The film got a lot of street credibility on Facebook, as memes and links about the Annabelle doll and  the movie flooded my Facebook Newsfeed. It maybe because of the typhoon Maring where a lot of us Filipinos are just at home waiting for the er- floods to subside, or is just curious about all the hype. So what’s our verdict?

“The Conjuring” is based on how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. 

Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives.

Plot

We see a lot of time and tested elements of a horror flick in this film. But the decision to veer away from the computer graphics and just use the good old horror trickery of whispers-here-door-creaking-there-then-the-massive-scare is quite effective. Although the tiny funny inserts were cute, James Wan was successful in delivering a good horror film that urged people to talk about it after watching the film.

The fear of the unknown, the use of everyday things in the film had a lasting effect. I see myself occasionally glance at my shoulder as I finish some stuff at 2am in the morning, and ensure that my feet is conveniently under the covers of my blanket for almost a week.

Casting

We see some horror film regulars such as Vera Farmiga (Orphan, Up in the Air) and Patrick Wilson (Insidious). The Perron kids breathe life in the film as they are the first ones who experienced the infestation and described what they seeing in crisp horrific detail. It was a smart cast. No time was wasted for bad acting in this film.

Cinematography

Weirdly one of the film’s strongest points. The small details mattered a lot in this film, from the wardrobe, the everyday items, the opening billboard, the film stayed true to its era that it will be confusing to say that the film is made on 2013. I’m sure the hipsters will love the little details.

The Verdict:

It was a good creepy film. Definitely something that should be watched on the big screen. Stop the torrents guys ;)

The Showbook rating: 4 out of 5 stars

"The Conjuring" has been rated R-13 by the MTRCB and is now in theatres.

MANILA, Aug. 8, 2013 – One of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year, New Line Cinema's horror thriller “The Conjuring” will hold special sneak previews on Mondayand Tuesday, Aug. 12 & 13 in selected theaters nationwide.

This was announced today by Francis Soliven, General Manager of Warner Bros. Philippines, the film's local distributor. Soliven relayed the good news in response to the public's exceedingly high interest in the film, stoked by the movie's recent record-breaking bow in the U.S. and sensational internet buzz.

“The Conjuring” has surpassed $100 million at the North American box office on only its third weekend in theatres, crossing the milestone on Saturday, Aug. 3, and has earned an estimated $108.6 million domestically to date, and still climbing.

The terrifying supernatural horror thriller, from director James Wan, opened to rave reviews from critics, as well as audiences, a fact that was reflected in the film’s A- CinemaScore—an extremely rare mark for the genre. “The Conjuring” had an extraordinary $41.9 million opening weekend at the domestic box office, the largest opening ever for an original horror film.

“The Conjuring” is also off to a great start internationally, opening in just 13 markets thus far. The film opened in the UK this weekend, taking the #1 spot on Friday and Saturday, and it is also holding extremely well in other early release markets, particularly in Australia and Spain. The international total to date is an estimated $28.6 million, with many major markets yet to open, including the Philippines, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Mexico.

Based on the true life story, “The Conjuring” tells the tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives.

From New Line Cinema comes a feature film drawn from the case files of married demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. “The Conjuring” stars Academy Award® nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air”) and Patrick Wilson (“Insidious”) as the Warrens, and Ron Livingston (HBO's “Sex and the City”) and Lili Taylor (“The Haunting”) as Roger and Carolyn Perron, residents of the house. Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy and newcomer Kyla Deaver play the Perrons’ five daughters, and Sterling Jerins is the Warrens’ little girl, Judy.

James Wan (“Saw,” “Insidious”) directed the film from a screenplay by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes (“The Reaping”).

Opening wide across the Philippines on Aug. 21, “The Conjuring” is a New Line Cinema production and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

BURBANK, CA – July 22, 2013 – New Line Cinema’s “The Conjuring,” from director James Wan, rode a wave of strong critical and audience acclaim to an extraordinary $41.9 million opening weekend at the domestic box office.

The film broke records for:

• The largest opening for an original horror film

• Warner Bros.’ largest 3-day opening for a horror film

• The largest opening for director James Wan, who created the “Saw” franchise.

In addition, “The Conjuring” earned an A- CinemaScore, one of only three horror movies in the last 10 years to earn such a high mark from moviegoers (with no horror movie ever receiving a higher grade).

Based on the true life story, “The Conjuring” tells the tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives.

From New Line Cinema comes a feature film drawn from the case files of married demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. “The Conjuring” stars Academy Award^® nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air,” TV’s “Bates Motel”) and Patrick Wilson (“Insidious”) as the Warrens, and Ron Livingston (“The Odd Life of Timothy Green”) and Lili Taylor (TV’s “Hemlock Grove”) as Roger and Carolyn Perron, residents of the house.

Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy and newcomer Kyla Deaver play the Perrons’ five daughters, and Sterling Jerins is the Warrens’ little girl, Judy. Rounding out the cast are Marion Guyot, Steve Coulter, Shannon Kook, and John Brotherton.

James Wan (“Saw,” “Insidious”) directed the film from a screenplay by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes (“The Reaping”). The film is produced by Tony DeRosa-Grund, Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Walter Hamada and Dave Neustadter serving as executive producers.

New Line Cinema presents a Safran Company / Evergreen Media Group Production of a James Wan Film, “The Conjuring.” The film is being distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

(“The Conjuring” will open across the Philippines on August 21.)

BURBANK, CA – July 22, 2013 – New Line Cinema’s “The Conjuring,” from director James Wan, rode a wave of strong critical and audience acclaim to an extraordinary $41.9 million opening weekend at the domestic box office.

The film broke records for:

• The largest opening for an original horror film

• Warner Bros.’ largest 3-day opening for a horror film

• The largest opening for director James Wan, who created the “Saw” franchise.

In addition, “The Conjuring” earned an A- CinemaScore, one of only three horror movies in the last 10 years to earn such a high mark from moviegoers (with no horror movie ever receiving a higher grade).

Based on the true life story, “The Conjuring” tells the tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives.

From New Line Cinema comes a feature film drawn from the case files of married demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. “The Conjuring” stars Academy Award^® nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air,” TV’s “Bates Motel”) and Patrick Wilson (“Insidious”) as the Warrens, and Ron Livingston (“The Odd Life of Timothy Green”) and Lili Taylor (TV’s “Hemlock Grove”) as Roger and Carolyn Perron, residents of the house.

Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy and newcomer Kyla Deaver play the Perrons’ five daughters, and Sterling Jerins is the Warrens’ little girl, Judy. Rounding out the cast are Marion Guyot, Steve Coulter, Shannon Kook, and John Brotherton.

James Wan (“Saw,” “Insidious”) directed the film from a screenplay by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes (“The Reaping”). The film is produced by Tony DeRosa-Grund, Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Walter Hamada and Dave Neustadter serving as executive producers.

New Line Cinema presents a Safran Company / Evergreen Media Group Production of a James Wan Film, “The Conjuring.” The film is being distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

(“The Conjuring” will open across the Philippines on August 21.)

Truth is stranger than fiction…and a lot more frightening. No one knew that better than Ed Warren and his clairvoyant wife, Lorraine, whose lifelong personal experiences combating inhuman forces garnered them respect in the field of demonology long before the immense popularity of the paranormal on the screen. And long before Ed and Lorraine tackled the foreboding menace in a little place called Amityville, they encountered the most perilous evil even they would ever come up against. This terrifying case is the subject of the new horrror film “The Conjuring” from New Line Cinema.

James Wan, who had known of the couple’s work prior to taking the directing reins of “The Conjuring,” relates, “I've always been a big fan of the Warrens. I really admire them. They pioneered the modern-day style of ghost hunting with technical equipment, capturing evidence on film and audiotape. Since they've inspired so many stories, books and films, it was cool to actually make a movie where who they are is as much the focus as the family’s home they are investigating.”

The film reveals the real horrors lurking within a secluded centuries-old farmhouse in the seemingly peaceful countryside of Harrisville, Rhode Island, bought in 1970 by Carolyn and Roger Perron. However, the couple and their five daughters soon find themselves directly in the path of extreme, yet indefinable, danger. When Ed and Lorraine meet the family and the unnatural enemy waging war against them, they know they are in for the battle of their career...and lives.

Producer Peter Safran believes the case was seminal for the Warrens because they wanted not only to safeguard the Perron children, but their own young daughter, Judy. He conveys, “I think what they went through with those girls really laid the groundwork for their life path, including Amityville and beyond. I was particularly drawn to the events because I also have a daughter, and I can't even think of a limit to what I would do to protect her.”

Producer Rob Cowan comments, “Everybody identifies with the notion that something’s under your bed or in the closet, but this really happened, so it makes it all the more chilling.”

Screenwriters Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes had a unique take—telling the story via the tandem points of view of the Warrens and the Perrons. Chad remarks, “What we loved about writing this script is the contrast between two couples: there are the Warrens, who are devout Catholics and respected demonologists, and the Perrons, who aren’t at all religious. And then their lives collide. Who fixes what and how does it get fixed?”

“These strangers crossed paths over some very ugly entities,” Carey adds. “They took a very daunting journey, and going through their steps, we just got hooked. It became an obsession.”

Wan remembers, “When I read the script, I said, ‘Wow, this is great, here is a chance to do something different.’”

During the project’s development, Wan and the Hayes brothers went through the Warrens’ files—some 4,000 cases. “We found a lot of great material,” says Wan. “My goal was to incorporate some of the wildest things they'd encountered in their lifetime, yet still stay true to this particular family’s story. We drew a lot of inspiration from the Perrons’ recollections as well. I thought it was even more frightening to show the scares through the eyes of the pros along with the perspective of this family that has no inkling of the supernatural world.”

“We wanted to honor both families,” says Cowan, “so it was really rewarding when they said we’d achieved a genuine level of accuracy.”

Wan concludes, “Most people will, at some point, relate that they know someone who has, or that they themselves have, experienced something paranormal. On my other films, it was comforting to tell myself those things weren’t real, I’d just made them up…but for ‘The Conjuring’ I didn't have that luxury.”

Opening across the Philippines on August 21, “The Conjuring” is a New Line Cinema production and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.