The Conjuring 2 and The Warrens.

[Mr.Plores]

Yesterday, while waiting for the football (soccer) matches on TV , I treated myself to a pretty solid cam version of The Conjuring 2.

The movie did not disappoint . Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga's performances were solid and continue to portrait The Warrens in a cutesy and endearing way. A given since it is Hollywood and all. The cinematography was okay and managed to focus grimness of the locality in an accurate way from what I had seen about the Enfield case earlier.

The good thing is that the jump scares are always there. It kept me constantly on edge and had no time to calm down. A specially scary scene is when Lorraine encounters an aparition that seems to haunt her from a portrait Ed had painted. Why does it look like a nun? i don't know but I guess that Nun's are intrinsically scary according to Hollywood.

In the end the movie is typical for the horror genre nowadays but keeps the tension high throughout the film and in these days that is the most one can ask for.

I recommend it. Nothing Ligottian or intrinsically "weird" about it but it is a good simple horror flick.

My curiosity led me to browse the web about demons and medieval grimoires. Perhaps other members can enlighten me. Anyone of you have read about demonology and "The Lesser Key of Salomon" ? Have you ever used demonology as a setting for a story?

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

I haven't seen the second one but I have to say I've become increasingly irritated and distrustful of people who say the first film was good, because aside from a few effective moments it's obvious garbage for people who take mediums seriously and like crappy sentimental family drama.

[Calenture]

Didn't really like The Conjuring. Usually I hunt for Indy films and have found one or two gems. But...

Quote Originally Posted by Mr.Plores

Have you ever used demonology as a setting for a story?

Twice. But rather than the so-called Black Arts, I was much more interested in the many eccentrics who believed themselves possessed of magical powers. Crowley's own writing was of course impenetrable, but I thought he was marvelous and hilarious: mathematician, mountaineer, explorer, bad poet, bad writer of fiction, sometimes interesting artist. The bonkers MacGregor Mathers and his loony wife were perfect targets for him. I forget what Waite thought of Crowley, but probably not very much. And Crowley didn't get on with Yeats, either (thought he had dirty fingernails, apparently). Dion Fortune wrote some good fantasy novels, but of course she went bonkers, too. Believed honey bees came from Venus. But if you're looking for fiction written by a 'real magician', check out Fortune.

Ah, it all comes flooding back, memories of a misspent youth gloriously wasted reading this crap.

The Scavenger borrowed from stuff I'd read about The Knights Templar, some E Nesbit (wonderful writer), one or two of the more lurid Bible stories, and probably Marvel's Dr. Strange comic. Seriously, Hammer should have filmed it.

And The Tooteega was based on Eskimo myth, and everyone tries to convince me to change the ending. But I've waffled on far too long and probably should be in bed.

[Mr. Veech]

I thought The Babadook was a decent film. Honestly, most horror films are quite terrible. However, I would definitely watch Guillermo del Toro's Chronos, Devil's Backbone, and Pan's Labyrinth. Bayona's The Orphanage is also fantastic.

[Pan Michael]

Mr. Plores,

If you are interested in Grimoires and subjects relating to the "Left-Hand Path", you might enjoy the books of Joseph Lisiewski and Aaron Leitch. Both are "purists" and deal primarily with Old System, Medieval/Renaissance magic. Most of the books on Goetia and the like aren't worth much, and are little more than New Age fluff. But "Howlings From the Pit" (Lisiewski) and "Secrets of the Magical Grimoires" (Leitch) are both impressively rigorous and scholarly. I found them both to be fascinating reading.