Product Description
Art photographer shawn reluctantly agrees to move to a farmhouse to help his wife recover from the loss of their stillborn baby. Shawn begins experiencing unsettling events surrounding an old cabin on the property. As a ghostly presence manifests itself shawn encounters disturbing echoes from his troubled past. Studio: Monarch Video Assoc. Release Date: 11/25/2008 Starring: John Schneider Andrew Bowen Run time: 88 minutes Rating: R… More >>
#1 by Robert P. Beveridge on April 7, 2010 - 1:10 am
Conjurer (Clint Hutchison, 2008)
Mediocre haunted-farm flick you’ve probably seen a dozen times before. Young professional couple Shawn (Big Bad Wolf’s Andrew Bowen) and Helen (Dangerous Curves’ Maxine Bahns) Burnett need a break from the big city after Helen miscarries, so Helen’s brother Frank Higgins (The Dukes of Hazzard’s John Schneider) buys them some property out in the country and plans to build them a new house on the site of a Civil War-era shack that local legend has it is haunted by the ghost of a witch named Hattie. While they’re waiting for the new house to get built, they’re living in an older one on the property. Strange things start happening around the old cabin, but it doesn’t seem like anyone but Shawn notices them. Of course.
Hutchison, whose previous directorial work consists of one short and a piece of the laughably silly horror anthology Terror Tract, takes this film down well-worn horror-trope paths without ever once veering off into new or interesting material; every piece of ham-handed foreshadowing we see is bound to lead exactly where you think it will. Having a female lead who can’t act her way out of a paper bag doesn’t help matters, either. On the upside, the film is reasonably well shot, and Bowen is convincing as a guy who doesn’t know whether he’s haunted or just crazy. Maybe worth renting if you have an hour and a half to kill and there’s nothing else that looks appealing at the video store, but not all that hot. **
Rating: 2 / 5
#2 by ! MR. KNOW IT ALL ;-b on April 7, 2010 - 1:29 am
With so many terrible horror films coming out, it’s always surprising to see one that actually understands the genre. ‘Conjurer’ won’t win any points for originality, but at least the makers of this film have learned a little about atmosphere and that less is more in some cases. The story of an couple who move to a remote farmhouse to heal after losing their unborn child is both chilling and pretty smart. The acting is above average, but that doesn’t mean it is without its flaws. The usual “get the H E L L out of here” thoughts will scream through your head, but the doesn’t make this film any less effective.
What I thought was really impressive is how the director could evoke chills in broad daylight! Clocking in at under an hour and a half, ‘Conjurer’ has enough chills to keep true horror fans happy and considering its short length doesn’t fail to tell a complete story.
Rating: 4 / 5
#3 by Richard L. Myles on April 7, 2010 - 2:07 am
I love Clint Hutchinson’s work! He directed Terror Tract which I love the Granny killer, and now he takes this film to a higher level. The story was solid, rich, and creepy as hell. The cinematography was great!
The score was sound. I would strongly recommend this movie to those who like psychological horror!
Rating: 4 / 5
#4 by Rick H on April 7, 2010 - 3:28 am
This film is what I was hoping “An American Haunting” would be more like, which I found to be disappointing after the hype. “Conjurer” is a lot creepier due to it’s slow pace build-up in telling a quality witch story, and not so much reliance on special effects like “American Haunting”. This is definitely worth at least a rental and a good little fright film to watch on Halloween. Not the last word in scary films but not bad, either.
Rating: 4 / 5
#5 by Jo Hegedus on April 7, 2010 - 4:19 am
I give this a thumbs up ! I thought all the acting was great with a great cast. The cover gave me a feeling that I would not be disappointed. I love John Schneider and the fact that he was cast was another reason I decided to purchase this movie. I love horror, suspense and an all around thriller, I felt this one fit all of these categories. I would reccomend it to anyone that likes a good scary flick, not too much gore and with a good ending. Too many of today’s movies are good until you get to the ending and you wonder what just happened !!
Rating: 5 / 5