent. I'm looking at you Patrick Wilson (Night Owl!) and Rose Byrne (hottie!). They actually seem like a real couple, and the characters are well developed, but what really did it for me is the atmosphere. The tension that you get from the very beginning. Immediately, you're treated to a creepy shot of that fuckin witch just standing there. Later on, you get a fantastic jump scare with that damn red demon. Once the whole story unfolds, you see how unique it is. I don't want to spoil anything, but I really haven't seen a film go the possession route from this particular angle. It was really interesting, and the originality is appreciated. I guess some have complained about the stupid paranormal investigators, and I don't think they're the best either, but I still think the movie is good regardless. Some threw a fit about the ending, but I actually liked it. Its gutsy and not what I expected. Definitely recommended if you like creepier horror.