Conjurer

(2008) Conjurer HORROR

Co-written and directed by Clint Hutchison with wife, Helen (Maxine Bahns) and husband, Shawn (Andrew Bowen) Burnett whose just loss a baby decide to seek for a new life by moving to a new house set up by his brother-in-law, Frank played by John Schneider of Dukes Of Hazzard fame. He then start to see and hear things regarding the old cabin nearby his house which is supposed to be inhabited by an old witch whose somehow reincarnated into a black crow, and the protagonist obsessively seeks for answers about the house's true history. The twist is okay but with one too many. And although the scene where the wife puts on a lost ring (suspected to have belonged to the witch) without saying anything about it, and just puts it on is nonsense, and does not reflect what most people would do upon finding something that does not belong to them. It is on that scene and the very last shot killed the credibility of the entire movie.

We happened to catch this at the Dances With Films Festival and at the Action On Film International Film Fest where it won 'Best Horror'. I wouldn't call this a horror film because the term usually means lots of splatter and this has little blood but there's no category for 'Best Supernatural' or 'Best Ghost' story at any of these fests which is too bad, that would be a better category even though it had it's share of creepy moments. Both screenings had very positive reaction and we were glad to see this especially guessing the producers had about as much money as the catering budget of a studio picture for their film. In this case it worked to their advantage because the story benefited with a gradual creepy film that never signaled where it was going or how it would end. There is always the danger of piling on a lot of effects when you have the money but here they got very good mileage out of the story that could have gone over the top and blown the mood. Also wanted to mention the lead actor, he was very good especially in the last ten minutes. Doubt this will get any kind of theatrical release but will do well on DVD. So much better than 95% of the straight to DVD releases.

"Conjurer" didn't strike me as a movie that would turn out to be overly impressive, given the somewhat generic cover of the movie. However, covers can be deceiving as we all know, so I still decided to give it a chance and sat down to watch it.

I must say that I was actually entertained by the storyline portrayed in "Conjurer", as it turned out to be interesting enough. And it also had some good acting performances to help the movie along as well.

The story in "Conjurer" is about Shawn Burnett (played by Andrew Bowen) and Helen Burnette (played by Maxine Bahns) whom move to a quiet, idyllic rural house after having lost a child during pregnancy. This homestead was supposed to be a place of recovery and rest, but it turns out that there is something ancient and terrible residing on these lands.

It was also the fact that the characters in the movie were well-detailed and fleshed out on the screen that helped added depth to the storyline.

There is a good amount of creepy moments throughout the course of the movie, but nothing that really climaxes into something downright scary or disturbing. A feat which the movie needed.

The acting in "Conjurer" was good, and especially Andrew Bowen stood out here with his performance. I am not overly familiar with his work, but he did a great job in "Conjurer". Maxine Bahns also did hold her own quite well.

The special effects in the movie were adequate. Don't expect a lot of special effects, and don't expect them to be a Hollywood galore of impressive CGI and visual effects. The effects in "Conjurer" worked well enough for their intended purposes.

However, for a horror / thriller movie then "Conjurer" turned out to be a generic one. It didn't really bring anything new to the genre, and everything here had essentially been seen before.

"Conjurer" scores a mediocre five out of ten stars rating from me.

A young couple moves into an old farmhouse a year after losing their unborn child. Strange, unexplained events take place, seemingly having to do with an abandoned cabin on the property.

CONJURER is an exceptional supernatural thriller. Or, perhaps it's something else. It could either be about a curse / occult conspiracy, or a man driven by schizophrenic delusions. The filmmakers have done a fantastic job of balancing dark, magical images with paranoid thinking and less-than-sane reactions from the protagonist (Andrew Bowen).

We're never quite sure if he's being tormented by a sinister entity, or simply breaking away from reality. Though the epilogue hints at a possible answer, it's sort of left to interpretation. This movie keeps us guessing throughout...

Just got back from the premiere screening, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed with this film.

The story established a thoroughly creepy premise, built the tension, included more than a few jumps and jolts, and had me and my wife hugging each other tightly for fear of the next scare.

So, a great horror film experience.

The production values were very high. The production design and makeup are first rate, and the effects are used sparingly and to maximum result.

Hope this gets a theatrical release, because it deserves to be seen! Check it out when you get a chance...