The Conjuring 2 Movie Review

The Conjuring 2 is a fantastic blend of an inventive theme park ride mixed with a multi-genre horror movie. In other words - it's a ton of fun!

The film starts with some great tension right in the opening scene and doesn't let up for a good chunk of the movie (maybe an hour? I lost track of time). The quality does dip a bit once the first supporting monster shows up and again with some other ridiculous / overly sentimental scenes that detract from the horror and tension, but damn, what a ride; my theory is if they had cut the score during the sentimental scenes, it would have improved things. It can also be argued that those more sentimental, "relaxed" scenes are their for pacing purposes and to help the scares be stronger later, but not sure that's either necessary or true.

Regardless of any dips in quality, there's a lot to love in The Conjuring 2, not the least of which were the decent number of scenes that were either one-take or faux one-take scenes and a fantastic main villain that had a great design and thematic resonance for the lead characters. Regarding the one-takes, there was a sequence towards the end featuring one of the supporting monsters that's just bad-ass.

The story was simultaneously simple and excellent. The film starts with a tease of the Amityville Horror that presents a throughline for the rest of the film, which was carried beautifully by Vera Farmiga. Speaking of which, the rapport and chemistry between Farmiga and Patrick Wilson was a joy to watch - they're a couple I'd happily see in a series of these movies. Beyond the throughline was a fairly standard possession story, but beautifully directed by James Wan, and well performed by the kids (those previously mentioned sequences go a long way).

All in all, it's a solid film that's pulpy, as well as both modern and a throwback. I absolutely enjoyed it more than the first movie and may now be my favorite horror movie of 2016, easily besting The Witch (though that had arguably better acting), and probably edging out both Green Room and Don't Breathe (which probably had better tension).

Takeaway: Highly Recommended

Batman Forever Movie Rewatch Review

Yes, Batman Forever is still dumb, nonsensical, ostentatious, and a bit boring at times, but...

Hot damn! The movie is a visual treat in both cinematography (particularly the movements of the actors within frames) and production design. The music by Elliot Goldenthal, while nowhere near as good as Danny Elfman's scores, is enjoyable in its cartoony throwback styles, as well.

Plus - there's some really smart writing and bits (such as exploring Batman's psychology), inbetween all the various homages to 60s Batman and general weak points of the movie.

Not to mention the performances! Sure, Val Kilmer's a weak Bruce Wayne (his take is a rather flat traumatized one), but a pretty good Batman. The supporting cast is, for better or worse, 1- or 2-dimensional, and though both villains channel the Joker (via Robin Williams?), they're a pleasure to watch (I really love Tommy Lee Jones in this, even if its a flawed characterization). Also, hot damn! Dr. Chase Meridian.

And I'll say this - while fairly clearly teased, it's arguably a missed opportunity to explore Nigma's obsessive homoerotic tendencies towards Batman. They probably handled things as well as they could for 1995, but Forever presents some interesting themes and ideas that are only lightly touched upon. At the very least, it made for some great bits having Nigma chase Bruce (Nigma's party is a great example of this).

As a kid, I loved the film, so there's a good nostalgia factor for reciting the lines and enjoying the various scenes; and while as an adult I'm not as entertained, I can definitely appreciate a number of the strengths it has going for it.

Takeaway: Dumb but fun, and very enjoyable in some parts while more trashy in others.