The Conjuring

Note* this review will contain spoilers for The Conjuring, The Exorcist and Insidious.

  For the record, I haven’t read anything about the original story that The Conjuring is based on.I have some general ideas, but research on my part is lacking. Just as a disclaimer this is only going to be about the film. To know what you're getting into, The Conjuring is basically a stir fry of haunted house, demon/exorcist, and creepy doll films.

  The Conjuring has an interesting opening, the start of the film begins not with the story of the main family who is haunted, but with a separate case the couple who helps them is working on. It’s the Annabelle doll, an infamous doll that in the film is like Slappy from Night of the Living Dummy possessed by a demonic entity. Apparently in real life its a simple Raggedly Ann doll forged by Mephistopheles.  

not to be fucked with

The couple are demonologists, ghost hunters and part time lecturers Lorraine and Ed Warren,  played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. They apparently teach a class in supernatural and paranormal research. On the side they assist in exorcisms, diagnose hauntings, and collect things that belong in a museum (a room full of haunted shit).

kind of like Sam and Dean but better acting

The beginning of the film I feel is solid. It’s unconventional at times, but classic. The setting is dipped in 1970s America, and if you’re familiar with horror, you’ll know for some reason tons of scary shit went down in the 70s. The opening title card is in the frightening book-like font that is reminiscent of The Exorcist. Immediately you realize they’re going old school. They’re not even afraid to kill a dog.

I'm sorry Sadie

 I can safely say you’d be hard pressed to find recent performances in horror that top Vera Farmiga and Lili Taylor’s in this film. Lili Taylor is Carolyn Perron, mom of 5 (?) daughters.[I’m not listing the daughters because I don’t know who was who.] Her husband is Ron Livingston as Roger Perron. The large family moves into a creepy old house, and of course things start to not seem right. To begin, their dog doesn’t want to come in. He actually refuses. Then the family discovers a complete basement full of stuff boarded up. Before they know it Carolyn has random bruisings. Kids start talking to imaginary people, rancid smells, clock stopping and its freezing. The dog dies. 

  Cut back to the Warren family. Ed is talking to a reporter in their room full of evil objects. They allude to horror that Lorraine saw during an exorcism. Apparently Lorraine looked into the abyss, and the abyss looked back. She is a psychic who made direct eye contact with a possessed man and suffered trauma from what she saw. Unlike much of the film it relies on imagination to disturb you, making it one of my favorite parts of the film. The unknown of what she saw haunted me more that ghoulish figure you see later in the film. 

 

 though they could've spliced in some faces or something

  In the beginning these entities are not shown, something that is very effective for horror. A mysterious figure pulling on one of the daughter's legs, bruising, weird smells, moving objects, etc. All these are very eerie to think of, and it puts you in the place of the characters. The pacing of the first half of The Conjuring works because of this. While things that are occurring are scary, the suspense is what kills you. The scene in the girl's shared bedroom is unique and fantastic. It also makes the 'jumpscares' feel less like cheating. To be honest, this is what bothered me about Insidious, extended time of seeing the red-faced demon made me less afraid of it. Once you see glimpses of the entity haunting the family you start to realize...its not that scary.

... a jumping Halloween decoration

After a violent night of disturbances, involving Carolyn being trapped in the basement of horrors, the family decided to seek the help of the Warrens. The Warrens go through the house and immediately recognize the signs of demonic presences. Specifically, Lorraine sees them. The shadowy figures shown behind the family are genius. Probably because if you look up any personal accounts of paranormal, people report feeling or seeing something like this.  Right when shit starts to get real, and I'm completely excited, there is suddenly some phantom feet behind Ed.

Patrick Wilson never turns around in time

So the Warrens set up an investigative team to gather enough evidence to send to the Vatican for an exorcism. If you've seen Insidious it will also feel familiar. My main issue with this is that it sometimes feels like wasted time, especially now that we have endless ghost hunting and paranormal shows. There's some comic relief, a good scare [involving Carolyn trying to sleep] or two, but here is where I start to feel the film dissolve for me. 

From this point on, they explain the most evil being in the house is a witch named Bathsheba who murdered her newborn child and then killed herself. There were generations of other horrible deaths and suicides following this. I have to admit, witches don't really work as a villain for me in films. First, they are referring specifically to a witch during the Salem Witch trials, something that isn't generally linked to witchcraft as much as innocent people wrongfully executed. Truthfully, the idea of the entity being human isn't as scary. Perhaps repeated viewings of The Craft made witches seem tame.

Second, when the Warrens decided to help out, apparently Bathsheba decided to give them her own warning, by starts attacking Lorraine and Ed's daughter. By the way, if you're watching this film for the Anabelle doll, you might be disappointed. Past the opening of the movie, you get one scene of it looking fucking creepy and turning its head to torment the daughter. Its sad how little screentime it got. 

Third, the exorcism plot is possibly the weakest aspect of this film for me. Carolyn takes a few of her daughters back to the house where she tries to murder them. Carolyn's possession is frightening at times, and I give credit to Lili Taylor for that. When you see her trying to murder her children its scary. Seeing her covered and screaming is unsettling. 

What bothers me is when you have a chair upside down on the ceiling, or when you see Bathsheba's face, or in general how quick the exorcism was. In films like The Exorcist, which might be one of the few possession films where these things work, one of the painful things about watching it is how hard it is to exorcise the demon. The whole film is a struggle, and at the heart is very human suffering that plagues the characters. Here, the exorcism is painful, but it almost feels like a throwaway thing just to muster up fear. Right after it's finished the film tries to have a tidy, family existence. The Conjuring concludes from this point, the humans cured, and all seems at rest.

So what the fuck about the other ghosts? The kid, the maid, etc? I'm going to assume they're all at peace, but that feels like a letdown. There's a problem because the first half of the film felt like a well made throwback. The second half fell into very modern versions of possession, more in the style of The Rite than Poltergeist or Amityville. The ending feels incomplete somehow. Other films of this type have succeeded in the happy ending, or at least a partially happy ending. Why did this feel so rushed? I think I might have even appreciated a twist more because there would be some satisfaction at least. There was a lack of sacrifice, trauma or any type of aftermath. 

I also can't think immediately of a key horrifying scene. The Exorcist has a few, peasoup, crucifix, head turning and spider walk. The Shining has those goddamn twins. Even Insidious has the famous demon appearing. 

I wanted to love this film, because I honestly enjoyed the first half. It's definitely a step in the correct direction, but I couldn't name it a horror favorite. There are plenty of well made points of acting, direction and creativity. Enough that this film stands out among recent horror, but I feel there's still room for improvement.

 On a side note, I recommend checking out The Addiction if you enjoyed Lili Taylor's performance here.

Thoughts on Pacific Rim

Look at this cast. Look at it.

Yeah spoilers. I endorse seeing this movie in theaters, it's worth it.

I saw Pacific Rim a few days ago, and I have to say I'm proud to have this film the current mainstream blockbuster climate. Actually it was 4 days ago, and I'm still on a cinematic high. In short I think Pacific Rim is what action films have needed to be for a while. It's a fun, feel good flick, and doesn't take itself too seriously. Honestly, this movie is very self-aware, so save criticisms of the Jaeger design because I've heard them all already. Telling me flaws of the piloting system or lack of realistic plot is about as useful to me as explaining your problems with the animated Transformers film. I mean this is my wallpaper for christ's sake...

Its rare that my level of fandom reaches this level

Here's the plot: It's a bunch of big ass robots beating the shit out of some monsters. If you grew up on Godzilla, mecha anime, Transformers or anything like this it'll bring back nostalgia. Except Voltron. Fuck Voltron.

If this x10000 doesn't appeal to you just don't bother

You can skip this, but this is just how I feel about action movies right now. 
Now here's the thing. I love this stuff. But outside of my annual G Gundam rewatch, I don't get to see this kind of thing anymore. Most Hollywood action films aren't that great. Some are so offensive it makes you want to protect your childhood memories at all cost.
we know I'm talking about the goddamn Bayformers okay. Even then, it's always a spin off, prequel, remake or sequel. The designs and action sequences are all similar, and they seem to be made by the same group of people. There has been a need of a good, entertaining flick that wasn't made by a director with a mind of a frat boy.

Ok so the top 5 highest grossing action films: Avatar, Avengers, The Dark Knight, Star Wars: Episode One, Star Wars: A New Hope. They have a pattern. Majority of the characters are white males for one. Most of these films do not pass the Bechdel test. It's not that they're bad movies at all except  Star Wars: Episode One but I feel representation is important. In a recent study it was noted that the number of women represented in film is at a 5-year low: 28.4%.  Here's a story about women in movies right now. In terms of race, I'll leave you with an article about stereotypes Hollywood can't get over. [This also covers ableism, homophobia, sexism, you name it]

And then there's Pacific Rim.

At first, looking at Raleigh (Charlie Hunnam) you may think, "What is she talking about? Main character of this movie is a completely hetero white dude!" . But here's the catch. Raleigh is the maverick typical hero, but he does not receive top priority in this film. His story is most developed in the beginning, where you see the death of his brother [who we knew was going to die since he was the basic version of Raleigh who appears on no promotions or trailers]. Only later in the end does he take up the most screentime again. In the beginning you could say the film is told through his perspective, but it's not fully true. This film revolves around an entire very well rounded cast.

"The other sort of big summer movies often feel to me like it’s about one race, one credo and one country saving the world, and I wanted to make it about the world saving the world, no matter what skin color you have, what race you have, what belief you have – everybody in the movie saves the world, and we created a very equal structure where Charlie Day’s scientist has the same weight that Charlie Hunnam’s character has or Idris Elba’s or Rinko Kinkuchi, you know?" - Guillermo Del Toro [link]

You have no idea how refreshing it is to hear a filmmaker say these things. This film is based on an international cast. The whole story definitely never glorifies one country or one person as the savior. Filmmakers of Pacific Rim probably sensed the whole 'MURICA! type of action films, and it does get annoying after a while. 

So another thing that impressed me is that this film very actively subverts the cliche of the male gaze in film. (see here if you're confused.) In fact, PLEASE watch this video.

In short, there is a lot of objectification of women in film. Most of the time it's in a voyeurism sort of way. Unlike male objectification, women are positioned a bit more submissively, and lot of the time they unknowingly are being watched.

The concept of the camera as a pair of male eyes is nothing new.

Pacific Rim on the other hand goes to lengths to establish this is not happening. In fact, when we first see Raleigh it's very much rooted in fanservice.

Just got rejected from another school that requires shirts

Actually this shit is drenched in fanservice. "But what about that scene in Thor?! What about Captain America being shirtless?". I'll give you that, there was the basis of objectification there. However, Pacific Rim goes that extra length to show you this film is not through a male gaze, specifically through that famous symbolic method of peeping on someone.

you go mako objectify the shit out of that white boy

Mako however, is never objectified. She is beautiful, strong and exists solely as her own character. Her actions aren't influenced by anything other than her own goals or dreams, and then her friendship with Raleigh benefits them both later.

she had a great costume too, notice there is no boob window

"One of the other things I decided was that I wanted a female lead […] who has the equal force as the male leads. She’s not going to be a sex kitten, she’s not going to come out in cutoff shorts and a tank top, and it’s going to be a real earnestly drawn character. One of the decisions we made as we went along in the process of the movie was, let’s not have a love story. Let’s have a story about two people.

When you say normally, “and there is a young Japanese girl pilot,” you imagine a sexy, skimpily clad girl that has her T-shirt wet every five minutes… I wanted very much to have a character that ended the movie on equal terms with Raleigh and that they didn’t have to have a love story, they could have a colleague love story with respect for each other. And have the capacity to have a moving backstory. Rinko is an extraordinary actor and she’s incredibly intuitive and very brave… I didn’t want her to be the girl that turns into a sex object or a guy. Which is the normal thing in an action moive" 

Even though that never stopped the typical fanboys from creating their own vision of her.

In a great break down on the importance of Mako Mori (Oscar nominated Rinko Kikuchi), I'm just going to quote tumblr user hellotailor. Just read their analysis actually, its better than mine.

"Raleigh Becket and Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) both follow character arcs that we see time and time again in the action/adventure genre: the damaged yet cocky maverick hero, and the gruff mentor/authority figure. Raleigh is actually a combination of two tropes: a hero who suffers loss thanks to his own cockiness (the death of his brother), and a maverick who must overcome his troubled past to save the day. Stacker Pentecost, like most mentor/father figures, dies an inevitable but heroic death so the younger hero (Mako) can find her own path
.
And Mako? She gets the primary Hero’s Journey.

While the movie is mostly told from Raleigh’s POV, Mako arguably gets more backstory, and has more to overcome during her Hero’s Journey. She’s a rookie pilot (hello, action movie trope!) who needs to prove herself to her mentor figure (yes!) and work together with another hero (yes!!) in order to save the world.

The only reason why some viewers can’t seem to grasp this is because 99% of the time, “young rookie hero" characters look like Luke Skywalker. Aside from the fact that Mako is a woman, her storyline is so simple and cliched (in a good way!) that anyone with a basic familiarity with Hollywood blockbusters or Saturday morning cartoons should be able to follow it with the sound off." Just read their analysis ,seriously, its better than mine.

They also go on to talk about how even when Mako descends into her own memories, she isn't alone in her sorrow. Raleigh actually ran away, and while he arguably is the one to save the day (which in itself is iffy, Raleigh having to eject Mako from the Jaeger was because he screwed up) their whole relationship is a matter of equals. Not to mention when she fell into her memories, Raleigh wasn't even strong enough to bring her back. They're portrayed that equally. Connection. Not competition.

except he always manages to fuck up one Jaeger arm

This is also contrasted by the interesting dynamic of Mako and Raleigh’s relationship. Now I’m not saying I never want romance in action movies, but by having their relationship platonic it shows more of their characters in this film. It also goes to show Mako is not there solely to be Raleigh’s love interest. I cannot stress the importance of this.

This plays into another thing about Pacific Rim. This film is pretty ‘clean’. As in there is no raunchy humor, no panning shots of female bodies, no nudity, and at most just some minor profanity. Again, this doesn’t make it automatically better, and I have no problem with nudity or profanity, but it’s interesting to see a film that doesn’t need or rely these things.

This film doesn’t have any huge names either, as in these actors are well known, but they aren’t the typical known action stars. (see Mark Walhberg, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Tom Cruise, and thank god not Shia Lebouf) I worried this might impact the box office, but in the end the casting is perfect to me, regardless if this film makes back its budget or not. 

And then we have the awesome Idris Elba as Stacker Pentecost. He towers over everyone, and seeing him get suited up and giving his speech is one of the best parts of the movie. The Obi Wan to Mako's Luke Skywalker in terms of his sacrifice and mentor ship. He acts as sensei to Mako, but also learns about her to the extent of learning her language and culture. In this film he also tells Raleigh to shut up and listen, which he has to do. Even in the moments of defiance, there is a line not to be crossed, indicating the respect shown. He has the most commanding presence of the film, and the strongest aura of leadership in the cast. 





"I wanted to have Idris not be the blonde, square-jawed, anglo, super hip marine that knows [everything]. I wanted somebody that could bring a lot of authority, but that you could feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. When I watched Luther, that’s the essence of the character… Luther is carrying literally the evils of the world on his shoulders. He’s doing penance for all humanity… Idris is one of those actors that is capable of embodying humanity, in almost like a Rodin sculpture-type, larger than life, almost like a Russian realism statue, you know, big hands, all the turmoil of humanity in his eyes. I wanted somebody that you could have doubts internally, and very few guys can do that." 
- Guillermo del Toro
 

Never fucking touch him again

And besides that, we have the scientists, Dr. Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Gottlieb (Burn Gorman). They are comic relief and very much necessary to the conclusion of the plot. Both are hilarious caricatures of the goofy but genius scientist. Guillermo del Toro regular Ron Perlman has a fun role. As for the other pilots, they do kind of die fast. 

they had a good look tho

 

That three arm thing didn't quite work out

The father - son duo of Chuck and Herc Hansen were well done side characters. Their complex was a common plot of action films, but they managed to not waste time on it. One comeback from Stacker sums up Chuck's daddy issues, as opposed to having a bunch of flashbacks involving the disapproving father figure spawning the asshole son who redeems himself.

spoiler: the dad loves their dog more than the son

So anyway, Pacific Rim is a progressive, well made film that is original and fun. It's not perfect, but hey I enjoyed the hell out of it. And I can't remember the last time I said this, but I want a damn sequel. Its great to see a director aware of issues and knowledgeably helps make movies that go against them. Guillermo del Toro adds magic. Go see it.

Note: for further reading and analysis here some more links!
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