#snedecker house

[theparanormalperiodical]

The Conjuring 3 (2020) - Plot, Cast, Trailer, And Release Date - EVERYTHING You Need To Know

We live in uncertain times.

Will Trump be impeached?

Will Boris Johnson win his electoral majority?

Will Brexit actually happen?

As we draw closer to 2020, it is safe to say that we do indeed live in uncertain times. Yet, amongst the confusion and complexity that politics has spat out at the world, there is one thing for sure:

The Conjuring 3 is going to hit theatres on September 11th 2020.

And alas, the uncertainty commences once again.

What’s it going to be about?

Who’s been cast?

When’s the trailer going to be released?

Well that’s why I’m here, Boo. I’ve compiled EVERYTHING you need to know about the 8th instalment in one of the biggest cinematic universes to date.

Today’s post is going to cover what’s been officially confirmed, the rumours swirling regarding this film, the possible plots, and the release date for the teaser trailer and official trailer release.

Settle in folks…

And let’s get spooky.

What Do We Already Know About The Conjuring 3?

As will all films, small scraps of plotlines, cast lists, and release dates have been left tangled up on the internet for us obsessives to unravel.

We know The Conjuring 3 is coming out on September 11th 2020.

We know that filming began in June and took place in Georgia.

And we know that - as with all of the Conjuring’s cinematic universe - this film is once again based on one of the real life paranormal investigations conducted by Ed and Lorraine Warren.

However, we do not know the exact investigation in question. Occasional whispers on the internet and the odd quote from those working on the film have given us hints to two possible plotlines: a werewolf, and a murder which cited possession as a defence. 

The cast list also gives us greater insight into a possible plot!

(And by insight I mean there is very little to make guesswork of.)

Once again Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmigo return to the screen as your favourite paranormal dream team, and are joined by a variety of new faces:

A younger Ed and Lorraine feature in this flick, suggesting a flashback to a previous case or perhaps a more personal reflection takes centre stage of this film.

Acting alongside them is a plethora of characters engaged in law enforcement: prison guards, inmates, judges… All of which point to a murder case which will be discussed later on in this post. 

One the other hand, 2 witches are also cited in the cast list. This instead points to the former rumoured plot that will too be explored in this post.

And finally, we know that James Wan will not be directing this flick.

The mastermind behind The Conjuring’s saga will instead help produce it, and the writer of Orphan and The Conjuring 2 will co-write the latest instalment. 

What Is The Plot Of The Conjuring 3?

In case you can’t read (if so how in the hell have you been reading this post), there are 2 rumours behind the plot of The Conjuring 3. 

But Boo, you know I got you.

I’m going to take you through every single rumour, and then explain the real paranormal backstories to the cases. 

Vera Farmigo was the first to ignite the rumours running since The Conjuring 2 hit theatres: she mentioned the third film will revolve around a werewolf. 

She then followed up this statement by saying that this concept may have been cancelled; nevertheless, the story behind this is worthy of a 2 hour movie bullet holed with jumpscares.

This is the story of the Southend Werewolf.

Just like the original Conjuring film, the story starts with an object found in the Warren’s house. Indeed, it is a book they wrote themselves - Werewolf: A Tale of Demonic Possession. 

It starts in 1952. 

A 9 year old boy, William Ramsay, suddenly felt an icy shiver take over his body, a smell like rotting meat float around him, and an aggression overcome his mind. He was shivering, he was growling, he was intune to his senses.

He had - or so he claimed - become a werewolf. 

He then finished up his transformation by ripping a fencepost out of his garden. 

Super-human strong was often reported whenever this would overcome him, confirming that all these signs bear a similarity to cases of demonic possession. 

Other events of turning into a werewolf bear similar resemblance, including him attempting to attack and kidnap a prostitute and biting doctors attempting to restrain him. After every event, Ramsay would fail to remember the attacks. 

He even checked himself into a mental hospital in an attempt to get to the bottom of his affliction in the 1980s. 

They found no explanation for these events.

And it was following these similar cases of him ‘turning’ - including one that involved the police and splashed his story across the papers - that the Warrens decided to pay him a visit whilst in London. 

They deduced that this was a Demon Animal Spirit. Having been suspicious of his claims prior to their investigation, they then claimed an exorcism was required. 

So, Ramsay was flown out to the USA, and an exorcism performed by Bishop McKenna occurred. 

At first, the exorcism did fuck all. But it was only when the bishop touched his forward and asked the demon to reveal itself that Ramsay once again began to turn. 

That was the final time that Ramsay ever became a werewolf.

And so the book was written and this chapter of his life was closed.

Oh, and at the end of Annabelle Comes Home, a werewolf like demon appears. And given The Conjuring’s love for a closely tied cinematic universe, perhaps this doggo will be returning to a theatre near you...

The next story is The Trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson

This was the first case in US history from which demonic possession was used a defence in a murder trial. 

James Wan actually confirmed that this was the centre of the movie’s plot - but a twist is never too far up The Conjuring’s writers’ sleeves…

The story starts with the Johnson family clearing out a house they had just rented.

David - then 12 years old - claimed an old man appeared, and would physically push him and attempt to scare him in a beast-like form whilst he was not muttering Latin. 

The old man also vowed to harm the family and steal David’s soul is they stayed. 

So, just like my second year uni flat?

Alongside noises in the attic, David’s frequent night terrors, scratches and bruises on David’s body were strange behaviours which was deduced as paranormal activity.

So, a catholic priest was called and the house blessed.

Unfortunately, this provoked the activity to then worsen. 

And so they gave the Warrens a ring and waited for their verdict.

Lorraine immediately noted a black mist by David - and if that doesn’t tell you its demonic, I don’t know what will. Invisible hands beating David were also cited by family members, as well as growls, hisses, and him reciting the bible and excerpts from Paradise Lost. 

Convulsions in the night, spasms as he slept… It bears a striking similarity to The Exorcist!

Following 3 exorcisms, David went through phases of levitation, not breathing, and even demonstrated a newfound ability to predict the future. Indeed, he predicted the murder that would be at the centre of this story. 

Due to the danger David was reportedly in, Arne - his father - asked the demon to possess him, instead.

The demon agreed.

Having taken control of his car and causing him to collide with a tree, they then met once again in the rental property. Once making eye contact with the demon - something that was warned against by the Warrens - he was fully possessed.

Fit with behaviour similar to that of a possessed David, he would fall into trances, growling and hallucinating. Once they were over, he would forget they occurred.

It is here that we must note the reflection of this story in The Southend Werewolf.

(Yes, I wrote ‘airport’ first instead of werewolf.)

This would build up towards the murder of their landlord, Alan Bono. The murder that was supposedly caused by the demonic possession is a simple and short story - not to ignore the sheer brutality of it, that is.

A 9 year old relative of Arne’s had essentially been held captive by Alan Bono whilst he was heavily drunk. Johnson in an attempt to save her stabbed Bono repeatedly with a pocket knife.

Not only did he growl throughout the attack, the 5 stab wounds were so graphic that one even stretched from his stomach to the base of his heart. 

Only 24 hours later, Lorraine Warren informed the police that Johnson had been possessed throughout the event, and made the initial claims that it was the demon that caused the murder.

Arne’s legal team focused on the possible paranormal influences, attempting to involve lawyers who had fought in similar cases in the UK, and even planned to fly in exorcism specialists to encourage a not-guilty result.

They then threatened subpoenas to the priests who carried out the exorcisms is they didn’t serve to defend him.

Yet despite the attempts to clear his name, the jury didn’t accept his claims.

He was sentenced to a maximum of 20 years, and only served 5. 

This will not be the first time that this case has been replayed on a cinematic level.

What Other Cases Of The Warrens Could It Be Based On?

If there’s one thing that Mean Girls taught me, it’s that rumours should always be taken with a grain of salt.

(Oh, and that I’m a mouse, duh!)

That’s why I’ve decided to consider the other possible cases that could position themselves as the plot-line.

And no, I won’t be including the other cases that have featured in previous instalments of this series, such as Annabelle the haunted doll, nor the Perron family farmhouse, or even the Enfield Haunting.

1. The Amityville Haunting

Not only did it feature in the beginning of the second Conjuring, it’s had enough documentation in the media. From documentaries, to horror films, to Ryan Reynolds…

God, just let it die. 

By anyway: the story goes that in 1974 a man shot every single member of his family, murdering them in cold blood.

Once a new family had been moved in, they began to witness paranormal activity, suggesting the former residents - including the murderer - had been led to this violent end. So, could supernatural forces be behind the murders?

2. The Snedecker House

In 1986 a family moved into a house that was previously a crematorium. From personality changes in their son, to sexual attacks and apparitions, the Warrens concluded that this house was haunted.

In fact, they even deemed the house possessed!

However, it was discovered that the son - who was at the centre of the activity - was diagnosed with schizophrenia. And so, bound by conflicting stories and a hostile familial atmosphere, the story was sensationalised to a high degree. Claims of debunking stick close to this case.

3. The Smurl Haunting

A lesser known example of paranormal - or rather, demonic activity - the Smurls was also a family who were tormented by otherworldly forces. 

Sexual assault, shaking mattresses, people being pushed down the stairs, loud noises, bad smells and family pets being through against the wall…

Lord, it’s a messy one.

That is until the Warrens rock up! Wait, it gets worse?

Writing on mirrors telling them to get out, dark masses appearing, knocking and rapping caught on audiotape - this demon was busy.

When’s The Trailer Going To Be Released?

I hate maths.

I hate using a calculator, I hate using excel, and I hate having to add up my grocery bill in my head and consequently praying if I can afford it.

I need to budget goat’s cheese in my bank balance, okay, do you know the struggle?

But I’m gon’ be getting some good karma tonight.

I’ve done the maths, Boo. I know when the teaser trailer is coming out. And I know when the official trailer is coming out. 

I not only deduced the average industry-wide gap between trailer and theatrical release, I worked out the average gap for the Conjuring’s universe.

Pull out your calendars, lads! It’s time to schedule your life around these key dates:

The teaser trailer is out in early march.

And the official trailer will hit YouTube May 8th 2020.

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[20thcentutygeek]

5 Haunting Horror films based on true stories (aside from Amityville Horror).

When I started researching this I was expecting to find a glut of films that would fit this category in the 70s and 80s. There were a couple but they were a bit tenuous (The Exorcist). It seemed more like a nugget of a real-life event was taken and then turned into something completely different. I suppose this way no one extra had to be paid. This changes in the early 2000’s and from 2005 onwards we have had a continual stream of Horror Movies based on ‘real events’. This has culminated in the Conjuring films, based on the accounts of the Warrens.

Below is a list of 5 films that are based on alleged real paranormal events:

1.       An American Haunting (2005)

Events: in 1817 the Bell family started to suffer an alleged haunting by a ghostly witch. It started when the head of the family, John Bell, came across a strange animal in his corn field. Shocked by the animal’s appearance he opened fire, the animal vanished. That night for the first time, the family were bombarded by a beating sound on the side of their home. From that point on the haunting got worse.

The noises continued. Sometimes outside the house, other times in the same room as members of the Bell family. Many people as well as the family reporting the sounds as well as seeing and feeling things within the house over several years.

Whatever the entity was that was haunting the family it made its final attack in 1820, when it allegedly poisoned and killed John Bell. Laughing loudly as he took his final breathes. It is said that the ghost returned in 1828 for a short time but was not heard of again after that.

This is regarded as one of the earliest and most wide spread hauntings in American History.

Film: The film has got an interesting cast with Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek and several up and coming actors at the time. It has an interesting modern wrap around mechanism as access into the period setting. It also maintains the actual, relative down beat, ending of the legend but condenses the haunting period of years to what feels like months. While the film maintains the haunted happenings the scares and tension never really amount to much, it was only a 12 (PG-13).

It was an interesting exercise in period drama horror, however I think this would have been better if it had either been more stylised (ala Sleepy Hollow) or tried for some harder edged scares and content (ala Annabelle Creation).

2.       The exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Events: The film is based on the tragic events that lead to the death of German woman Anneliese Michel. She dies in 1976 suffering from malnourishment and dehydration after months of being subjected to exorcist practices.

After suffering a seizure at the age of 16 Anneliese began to suffer increasing periods of depression. These low points and neuroses began to become focused on religious artefacts. A huge concern for a girl that came from such a religiously devoted family. Soon both she and her family became convinced that she was possessed by something evil. After several attempts the family convinced two priests that she needed intervention.

This started the exorcisms that eventually led to her death. Following her death her parents and the two priests were prosecuted for murder. They were found guilty of negligent homicide. This also forced the Catholic church to distance itself from the case and change its stance to state that she had been mentally ill and not in fact possessed by an evil force.

Film: They take a leap with this film as the story is told in retrospect, dealing with the court case that follows the death of Emily Rose. This is not a film about whether they can save the possessed girl, we know the answer is no. The film spends more time dealing with the question of whether she was possessed at all. It’s an interesting conceit and that isn’t fully explored. If they had had the confidence in the audience, it would have been a better film. However, they never want to completely condemn the priest.

In a better film, he would have been played as a more unreliable narrator. There would have been more uncertainty about whether she was possessed or if the priest hadn’t been obsessed due to his religious zeal.

That said, the film is good fun and the core cast are mostly good. This is a solid possession horror film with an interesting concept. The frustration is that this had the potential to be something more and elevate the genre and story into a classic.

3.       The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

Events: of all the ‘True Events’ on this list, this is the one that has the most holes. This is the first but not the last appearance of the Warrens on this list and their paws are all over this.  The haunting was alleged to have focused around the House and son of the Snedecker family, who was suffering from a form of Cancer. Minor events were reported but nothing of great note. That is when the Warrens got involved and the story became ‘clearer’.

The entity harassing the family was supposed to have been linked to the previous use of the house as a mortuary. It was stated that there were several employees of the mortuary that practiced necromancy and necrophilia. It was the spirits of these people that were returning at the heart of the events.

This did lead to several grander events. This included the son attacking his cousin and being held in a mental health ward for a period. However, following Ed Warren’s death in … several people linked with the investigation and the documenting of the events admitted that Ed told them to embellish what they knew in any way they could think of to make it scary.

The House is still occupied and the current occupants have frequently stated that they have never experienced any paranormal activity.

Film: The movie has a couple of well-placed scares and some moments of tension, however the overall film is very pedestrian. The facts from the true events are close enough regarding the house and its history. However, elements of the family are changed for safety. The focus on the main son having cancer is reduced.

There is little to say about this film really. It’s competently made, the acting is sufficient and its creepy at times but it just feels very run of the mill and safe for this genre. It’s a shame really because again, like the Exorcism of Emily Rose, this has the potential to add an element of ambiguity and tension with a just a few changes. Could the son’s illness have been at the root of the events? Could it be suggested in the film that this was a hoax to raise money to cover medical costs.

It’s worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre but there are better films on this list.

4.       The Conjuring (2013)

Events: Ah the Warrens. The couple that have now become synonymous with modern haunted house movies, thanks mostly to this film. As is usually the case, the story the Warren’s tell is very different from the truth the family have sated. The Perron family lived in the house at the heart of the story of a decade and the hauntings were spread over this while period.

The haunting was centred around the spirit of an alleged witch called Bathsheba Sherman who died in 1885. There is little evidence that she was in fact a witch, however it was alleged that she killed several infants as sacrifices to the devil. The haunting took on several aspects for the different inhabitants. Some saw apparitions, others were physically attacked but all the heard the noises and voices.

The haunting was never fully resolved. The case may have been closed by the Warren’s however after the Perron’s sold the house in 1980 there were further reports of ghostly activity. This is an event that I think deserves a more attention and possibly a closer adaptation of the story.

Film: Forgetting the alterations of the history this was a return to form for haunted house films. I really enjoyed the tone and feel of the film. It’s has an excellent sense of creepiness and uneasiness running through it. There are some incredibly well placed and paced scares that are incredibly effective.

The strength of the film is in the first two thirds. The build-up of the family dynamic and the relationship that grows with the Warrens. This investment in characters underlines the tension and scares. However, this is partially undone by a clichéd and overly dramatic finale. This will most likely be regarded as a milestone in horror history however it just falls shy of becoming a horror classic. I won’t even go into the dreadful sequel and Annabelle spin-offs. This Franchise has such potential but is being squandered on cheap jump scares and poorly written and preposterous characters.

5.       Deliver us form Evil (2014)

Events: The book ‘Deliver us from evil’ written by Lisa Collier Cool, chronicles the supernatural cases of former New York Police officer Ralph Sarchie. It is set up to be like the real life X-files. It covers a number of cases of possession and ghostly attacks that are alleged to be related to crimes that were left unsolved. Of course, they have been solved by Sarchie but the truth would not be accepted by the public.

Sarchie has appeared on several podcasts, radio and TV shows to promote the book and Film, telling his tales of the supernatural that lives in the Bronx. Demon neighbours, ghostly vengeful brides and the exorcisms that were carried out to save the people involved. Its sounds like he was a busy guy, maybe the Bronx is over a hell mouth and they would have been better off with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Film: Eric Bana is a New York cop that starts to uncover a conspiracy of soldiers possessed by demons from the middle east. The plot is a little daft and the direction is not subtle in anyway however this odd combination of horror and cop drama is fun if not scary. Bana is committed to the role and is sufficiently brooding and earnest about it all. It does all fall a part in the finale, as they usually do. If these events are alleged to have happened I am sure that someone in the media would have noticed.

A fun film for Halloween or with a few beers but not a solid recommend.