Lili Taylor … it’s behind you!
“THE CONJURING” My rating: C+
112 minutes | MPAA rating: R
“The Conjuring” might have been subtitled “Exorcism’s Greatest Hits.” When it comes to manifestations of demonic possession, the damn thing is practically encyclopedic.
Levitation. Foul odors. Disgusting vomit. Rotting ghost-corpses. Sleepwalking. Doors that open and close when nobody’s around. An animated evil doll. Strange noises. Unexplained bruises.
No head-spinning, but there is a Hitchcock-ian bird attack.
It’s all quite silly but surprisingly effective, thanks to the taunt direction of James Wan (creator of the “Saw” series) and a cast of talented pros who keep our doubts at arm’s length.
“The Conjuring” is inspired by the ghostly experiences of husband-and-wife team of Ed and Lorraine Walker, who specialized in paranormal investigations. These real-life ghostbusters did on-site studies of hauntings publicized in the movies like “The Amityville Horror “ and “A Haunting in Connecticut.”
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