The Conjuring - Bluray Review

Halloween's almost here...well, technically in a couple of days but in the meantime, I'll be reviewing two Halloween-themed movies! Today is The Conjuring and on October 30th is Carrie (2013). About the other reviews, I apologize for not having them posted on the day it was supposed to be posted. I'll try posting them during November, since I also have another stack to review and that I have school that is being thrown into the mix. Again, if the reviews aren't posted as what's on the calender/list, I apologize in advance. 
Now, onto the bluray review of The Conjuring! *cue in thunder and lighting SFX and bats*

The Conjuring is directed by James Wan and stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson (both as the Warrens), Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Mackenzie Foy, Joey King, Hayley McFarland, and Shanley Caswell. 

James Wan is my all-time favorite horror director, besiding Guillermo del Toro. He directed the Saw films, Insidious, and currently directing the seventh film in the Fast & Furious franchise; and now has directed one of the Warren cases, The Conjuring. The film is certified fresh by Rotten Tomatoes and is positively received by critics and audiences worldwide, as well as horror lovers. The Conjuring isn't all filled with jump scares or graphic gore, like what others did to some horror films these days. James Wan has a unique style in horror films and so does Guillermo del Toro. They both have something special when directing the horror genre. Literally,  I could go on talking about this but to sum it all in short, James Wan is the best horror director and that The Conjuring is his finest work yet.
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Disclaimer: The screenshot below are captured using the DVD copy and not the original Blu-Ray copy. They do not show 1080p resolution.                                                                                                                                                                                                                

THE FILM:

The Conjuring is based on a true case from the Warrens, paranormal experts, about a family who moved inside a farmhouse and unsettling, potentially dangerous supernatural encounters the family--since moving into their new house. The family pleads the Warrens, as they accept the case and soon discover that other entities that haunted the farmhouse and aren't wanting to move on or leave. 
While reviewing the film at noon with a cup of hot chocolate and the surround sound adjusted and pumped, the film literally scared the jibber-wibbers out of me and from that moment, I was invested into the mood of the story, the characters, the suspense/intensity, and the terrifying scares that caused me to scream like a little girl. The Conjuring is set in the 1970s and the way James Wan directed it, felt like an old horror classic with astounding set designs, props and production that doesn't feel fake. Good camera shots and angles are spotted and impressively beautiful, which also reminds me of an Alfred Hitchcock movie for some shots; I don't remember the title. The acting in the film is exceptional, with Farmiga and Wilson fitting into the Warren's shoes as they live and breath the characters during the time of event. Taylor and Livingston's acting are also exceptional too, and not to mention, the Perron daughters that did a fantastic job! The suspense in The Conjuring is heavy, and vividly nerve-racking to the point where nails are being bitten and looking away from the screen is involved; during some scenes, I looked away but realizing that nothing scary happened...oh me. I could definitely say that the scare level in the film is somewhere middle-to-high. Throughout the film, I began to notice something I didn't notice during the first viewing; the cameo of Lorraine Warren! Hint: she's in the scene where Ed and Lorraine are lecturing a group about exorcism.

THE VIDEO: 5.0

Shot with Arri Alexa HD cameras, The Conjuring looks beautiful on bluray. Warner's 2:40:1 AVC Encoded 1080p transfer has this grain-ish, color palate to interpret the seventies look, which overall does an outstanding job in doing so. Up-close shots look soft and rough with clear details of every pore and clothing fabrics, and the texture of the quality looks amazing. Skin tones are vibrant and lifelike, especially during scenes where the actors are pale--to give that haunting factor , and naturally saturated. To sum the whole video quality, a beautiful presentation to those bluray-fanatics or video quality experts. 

THE AUDIO: 4.5
Note: While rating the dialogue from the DTS-HD 5.1 Audio, my centre speakers started to muffle and crackle during scenes where yelling or shouting is heard. This will not effect the overall score of the audio, but may effect the reviewing portion.

The Conjuring's DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio is a terrifying and spooky soundtrack that amps your surround system to the max, especially during scenes that involves tension or loud scares. A couple of voices blare from the surround left and right speakers, which comes from different directions to boost up the screams and scares and I've encountered no errors or drops outs to the audio. Dialogue seems crystal clear in both light and loud scenes and whispers can be heard nicely, but due to my centre speakers being all messed up, I'm not able to judge much from that area unfortunately. 

BLU-RAY PACKAGING/LOOK INSIDE:

The Conjuring combo-pack is presented with a lenticular slipcover that is housed in an eco-friendly case. Inside the case contains two discs, which is the main feature film on bluray and DVD, and an ultraviolet code that expires on 10/22/15. 
Conjuring's main menu is a simple, unanimated menu with the color themes of red and provides a spooky score from the film by Joseph Bishara and sub-menus for each button/option. Normally, Warner Brothers are packed with an awesome animated menu but it seems that they've discontinued that on some of their bluray releases. 

SPECIAL FEATURES: 3.0
There aren't many special features to the release, as they only provided little:

• The Conjuring: Face-To-Face with Terror (7 minutes/HD) - Relive the real-life horror as the Perron family comes together to reflect back on the farmhouse they shared with the diabolical spirits for nearly a decade.
• A Life in Demonology (16 minutes/HD) - The real demonologist and paranormal experts from The Conjuring take you inside their life's work and into their personal occult cellar, where they keep haunted and unholy relics from their many cases.
• Scaring the "@$*%" Out of You (8 minutes/ HD) - Director James Wan (Saw, Insidious) welcomes you into his world and gives an inside look at the secrets that scare the "@$*%" out of moviegoers time and time again.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The Conjuring is not only just a scary movie, but horrifying interesting to keep you at the edge of your seat for the entire film and I'm still scared out of my wits. James Wan really did show his all into The Conjuring from the set designs to casting the actors to building/making this true story onto the big sliver screen. Warner's Blu-ray release shows a fascinatingly outstanding video transfer and 5.1 flawless audio track. Though, the supplements on the Blu-ray are light-weighted to only three featurettes, wishing that there were more, but don't let that scare you away into making it truly a horrifying movie night. The Conjuring comes Highly Recommended.

THE FILM = 4.5

VIDEO PRESENTATION = 5.0

AUDIO PRESENTATION = 4.5

SPECIAL FEATURES/SUPPLEMENTS = 3.0

OVERALL = Highly Recommended