Conjurer (2008)

Some things I liked some I did not.

not horrible nor great

Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Not your typical horror movie, but it just gave me the creeps. If you're expecting a bloody or gory movie you will be disappointed. It is just a somewhat slow paced, but very good, indie movie. I found it to be very creepy at times and although not a blockbuster hit I think it's definitely worth a watch.

Halfway through I pulled the DVD out of the machine, stamped on it, ground it under my heel then lit it on fire. then it proceeded to get up and try to escape into a crack in the wall. I hit it hard with a hammer a couple of times then sprayed it with a can of raid. I'll be damned if the thing didn't make it into the wall anyway. Now I'm going to have to move out of my apartment, because I'm sure its in the wall laying eggs, and my apartment will soon be overrun with copies of this DVD. I'm wondering if I should warn my neighbors, or just soak the place with petrol when I leave and toss in a road flare. I'm afraid if I warn someone they might not abandon all their possessions and a copy or two might survive, eventually ruining all existence for everyone on the planet. Might be best to call in an air strike or nuke it from orbit just to be sure.

Professional photographic artist Shawn and his wife Helen relocate to a farmhouse in the country outside New York City after a failed pregnancy. A cabin a few feet away very well could be haunted by the spirit of a witch who curses those attempting to get pregnant out of revenge for her own child's murder at the hands of her husband. Shawn is tormented by her presence and a black crow which is always around to bother him. Shawn's thumb was stuck by a tooth in the cabin, an infection has set in, and is getting worse. Soon he begins investigating the history of the cabin and the witch. Is he actually experiencing these events or are they a figment of his imagination? The film establishes the possibility that he's a victim of inherited paranoid schizophrenia..his father murdered his mother then committed suicide, so the possibility is there that he himself suffers such a mental illness. This could pose a threat to his wife, who has become pregnant again.I thought the work of Andrew Bowen and Maxene Bahns as the Burnetts was quite solid, with developed characters you care about, and I appreciated the attempt to slowly build a spooky atmospheric story about the possible witch's ghost who lives in a creepy cabin, but for some reason, the film never quite satisfied me. Maybe it was because it was so obvious. It was rather predictable as well, even the twist at the end, it's so calculated in such a way, that you see the results before they happen. Or, at least I did, and I'm as dense as they come. The psychological angle is blatantly established to set up the lingering possibility of his suffering a mental disorder, but you always wonder if what he is experiencing is true. John Schneider has a supporting role as Helen's big brother, Frank Higgins, a construction supervisor always at odds with Shawn over the idea of leaving the country home out of worry that the witch will take their baby. Frank plans on using land given to Helen to build houses on, providing them with the temporary residence until he finished their new home. What started out as a refreshing change for the couple slowly deteriorates as Shawn becomes overwhelmed with the legend surrounding the cabin..that, and his neighbor, Fulton Moss(Brett Rice)fuels his paranoia with information regarding the witch and how she has effected his pregnant cow. I think those accustomed with films such as this already know that it will not end well for Shawn either way..if he's imagining everything, he's a nutcase, but if he's right, his wife's in danger. The result won't surprise those who have seen their share of these kinds of movies. The film is seen through the point-of-view of Shawn, so we are part of his torment, and growing paranoia. We see the occurrences in the cabin, and the witch that pops up from time to time, so the viewer is experiencing what he does. We can sympathize because everyone considers him a nuisance with suspicious behavioral problems. But, the film choreographs it in such a way that as the story plays out, you aren't shocked or surprised..and that's the rub, they obviously want to shock you with how the story unfolds, yet the result doesn't. A nice try, nonetheless..call it average of it's type, one that won't remain with you very long after watching it.

Creepy film with some nice twists and turns in the plot, and even in the ending. I normally can see where these movies are going, and this one managed to surprise me.I absolutely loved this movie. It has strong actors with performances that are a pleasure to watch. I also appreciated the lack of gore and nudity in the film. Lately, too many sloppy productions have attempted to mask their short comings with excessive gore or gratuitous nudity, this picture doesn't go that route, it doesn't need to.If you're a fan of Hitchcock mystery thrillers or in the mood for a psychological thriller, please give this movie a shot