THE CONJURING Screening Midnights This Weekend at The Tivoli

THE CONJURING plays this weekend (May 17th and 18th) at the Tivoli (6350 Delmar Boulevard) as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.A Facebook invite for the screening can be found HERE

Unlike most modern horror movies, THE CONJURING relies more on moodand suspense than effects or gore (I have no idea why it’s rated R – no one even smokes!). Much of the plot turns in THE CONJURING are straight out of the “how to make a haunted house film” manual, especially the subsection dealing with demonic possession. We get sleepwalking children, cold drafts, odd smells (“like rotting meat!” – that can’t be good!), the family dog who won’t go inside, unexplained bruises that appear on the Carolyn’s body – even the creepiest of creepy dolls. I don’t think there’s one original concept in THE CONJURING but it works just the same. Wan has come up with a marvelously spooky ghost story that may possibly scare the wits out women and children and offend those parents who believe that kids should be protected from their own, sometimes savage imaginations. It’s a simple exercise in scares that gets under your skin. It’s also a meticulous re-creation of the early ‘70’s, an era that Hollywood almost always gets wrong.

Director James Wan shows a real mastery of pacing and tension with THE CONJURING. There are several scenes involving a mirror placed in a music box. You know something’s going to pop up in that mirror that shouldn’t be there. You’ve seen it before, but Wan makes it work each time. The film isn’t edited for the MTV generation – no quick-cut madness here! It’s all about a steady use of creepy production design, and effective use of sound and darkness. It’s how a horror flick should be shot! Lily Taylor is outstanding as Carolyn, particularly in the second half of the film when the demons begins to exact their physical toll. Patrick Wilson (reteaming with his INSIDIOUS director) lends an authoritative presence as Ed while Vera Farmiga is terrific as Lorraine, the one with the real psychic abilities who sees the dangers before anyone. THE CONJURING is like a thoroughly enjoyable nightmare, one that you know that you can always wake up from, and one in which, at the end, no one has permanently been damaged. It’s good scary fun. Don’t miss your chance to see it again on the big screen this weekend! Admission is $8

The Tivoli’s website can be found HERE

Here’s the lineup for the rest of the Spring’s Tivoli Reel Late shows:

May 24-25          MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL   

May 31-June 1   WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS   

June 7-8              PRINCESS MONONOKE    – Subtitled at midnight Friday and Saturday, plus 11:30am Saturday matinee in English 

June 14-15          THE ROOM – with Tommy Wiseau in person, all tickets $20 (no passes) –                                            2019 Love Is Blind Tour

 June 21-22         THE SHINING   New 4K Digital Restoration!

June 28-29         HEREDITARY  By director of MIDSOMMAR

 July 5-6               RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 

 July 12-13           PAPRIKA