Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Billy Wonka (A) on July 20, 2013 at 17:49:22

Those ominous words: Based on a true story. I'm asceered, already!

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play real life paranormal, demonic investigators. This film tells the story of their worst case of possession that occurred in 1971.

Enter the Perron family who think they have found a great buy in the countryside which is a not quite shabby two-story farmhouse built in 1863. Once mom, dad, and the five girls move in the shite hits the propeller blades in no time. Starting out slowly then progressively intensifying until it drives Lilli Taylor to seek help from the ghostbusting couple.

As far as FX and editing are concerned this is about the most effective "spook house" grinder yet. The intensity grows and keeps on growing until you sometimes wish it was The End time. (Half the fun is anticipating the horrible.)

Patrick Wilson is getting dangerously close to a scary movie typecast victim (Insidious 2 due out soon) but does a good job here along with Farmiga. Taylor is excellent as always but Ron Livingston doesn't seem to match the true scariness of a "spook house" grinder. The five daughters do their shrieking best.

At the end of the film we see the photos of the real people involved which makes everything totally believable. (Yeah, they would all have gray hair and aged 50 years if that was so.) Ed Warren writes a closing statement saying " . . . the fairy tale is true. Good and evil exist . . ". Be sure and take someone with you that has a squeezable hand.

Boo.