Episode 195: The Conjuring!

[Gilberto]

Sean and Andrew talk about the Conjuring and other James Wan films like Insidious. They also talk about the real-life Warrens and the true story of the demon-possessed doll Annabelle. Then they get scared like little girls and recount some of their own paranormal experiences.

Episode 195

Pictured below: The real life Annabelle with the real life Warrens.

[malus]

This episode kept me in stitches!

So much so that I'm downloading Insidious and The Conjuring right now! I'm already creeped out!

I didn't think much of those movies from their trailers- thought they'd be one trick pony, leap out at you, startle gags. I'm sorry now I missed them in the theaters!

Can't wait to get them, and my popcorn popped!

Also, do y'all still read your board messages? or are they sort of like the spoilers in your episode blurbs?

[Gilberto]

The Conjuring is still in theaters.

They're good fun. I like the ghosty stories. Our new special is pretty much the same conversation, but about a few other movies. And monkeys. I didn't know what to do with that one because it's so similar, so it's just a bonus special.

I need to check the messages on the board more. I visit the forum all the time, but I forget to check the messages. You and Gary are keeping the forum alive, for the most part.

[lynn]

I think the original doll looks more scary, because it's not trying to look so scary. Something tries so hard to look that scary and I immediately start thinking about it and stop believing in it. Now a normal looking doll like that... that could be in my house.

[malus]

Watched both these movies last night.

REALLY loved them both.

Just who doesn't love Patrick Wilson? Isn't he just the cutest thing ever? It's great watching him get tortured by demonic spirits and ghosts!

What I like about these movies is they both dealt with those really visceral and magical kid age fears. The kind of monsters that you could sort of hide from if you could get totally under your blanket at night without a toe peeping out. They tap into that feeling of helplessness you had when you were little and every noise you heard at night had some unexplained sinister force attached to it because you hadn't learned to control your imagination yet and reason out, "oh, it's just the cat wrecking the house at 3:07am."

Lynne, I totally agree with you on the doll. I feel like they overdid Annabelle a bit too. When I looked at the "real" Annabelle, that was WAY scarier! I never liked dolls when I was little. Look at that Raggedy Ann's eyes. Jeebus. Shark eyes. Haunted or not! I'd rather have the movie version to use as a Halloween prop!

I lived with my little cousin and her family growing up. She had one of those talking, eating, real life dolls. We were convinced it was demonic. Late at night, for no particular reason, it would announce, in a slow, low, battery half dead, demon voice, "I'm hungry. Feed me." My cousin and I used to hold on to each other under the covers like those little Velcro arm monkeys in terror!

The movie is absolutely right about these things. The more you pay attention to something, the more it captures your imagination. That doll seemed to change places on our shelf all the time, but if we'd paid attention to any other doll, we'd have noticed that those other dolls were on the same cleaning and dusting schedule as the one we thought was haunted.

And what is it about kids that makes them so creepy? Is there anyone else that thinks kids kinda have their own weird type of uncanny valley-ness about them? Or have I been teaching too long?!?!

Good picks! Did y'all review Drag Me To Hell? IMHO, Hollywood needs to make more fun spooky movies and a little less torture porn.

[Gilberto]

Drag Me To Hell was better than I thought it would be. The story doesn't offer much, but the slapstick is awesome.

I posted that Annabelle pic because I think the Raggedy Ann is way creepier. I understand why it wasn't a Raggedy Ann in the movie, but they overdid it. That's James Wan's thing though. Watch Dead Silence. Again, the story's not much, but some of the puppet stuff is creepy.

I also saw Mama. Not scary at all but it has some creepy stuff too.

The size of the real Annabelle doll makes it even creepier. It's like a little person!

[lynn]

You just reminded my of how much horror was caused by my Furby back in the day. Damn thing just would not shut up. In the end I put it in a box in the cupboard and every now and then I'd shut the door, something would jiggle, and there it goes again, making me wet my pants. I ended up writing "KILL FURBY" all over that box, which made for much hilarity when I used that box later for moving house. Good times. Sad to say that Furby is now haunting some landfill somewhere.
That being said that Annabelle box says "Positively DO NOT OPEN" which actually makes me giggle a little. "DO NOT OPEN. I guess. I mean, probably you shouldn't open it. I'm pretty sure."
I think the major thing is that if you found the doll from the movie would you let your kid have it? You'd be like, that thing's going to give my kids nightmares I'll hide it in a box anyways. I haven't watched the movie it might be an heirloom or something, that's usually how they get around it, but it's like in Gremlins, who really would buy that for their kid? The real doll looks like someone I might actually buy.

[Gilberto]

Read "Lunar Park" by Brett Easton Ellis. He does a whole thing with evil furbies.

So much of that museum stuff the Warrens have seems like theater. I don't think you'd let tourists come look at it if you really thought it had demons in it. Least you shouldn't, anyway.

[Scary Gary]

I just caught The Conjuring tonight (and listened to the first 30 minutes of this episode). I agree with pretty much all that was said on the show (thus far) and what you've all said here.

I'm not sure if it because I've grown up around carpenters (my dad, four uncles, my grandfather) - but the first time I can't get a door open to get to my screaming kid, all the doors are coming off the hinges. Likewise, if my knickknacks unexpectedly become projectiles, those mf'ers are history. They all may come back somehow, but I'll be making that damned spirit work it's ass off to haunt my family.

I'd have much rather seen a simple dirty porcelain doll as a portrayal of Annabelle instead of what they used. It looks too much like The Bride of Chucky doll to me.

I do like the idea of making sequels based off of "cases" of the Warrens. I'm not sure if you guys discussed it on the show, but that is apparently the rumor. Personally, I think they are frauds, but I am a sucker for good ghost/haunting stories.

I think movies like this (The Conjuring, Insidious, Poltergeist, Don't be Afraid of the Dark, The Sixth Sense) work so well for because they focus more on tormenting the kids. They create the perfect sense of helplessness that we can all relate to. I especially like it when they add the adult's refusal to believe what is "really" going on.

One minor problem I had for the first act of the movie is that I couldn't separate Ron Livingston from Peter Gibbons. Every time he'd hear something through the wall or behind a closed door, I kept picturing Lawrence hollering "Peter, watch out for your cornhole, bud." I know, I've seen Office Space WAY too many times. I also have the same problem with Jeff Bridges and John Goodman.

[Scary Gary]

Here is a link to The Warren's webpage. Museum tour information is available on the left.

www.warrens.net/index.html

[malus]

Lol! Gary! Now Im hearing "No Salt, I said NO SALT in my Mai TAI!"

You said the Warrens are frauds. Do you think they are intentional frauds, or think of themselves as genuine, but are in fact, misled? In interviews, Lorraine seems really sincere, if a little kooky.

I was a little disappointed by their cursed museum too. I was expecting something that looked a little less like it was collected from the after Halloween clearance bin at Party City. I've watched a number of You Tube walk thrus now.

I think that they sorta just tried to jazz the place up with that plastic stuff, and the real creepy "cursed objects" are kinda mixed in. You know how the old folks do. My Nanny has plenty of beautiful antiques, but that doesn't stop her from picking shit up at Big Lots and sitting it around. <3 There is also Ed's paintings- no comment.

Still, I bet it would make for an AWESOME and fun TVAMD road trip!

I second Sean's opinion that it does seem a TEENSY bit irresponsible to sell tour tickets thru a room full of objects supposedly guaranteed to curse your soul. But times are tough, yo- and pimping ain't easy.

<3

[Scary Gary]

"Fraud" might have been a strong word. From their interviews and bio's, they appear to be genuine believers and devoutly religious. I also read that they did not charge for their services, only for travel expenses. So I'm not really in a position to judge the character of their soul, if you will. But, as a person of science (I have a background in chemistry and biology, if you were unaware), I have to hold true to the maxim that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. As a life long fan of horror, I truly appreciate their scary stories: but their stories are anecdotal and insufficient as "proof".

As far as charging people to go through their haunted "minefield" of a museum, I also read that they ask people to immediately inform them if the as much as accidentally brush up against anything. They have a quick ritual that they do on the spot to "cleanse" such mishaps. So it isn't as irresponsible as it appears, I guess.

I agree that a road trip there would be awesome. If one ever materializes, I would be stoked to go. Though I warn that, as the token skeptic, I would be the most likely to bring some curse upon us all. I do wonder what their policy is with respect to recording devices.

[malus]

There are videos of people walking through the museum on YouTube, so I imagine the recording device policy is pretty lax. Would prob make for a really funny video with you guys. Wish Lynn could be there, but she's on a whole other continent, right?

[Scary Gary]

Yeah, getting the gang together in actuality (opposed to virtuality) is difficult. If we planned it, getting "the boys" together would be manageable. If I'm not mistaken, I think Sean, Greg, and Andrew are all reasonably close. I, on the other hand, am about 700 miles North of Savannah (as the car drives). Getting together with Lynn would be most difficult as she is literally on the other side of the planet from us. Maybe someday if the stars align. As for the rest of the crew, I'm not sure where they hang their hats; but the further away from Georgia they are the more difficult it becomes.

The Occult museum is about 200 miles North of me (so about 900 miles for the GA boys) in Monroe, CT (just North of Bridgeport.

[lynn]

When the stars align I'd love to come over for a visit and see all your haunted places and make fun of your museums. I'm usually the person who almost gets everyone kicked out for making barbed remarks and giggling at everything though.