288: The Conjuring 2 (2016)

SPEAKER_02 0:04

Say your name, say your name. When I want to condemn you, save a luck, I send you back to hell's flames. Spooky season, greetings and salutations, and welcome to Hacker Slash. If you're joining us again, welcome back. You're not a psychiatrist, and we're not here to talk about my father. What do you say we get down to business? If this is your first time listening, welcome to the party. We are a horror movie review podcast dedicated to telling you whether a movie is a hack, a total joke, a waste of time, or a slash. Totally killer, pun intended. We believe horror is for everyone, and as such, we're rating these movies with a perspective we've gained from our varying walks of life and the flavors of fear we fancy most. My name is Chris, I'm your friendly neighborhood slasher enthusiast. This week I'm joined by the classic horror connoisseur Sean.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

After everything we've seen, there isn't much that rattles us anymore.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

And the paranormal paramour, Binx. This one still haunts me. This week we're revisiting a ghostly franchise we last covered back in episode 174. Two years ago, we covered a film that introduced us to Ed and Lorraine Warren's casework and the supernatural occurrences the Perrin family endured in their Rhode Island farmhouse. Sean and Binks weren't with us at that point, and actually we're revisiting that film in a rewind episode for our members, so you can check the link in our show notes right now to see their take on it and see where they stand. I know it's a personal one for Binks. Now that film concluded with a hint of what was to come next for the Warrens as they were summoned to investigate another infamous haunting that we've actually covered on our show earlier this year. And this week's film picks up with that very infamous haunting, but it also takes us further by visiting a world-renowned poltergeist case overseas. The film follows the Warrens to the heart of North London, where a single mother of four children is contending with a sinister force that's terrorizing her family. This week we're talking about The Conjuring 2. Who's seen this one before?

SPEAKER_00 1:59

Man, I've seen most of the films in this franchise before. It's not a secret. I'm a big fan of The Conjuring, the first film for sure. I really enjoy the fact that the films are based on Ed and Lorraine Warren's actual cases. Loosely based as they might be, I still like the lore of it all. It's just something about the true crime, paranormal, haunting, ghost story of it all. It just really captivates me. And I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm just a sucker for a good ghost story, and that's what I love about this franchise or this universe.

SPEAKER_03 2:35

Well, I mean, I too have seen this movie countless times, and all three of the main conjuring films and just the franchise in general, don't know it as well, shockingly enough, as the first or third one. So of the three, this is actually the one I've rewatched the least. Pretty odd. Interesting. Definitely, now that I think about it, I would have quickly repaired that though, because I a hundred percent own this movie. DVD, I've got a special edition where it you kind of move the DVD case and the eyes on the cover also move with you. It's sick. Nice. Absolutely sick.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

I wish they would incorporate some of that into like when you buy the digital packages.

SPEAKER_03 3:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:15

I guess like your TV would have to be able to do some weird shit, but I feel like there's some room to play with that, you know what I mean? Which I think is cool.

SPEAKER_03 3:23

Like wallpapers or something, like digital wallpapers.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Yeah, there's that. When I was looking for this one, I had to rent it. I didn't own it on DVD, and I really just got suckered into buying the entire conjuring package. So now I have them all.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

You got suckered into buying that? Yeah. Does that translate to some sentiments on the Warrens or?

SPEAKER_00 3:44

I mean, it makes me feel better, okay?

SPEAKER_02 3:46

Okay, that's fair.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Makes me feel better about buying a shit ton of movies.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

Let me just share that my gripe with James Wan has been so intense that I've actually not seen the entire Conjuring franchise before this year. So when we did our rewind on the Conjuring, at that point when I was watching that movie, I went ahead and decided, cool, I'm gonna just fucking watch them straight through. I couldn't find the second one though. And I just was not in a place where I was like ready to rent one. So I skipped to the third one. And I was like, oh, alright, this is a different experience than I was expecting. So going back into watching this one, I could see the bridge between the two. And thinking of it, you know, obviously the third one has a lot of a true crime aspect to it, but going from the spookiness of the first one and then thinking about the atmosphere of it, and then the way that this one kind of sets into this. It's honestly more, it feels more like an investigation to me than the previous one did. I was like, all right, I can say that everything I've thought about this franchise is completely wrong. And I went into this with an open mind. I will say that I was expecting some pretty cheap jump scares, though. That is one thing that I could not bring myself to just let go of.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

I think it's fair, right, to think or expect that there's gonna be some cheap jump scares because it's James Wan. You know what I mean? So I feel like that's just what you would expect out of something like this. I'm just expecting, well, one, I know that this one is obviously about the Enfield poltergeist, and from what I do know about that, this is another one that gets kind of murky. Some people think it was a legit haunting, and others think it was like a complete hoax. And as some of you may know by now, I'm a little skeptical when it comes to sequels. So I remember being really hopeful for this one to really deliver as well as its predecessor, but also admittedly a little doubtful that it would. It's hit or miss sometimes. But what I do know is it makes for an interesting film concept, and I'm curious what they can do with it. So that's really my expectations going into this.

SPEAKER_03 5:53

For me, this rewatch was interesting because it's so well-timed with the fact that we had just done The Nun a few weeks ago, and also having watched The Conjuring. In general, it's just well-timed to put yourself in the atmosphere that is the Warrens and this franchise as a whole. So going into it, I'm not expecting to be surprised by anything because of how many times I've seen it. However, because I had never seen The Nun, I feel like there are certain things that I was looking out for now that I would have never known to look out for had I not seen that movie. So I think that was probably the best part of like this rewatch and the expectations of okay, what am I able to grab now that I've finally been able to experience this movie in a fresh way after so many years of it having been out and me just not having seen the nun. It only takes one other movie in this franchise to kind of change the whole game. So the jump scares, though, in relation to the big bad in this movie, I knew that no matter what was always gonna creep me out, because it always does. So I was expecting to still like feel that, have fun with it, like really relish in it. But I just wanted to bring that up because I'm like, man, what well timing on our part to be able to see this movie and really be able to talk about it tonight in a new way, now that I've seen just one other movie and prolonged it, it had to be timed perfectly until now.

SPEAKER_02 7:29

It really did. And I was just thinking about that when we actually picked up the recording. There's a point where you had a question of like, eh, if we discuss this, is it a spoiler? And I was like, Man, I just remember recording that episode and watching that movie and knowing how much lore you had built up in your mind about a character based on this movie alone. So even going into this, I was like, man, I'm probably in for some like really spooky shit. And I think actually going into it and feeling it right, this one was such a pleasant surprise for me because I almost was more intrigued. And I think I have a theory as to why, but I was more intrigued and more invested in actually following the story and the progression of these characters. We have a charming cast, and I actually love the balance of what we get versus what's going on, who's trying to figure it out, what's going on with the Warrens, where have they been, and what is the context of what they've been going through since we last saw them in the previous movie. And what I really love is this element of, are we hoax or are we not? Whether that be the Warrens or whether that be the haunting itself. So there's that narrative that runs through the entire movie, and I think that's what made it feel so much better to me. And I was just captivated the entire time.

SPEAKER_00 8:49

I did like that they kind of brought that into the film a little bit, and I do think I agree, it's a different experience watching this one after you've watched The Nun. So I have some things that I want to talk about a little bit later on from that exact experience. So I'm glad that you touched on that, Binks. But for me, this one felt more menacing in a way, but also more theatrical. It leaned into it a little bit more than the first film, the whole theatrics of it all, which I thought there was good, there was bad. I was feeling heavy exorcist vibes throughout this movie, but really the feeling that I would love to share, and I'm always the one to call this out, is man, what a solid fucking soundtrack. We have the Bee Gees, we have the Clash, London Calling, such a good song. We have the Hollies, and of course, we have Elvis. So naturally, I would expect for Chris to automatically slash this film just based on their use of Elvis. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 9:50

Listen, I was going to bring up the Elvis of it all later. I'm going to hold my peace. But dear listener, I want you to remember this moment because it is a significant one. Because listen, you can either give me Elvis and it's great, or you can give me Bubba Hotep Elvis. So it's not always an automatic slash, Sean. It's not always an automatic slash.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

All right, alright. I'm just saying.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

There's a number of Elvis movies I would hack. Not Elvis Elvis movies, but like movies about Elvis.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

Yeah. Okay. That's fair. But with this soundtrack and the music that they brought into the film, it had me curious. So I like I looked up the soundtrack. I was actually surprised to find some metal bands in the mix, like Cattle Decapitation and Avenge Sevenfold. However, I couldn't place those bands in the movie, so I don't know if it was like a credits thing or something. I didn't look too far into it, but I saw that when I looked up the soundtrack and I couldn't really place it.

SPEAKER_03 10:46

Look, I always appreciate when you bring up the soundtrack stuff, just so that you know. I feel like, for me, I wish I had more to say in terms of feelings because the only feeling that I had while watching this was almost like if I was going to church, I was just in basking in the glory of certain characters, particular one, and just eating it up, eating up every second of it. I enjoyed it, I was pumped, I was ready. And again, it's the fact that I am watching this from a different perspective now. However, as the movie was wrapping up and getting to the end of things, I was like, Well, maybe there is a reason why I haven't re-watched this movie as much as the others, right? After the excitement kind of dissipates, you're kind of like, that was fun. I think it's just the hype at first, but that kind of happens when you re-watch a movie so many, so many times. Does that ever happen? You guys like after a while, like you don't have a range of emotions depending on the movie. Yeah. But after you re-watch it so many times, you're just kind of like, Oh, that was exciting, and then out towards the end, you're like, at peace.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:54

Maybe is peace the right word.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

I don't know if it's if peace is the right word, but you get maybe more comfortable with it, and it still gives you some satisfaction, but it's not the exact same excitement or satisfaction that you got the first watch or the first couple watches. But I think I know what you're saying. Yeah. I don't know if peace is the right word, but you're still enjoying it, but in a different context.

SPEAKER_03 12:17

Exactly. Exactly. I just feel like I, if anything, after the excitement, there wasn't much other feelings to go with it. And it's all about just one character ultimately, and others that gave up the hype, but it was really just about one character for me.

SPEAKER_00 12:34

But did you compare the feeling of watching this movie to the feeling of going to church?

SPEAKER_03 12:40

Yeah, because I was just like, I'm all about it. I'm trying not to spoil.

SPEAKER_00 12:45

You get like super excited, like really rah-rah, rah, like, yeah, I'm about to go to church today.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 12:50

Like that, that's the feeling.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

Yep. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

I mean, I just I'm happy for you. I just don't have I just can't I can't relate to that feeling.

SPEAKER_02 12:59

I think I'm gonna have to pull up my Satan Binks prayer. There we go. Light the candle. I'm glad that you had such a range and all the times that you've experienced watching this movie. I can relate in some ways to the sensation of okay, you have this long stretch of experiencing a movie, and then sometimes you just have peace. It's not exciting anymore. But I think that's almost like a good love story, right? It's not always gonna be the fireworks and the dynamic, but one of the things that I found really surprising for me, and maybe this was also because I was, I wouldn't say totally tainted or skewed by your perspective of Binks when we did our episode on the nun. I was surprised how different I felt about this character having seen this movie in a complete opposite order of you.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

It's almost like the order in which I experienced these things painted a picture for me about a certain character. But you and I had two very different experiences, and I think that colored our perspectives very, very differently. I honestly was a little bit disappointed.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Interesting.

SPEAKER_02 14:00

Yeah, not like it's terrible. Like, don't get me wrong. There is nothing in this movie that I was like, wow, that's real trash, but I think I built it up to be something bigger than it actually ended up being. Like, I think if I had seen this movie first, I would have been like, okay, cool. And I probably would have been more excited when I saw the nun.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Okay. Yeah. I was both surprised and disappointed with certain things watching this film. I was surprised, like, it didn't feel like a repeat of the first film, which is surprising for a sequel, and it really stood on its own, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the film. I was disappointed in the approach or maybe the delivery of some of the visual aspects of the film, which we'll dive into, but I also was super surprised, or at least thinking back to when I first saw it, just surprised at the added layer of complexity in some of the story in which you get this haunting. And I it's really I know we're talking a lot about things that we really can't dive into, so this may be frustrating for you to listen to right now. And it's really hard not to spoil things when we're talking about some of the feelings and the surprises and different things that we got out of this film. But there's some layers here to this film that I thought were really interesting and it was kind of surprising, and some of it I really liked, and then there was some things mostly visually that I just didn't like and it was a little disappointing. But don't worry. You watch it, you stick around, you're gonna get some of this juice, if you will.

SPEAKER_02 15:28

In the spoiler zone specifically.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

In the spoiler zone. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 15:32

I agree with you, Sean, because it's very much like, man, we really are walking a fine line with this spoiler-free section, that's for sure. I guess I kind of relate to what you're saying, Sean, because it's like I didn't really remember how layered it was, and I think that's what surprised me, aside from everything else that I've shared in terms of this character I keep alluding to, but there are stories here, like more than one. I think you even said it too, Chris, where it's like the story of this movie. I for me it's plural almost. There's like a lot being said here. Now going into the sequel, it's not just about a haunting of something, it's also about the Warrens, too. Like we're really diving in here. So I think that's what makes me someone who grew up knowing so much about the Warrens and like following a lot of their cases. That's what got me so excited. That's what got me like really pumped and surprised by the decision that James Wan was making with this shift. But can I say a disappointment though? Very like nitpicky a little bit. There's a moment of CGI here that I was like, damn, that's rough.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

Ooh, I wonder if it's I wonder if we're on the same page with this.

SPEAKER_02 16:41

I also wonder there is a moment that is so jarring when we get some CGI. Yeah. Here's the thing though, but maybe it's like one of those things where it's same, same, but different, actually. Maybe we're on two different sides of things. Because I then in retrospect understood why it was that way, but also I fucking hated it. I was just like, what is this?

SPEAKER_03 17:01

Yeah, this doesn't belong. I literally wrote, that was a bit rough, but also understandable. What are those? Yeah. Interesting. Man, it would be kind of crazy if we're talking about the polar opposite thing. Then James Wan really fucked up.

SPEAKER_02 17:17

I'm ready to be on an island by myself on some of the things that say about this movie, but man, that moment, I saw it and it's my worst part of the movie.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 17:25

It absolutely is my worst part of the movie.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

Oh, okay. Man, well, we're we are gonna find out. We're gonna find out in the spoiler section. But I understand this James Wan jump scare factory the most while watching this installment, as it were. Like it the jump scares in this one felt abundant and it felt a little bit cheap at the same time. Like there are scenes, don't get me wrong, that build the tension. There are definitely some really creepy moments, but mostly the film is filled with jump scares, and it almost feels like it relies on those to carry the fright in this film, and it may be effective for some, but not for me. So I just didn't find the film super scary, super frightening. I did think it was creepy, and and I do think that there were some really good moments throughout the film. But when you think of like, did this really affect me? Did it scare me? Not really.

SPEAKER_02 18:21

It's giving atmosphere, it's giving potential, it's giving hasn't grown out of the puberty of its own movie yet. It has an idea of where it's gonna go in terms of the fear, but none of it really clicks. Yeah, it's like it just needs a couple more. Obviously, like I think when you think about like lifespan, right? Like it's those awkward teenage years, and then all of a sudden you become an adult and you're like growing into yourself, and that's what this movie is in some ways. In terms of the fear specifically, right? It has some spooky moments. I think if you're someone who tends to be afraid of kids, maybe this might do something for you, but even then that's generous. This is one where you sit in here and you appreciate the spooks. Yeah, you're not scared by the spooks, you're not threatened by them.

SPEAKER_00 19:06

That's it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:07

Alright, well, here I come in and basically say, nope, not for me.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

You were scared the whole way?

SPEAKER_03 19:12

No, well, not this time around. I've probably seen this movie like 10 times.

SPEAKER_01 19:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:17

Except for one particular scene that will always get me every time. But I'm just gonna advocate for the peeps that like scary movies but don't consume it that that much. Not that I'm one of them at this point, that's for sure. I always get affected by these jump scares. And when I saw this in theaters, I was terrified. And probably the last couple times afterwards in the dark, absolutely. So I don't know. Maybe it is one of those things where like if you just aren't easily got by these jump scares or jump scares in general, and especially how James Wan delivers them, then yeah, you can appreciate, but nothing's gonna affect you. But if you don't consume horror that often, or if you know this about yourself where you're like, ooh, I don't really fuck with that too much, or little surprises here and there, you might get got. You might get got. I sure was.

SPEAKER_02 20:08

I long for the days when I was vulnerable enough to feel a lot of these things. I feel like once I really get scared by a movie again, I'm gonna know that I am mentally balanced. I am all stable, good to go. Nothing is too overwhelming in terms of sensation. I really miss that feeling. Man, I'm thinking about the first time I watched the Poughkeepsie tapes and it was chilling, and it was like, ooh, I long for that sensation. I don't know that even if I could feel that, I'd get it from this movie. But here's what I do appreciate about this movie. It's not unlike anything we've ever seen before, but I think within the context of comparing it to the first conjuring film, it does something a little bit different. It advances the story, it does a little bit more world building for us, and I think what I love most about it is the impact that this all this takes on the Warrens and what we see, not only from the alleged demons and spooks that they encounter on a regular basis, but from a societal perspective, from just regular people. There's a character in this movie who you'd be like, yo, that is Mac. Mac is doing this interview right now, or Mac is on stage right now. And to see that and to see them counter that, to see them collide with that, it's not just a hunky-dory world where everybody believes in them and everything's cool, but to know that there's that conflict, I really, really appreciated seeing that. And I love the difference that this had compared to its first film.

SPEAKER_03 21:41

Yeah, the thing with the Warrens and these movies, sometimes for me, is that it always comes back to it being based on something, some material or some case. But this movie is the start of something really fresh. So I'm kind of at a crossroads here. Because I don't think that it is fully original, but you can start to really see what James Wan is trying to do here in the bigger picture and really focusing on the Warrens. I said it earlier, I'm saying it again. Like I think we're really seeing it here and we're leaning into it. So although you're gonna have the typical cut and paste case, it gets explored and investigated and blah, blah, blah. There's something else here. There's several things here that are talked about in those different stories that we've mentioned. There's got to be some type of credit for that.

SPEAKER_00 22:38

Yeah, there I mean, there's room to give credit where credit's due. I think it's original for the telling of the story, right? I mean, it's not original for the like actual basis of the story, but it's original in the way that it tells you the story, some of the concepts that it brings and kind of layers into the story. I think there's definitely originality credit there for sure, but you're not going to get like a lot you haven't necessarily seen before in other movies like this. Like there is a lot of recycled and reused type of ideas and approaches and tactics. So from that aspect, from purely just the way the film delivers some of these things, it feels less original, but kind of the added layer and concepts that it sprinkles in gives it some of its originality that allows for it to really stand on its own, which I think lifts it up a little bit, if you will.

SPEAKER_02 23:33

I think another thing that helps lift this movie up is the execution of its ending. I think for a while, actually, I think even from the beginning, you can predict where this is gonna go to some extent, but to see it all come together and the way things unfold and the resolution that we get for some characters is a really satisfying watch. Granted, there are a couple moments that are a little cheesy. There is a song that I am reminded of that I will sing for you in the spoiler zone. There is another movie, a 90s slasher, that I am reminded of in this end scene. And then there's one exchange between characters in the very, very end where I was like, all right, okay. I love and appreciate the sentiment of it, but it feels like as someone who doesn't like sweets, I feel like I would have had a cavity if I was existing in that moment with them. But aside from that, like on paper and what actually happens, I loved the ending and the conclusion to this story.

SPEAKER_00 24:29

Really? You loved the ending.

SPEAKER_02 24:31

Yeah. Felt fucking great.

SPEAKER_03 24:33

Oh, here we go.

SPEAKER_00 24:34

I feel like for me, the ending was a little mid.

SPEAKER_03 24:37

Oh, this is getting real good.

SPEAKER_00 24:39

Yeah, like I don't think it's terrible. It's just not great. When you say you love the ending, you know, there's some really good endings in out there, and this isn't in the top. It just at least for me. Sean's like, define love for me one more time. Love is such a strong word.

SPEAKER_02 24:55

Let me break down a little bit of context here.

SPEAKER_00 24:58

Please.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

Do I love this in the way that I love the endings of Halloween movies? Nah.

SPEAKER_03 25:03

Oh my god, Chris, I don't think anything, anything on this planet. Exactly. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying though. I don't even think that's what Sean's saying.

SPEAKER_02 25:12

Like, don't compare Halloween. That's what I'm saying, though. Like, I think for the extent that I could possibly love the end of a supernatural movie, yeah, this definitely checks the box for me, for sure. Now, in the scale of that, like giving the best ending of like a of a haunting-ish kind of movie, and I know we had some good ones in the past, give me like the best possible end in that scenario. It's not gonna pale in comparison to some of the other endings of like some more complex or intricate movies that we've seen.

SPEAKER_00 25:39

Right.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

But man, this is just a good time. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 25:43

I mean, hey, listen, it maybe it's because I have seen this one multiple times. There's this light bulb moment that happens at the end or towards the end that just felt really silly to me because as a viewer, the hints are right there throughout the whole movie, they were right there in front of your face. I can't think back to my first watch, and maybe that's a flaw in how I'm approaching the viewing or the just how I felt about this ending. But for me, right now, it's just feeling mid. I'm sorry, it's just feeling mid.

SPEAKER_03 26:10

Sean, I I'll dare to take it a step further below, and it's like the ending to me is just like really cheesy and blah. Because I agree. It's honestly giving scream at the TV a little bit from how cheesy it is now. Is it a conclusion? Yeah, sure. Sure. Are there some things that happen that you're like, how did you get how did this happen? How did you get from A to B? Sure, whatever, fine. And then obviously the biggest one, which is like it was right there, dude. Come on.

SPEAKER_00 26:47

Right there.

SPEAKER_03 26:48

Right there. So all of that kind of soured probably the whole movie for me, but I wouldn't say that it's enough to just like make it like terrible either. So if we were to say on the other side of things, like this is a terrible ending, no, I wouldn't take it that far because I've seen some terrible endings. That's for damn sure. But it's not one of my faves. It's not up there in the whole franchise and how they've ended their movies. This is not up there.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Okay, the whole franchise or the whole cinematic universe of the conjuring.

SPEAKER_00 27:23

True, yeah, those are two different entities.

SPEAKER_03 27:25

I'm gonna just say of the three. Okay. Of the three, specifically, my least favorite ending. Really? I'm not gonna say the whole cinematic because right now, I mean, it's been a bit since I've seen some of them, and it is a lot of movies, so I don't want to put my foot in my mouth. So I'm going to lawyer up and I'm going to say just the three. I said what I said.

SPEAKER_02 27:44

Listen, I want to roll back the tapes a little bit ago when I said I am prepared to be the only one to feel some things about some moments in this movie, and this is one of them, and that's okay. I think we have a lot to unpack in the spoiler zone, so we're gonna start making our way there. Before we actually score this movie, though.

SPEAKER_00 28:03

Yeah, there really isn't a lot of gore here, and that's okay. I don't think there needs to be, but all the same, it's giving a adjust the temp to low and simmer kind of low gore score. It's there, but it's not enough to really get too hot or boil over. You know what I mean? It's low.

SPEAKER_03 28:23

And what about the animal report? Well, although in real life supposedly some goldfish died in the movie, we are completely safe.

SPEAKER_02 28:32

Let's go ahead and get into our ratings then. The conjuring dude from 2016. Is it a hack or a slash?

SPEAKER_03 28:37

Alright, well, I'll kick us off and just quickly say it's hard to follow its predecessor. All right, I'm gonna call it. Let's just call it for what it is. Maybe none of the movies will top the conjuring for me. And I say that in terms of the whole entire cinematic universe. So let's just call it for what it is now and get over it, right? I do think though, that of sequels, this one kind of hits, and it hits for one specific reason that I can't get into right now, but God knows I will in the spoiler zone, that's for sure. Because I'm going to church and I'm going to preach for sure. This movie is a fun time. It's great with your with the right amount of scares. Although I was scared, you guys clearly weren't. I think it's oversaturated a little bit, sure, but I think it's still fun if you're going into this really fresh and maybe you don't consume a lot of horror constantly. I think you'll still be surprised, right? But best of all, it keeps you connected with all the different stories that are going on. And that's kind of hard to do and kind of brave to do in a sequel. I just think it's a lot more fun than you may realize for this kind of franchise and what you may have heard about the conjuring universe at this point nowadays, with so many movies in it. You've got to give this one a shot and you've got to do it because of one character specifically. Trust me, it'll be worth it, and you'll thank me later. So it's an absolute slash.

SPEAKER_00 30:08

Just that one character. That one character, baby. That's it. We're on similar wavelengths here. While I didn't think the ending was all that, and there were some disappointing approaches to things in this film. I still had a pretty good time watching this one. And just like you said, Binks, for a sequel, I was pleasantly surprised that it was able to stand on its own and not feel repetitive or like it was really riding on the coattails of its predecessor. And it really does deliver on a good old-fashioned tale of horror that is truly a hauntingly good time. So for me, it's also a slash.

SPEAKER_02 30:45

Okay, look, the original Conjuring is a great movie. Even for that kind of movie to not really be my bag, it has some moments that are really chilling. The thing about that movie in particular is that no sequel could really ever come up to being that experience again. We had hands coming out of the darkness clapping at each other. That's the level of scare in that movie is enough to really be influential and impactful. So what they did in this movie is not try to recreate that magic, but just continue the thread of enjoying these characters. So what this movie does for me is it takes something that I think worked really well in the conjuring, and that is the love between that family. And it's falling in love with those characters. But for me, this started much sooner in this movie, and it carried and it hit a lot harder for me. I found that a lot of my investment was living and dying by the characters and caring about the outcome of this family and these children and the single mom and even the Warrens themselves, who I don't really care that much about. Like I think it's cool on paper in theory, but I'm not as big of a fan by any stretch of the imagination as even Binks's. And this movie made me care about them even more, which I think is a really cool impact to have. And I think really at the end of the day, this movie is atmosphere. It is something that makes me think, okay, I get now why Binks is concerned about my sleepwalking. There's some creepy moments in that. And I wish that I had seen this before seeing the nun, so I could have felt what Binx felt going into that movie. But this movie does a lot well. Like a river flows, surely to the sea, darling, so it goes. Some things are meant to be. You had me at Elvis, it's a fucking slash.

SPEAKER_03 32:39

I knew it. Sean called it. Damn it.

SPEAKER_02 32:41

Yeah, literally in my notes. Horror movie with an Elvis musical moment. I'm sold. I fucking knew it. And it's one of my favorite Elvis songs. Of course. Of course. And with that, the Conjuring 2 from 2016 has earned a universal slash. Now you can find this movie available to rent or purchase or actually even stream online, depending on where you are. Check the link in our show notes to see where you can find it. Give it a watch, then join us in the second half so we can actually get into the spoilers and the details together. See you in a bit.

SPEAKER_00 33:31

Look no further than Bill Wilkins' used furniture store. Did somebody die in that antique armoire? Sure, but death shouldn't be a deal breaker when you can snag such fine woodwork at a bargain. Is that a bloodstain on the Chase Lounge? Maybe. But we like to think of it as a mark of character. An heirloom from another era, making your new old furniture look vintage. Now you might have heard those rumors about our furniture being haunted, or some random unexplained phenomenon happening around them. But come on, the dead don't need furniture. They're just jealous they didn't find these killer deals while they were alive. At Bill Wilkins' used furniture store, our pieces don't just whisper of bygone eras. They might even whisper your name at night. In a friendly, cozy kind of way, of course. So why not drop by? Let us help you find that perfect piece of furniture where you can rest in peace. I mean, rest with peace of mind knowing that you got a devilishly good deal. Trust me, a ghost of a chance like this doesn't come often. Bill Wilkins used furniture store, where history never really dies. It just hangs around the living room a bit. Come on in, if you dare. We do. Like while we don't get any actual kills in like the main main storyline, we do get some mentioned off-screen or from visions or flashbacks, and it gives us a total of eight official, unofficial kills, but those are just lackluster. So I do think one thing that I thought was really wild was that Peggy died in the same spot as Bill Wilkins did in that very same house. So let me ask, could you live in that house afterwards? Nope.

SPEAKER_02 35:47

I mean, if you find out that your kids are just fucking faking it, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 35:52

Sure.

SPEAKER_03 35:52

But in the same spot? Died in a chair sitting there.

SPEAKER_00 35:56

It's a weird fact.

SPEAKER_03 35:58

Two in the same spot. No. That's gonna need a big cleansing. That corner's gonna need a lot.

SPEAKER_02 36:05

It's giving gravitational pull straight to hell.

SPEAKER_00 36:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:08

Okay, but to go back to some of these kills that we do see, uh, granted, they were just spooky visions. I gotta say, the depiction of the Amity kills, wow. It was a little intense. It was the sudden snapping from people being alive, asleep in their beds, to just like a jump cut, and then they're all bloodied. Yeah, the gunshots. But really, it was our leading lady. It was Lorraine working the mechanism of the gun, imaginary her hand as she's reliving this experience. Chilling. And it makes me really even go back and think about when we discussed this in the Amineyville episodes. I want to see a proper remake of it. I would not mind seeing the Warrens take Amdeville.

SPEAKER_00 36:52

Yeah. It was a good like visual the way they take you through whatever she was going through, visualizing through the dreamscape that was like her going through the house in the eyes of like the killer and all of the framing in the cinematography added to like the creepiness of all of that. The one thing every time I see or hear about these Amityville killings, it just I just can't let it go. Is like, how the fuck do you kill that many people with a rifle all while they're sleeping in their bed? Nobody wakes up. Come on, nobody wakes up at all and gets out of bed. Like it just doesn't feel right.

SPEAKER_03 37:32

I've never understood why at that point, just like make it up that somehow they found a way to drug them or something, and then that's how he kills them. Because I agree, like, no way. And it's not even after the first one, which it would wake you up, and it doesn't wake you up after the second one or the third one. Like, get out of here.

SPEAKER_01 37:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:53

And the fact that no neighbors heard anything that night.

SPEAKER_02 37:56

That too.

SPEAKER_01 37:56

Yeah.

unknown 37:57

What?

SPEAKER_02 37:58

Listen, I know we're gonna get back into the Amityville case as soon as we redo Amineyville Horror Remake with Ryan Reynolds, because I know Binks isn't gonna let us get by without doing that shit again. Amen. But for me though, it was the sharpness with which all that was shown.

SPEAKER_01 38:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:14

I mean, I can't wait to see what they could ever do with it if they do remake that movie. But you mentioned something there, Sean, about just the cinematography and the way this movie approaches it. I'm thinking about even the moments of how they play with what you don't see. And in the conjuring, we had moments where we straight up just didn't see anything. There was nothing to be seen. And in this movie, it's the things that we can just barely distinguish or just barely make out.

SPEAKER_00 38:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 38:43

I'm thinking about the scene when the Warrens are there and they're talking to Janet, but she's supposed to have the water in her mouth, and it's there to determine, okay, what's actually happening, and they all turn around, right?

SPEAKER_01 38:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:58

So we see the shot, and it's just Ed Warren's face, and you gradually see a shift. It's barely perceptible until you realize all of a sudden, holy shit, no, that's like a taller person who's like an old man.

SPEAKER_01 39:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:13

It's just that blurry shadow in the background, and you hear this voice, and then as he's going away, the subtle, almost imperceptible shrink down back to Janet. Beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 39:27

I cannot agree more with that. Just it was such a beautiful thing to watch, and it's something that you can enjoy every time you watch this film. It was so well done, just the blurriness and that, like you said, gradually changing back and forth. I think it was just so good, so creepy. What a shot. And to even have that like vision to make that come to life is just chef's kiss. So good.

SPEAKER_02 39:54

It's so good. But I'm also thinking about the moment when the channel is changing on the TV and Janet's looking for the remote, and then all of a sudden they're static on the TV, and she hits it and the screen goes dark. She sees a reflection of an old man in the TV. She turns around and it's just the remote dropping.

SPEAKER_00 40:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:12

Fucking spooky as shit.

SPEAKER_00 40:14

That is spooky for sure. There was one thing in that scene though, I just can't get past, and that was literally when she gets on the phone with her mom, and she hangs up the phone, she goes back, grabs the remote, and like tries to flip the channels back. You get this like glimpse of the channel that's being changed, and you see John Bon Jovi playing on the TV, and John Bon Jovi in adult form playing on the TV. And at this time in his life, in this whatever 1977 or whatever it was, he would have been like a young teen. So that's not adding up.

SPEAKER_03 40:49

Holy shit, Sean. Honestly, you were made for this, bro. Like, holy crap. How many times have I seen this movie and I didn't realize it's that I would have never thought to pay attention to something so fast and realize that was Bon Jovi?

SPEAKER_00 41:07

Yeah, man, they're really living on a prayer that this was not gonna get noticed. Come on, come on.

SPEAKER_03 41:13

And then Sean came around.

SPEAKER_02 41:15

Okay, but is it possible that we're also just acknowledging the reality that back in the day some teenagers were aging like spoiled milk?

SPEAKER_03 41:24

Are you saying that Bon Jovi was aging like spoiled milk? That he spoiled milk?

SPEAKER_02 41:28

I'm just saying that he could have looked a lot older than he actually was.

SPEAKER_00 41:32

Maybe.

SPEAKER_03 41:33

Sean's like, doubt that shit.

SPEAKER_00 41:35

That's a stretch.

SPEAKER_03 41:36

Holy shit. Well, here I go again. Re-watching this movie just to catch a quick glimpse. Popping in the DVD.

SPEAKER_00 41:44

Yeah, yeah. That's nuts. There was the shot of the backyard at night with the swing set that I truly just absolutely loved. There was like, it was nighttime, the swing set, the fog is lifting off the ground, the one swing is swinging. It was really giving me are you afraid of the dark vibes and bringing me right back to my childhood. Man, the 90s. Come on. I mean, that was just I don't know if that was intentional, but that was exactly what I thought as soon as I saw it.

SPEAKER_02 42:15

Holy shit, you really pulled out the are you afraid of the dark? Yeah. Last week it was Darkwing Duck. This week it's afraid of Are You Afraid of the Dark? What else are we gonna fucking do?

SPEAKER_00 42:26

You never know.

SPEAKER_02 42:26

Don't look under the bed.

SPEAKER_03 42:28

Can I share maybe a least favorite visual decision that this movie made?

SPEAKER_02 42:33

Let's get into it. I swear to God, if we don't if we aren't aligned on this, maybe, maybe we aren't.

SPEAKER_03 42:39

I don't know. I'm just gonna say it right now. Why did they decide to do such a shitty and lame Easter egg of Valik's name on those bookshelves? So like right there. Come on, dude. Come on. Because it could have been good and it could have been great, but those letters that you bought at Michael's and Hobby Lobby are massive, and they are literally right next to each other on those bookshelves. And anyone, a child could have probably seen just that scene and would have said, Valak, why did you do that? You're gonna tell me, Lorraine, you are the one that put those letters up there, probably. Or if they just miraculously showed up, like you don't notice those big ass letters to your left while you're researching what this demon may be. Come on, dude. God, I hated it. I hated it.

SPEAKER_00 43:36

It's everywhere though. It's not even just that shot, though. Valak is everywhere in this film.

SPEAKER_03 43:42

I know, but I think that particular Easter egg is like popular for this movie because of how stupid it is. I think it's just stupid. Yeah. Without a doubt. Valik's presence throughout the movie in that whole bit, like subtly, like literally her in small moments and things. That's a bit different, and I can enjoy most of it. I'm talking about that particular thing was a visual hack. That was a visual hack.

SPEAKER_00 44:08

A visual hack, yeah. But that and so it's that one visual added on to the like the numerous other times that they throw the name Valak somewhere in the background as an Easter egg that just made the reveal at the end of the movie just feel a little bit lackluster for me and a little bit silly. That it I don't know. And that's just purely from a viewing standpoint. Like I get that maybe Lorraine didn't notice it or whatever, because it is just sprinkled in the background, right? Like you you see it in the kitchen, you see it in the windowsill, on the counter, you see it on the bracelet, but you see it, I mean, literally fucking everywhere.

SPEAKER_03 44:45

And I think my problem is typically when they are trying to do little Easter eggs and stuff, the point is for you to want to go back and find all of them. It's that you don't need to. They're right in your face. And it on a first watch, you're just like, okay, like what is all this supposed to be? Oh, yeah, when you realize what the big bat is, you're like, oh, yep, her name's probably Valik. What? Like it just ruins the allure. So every time that you watch this movie, you're just like, all right, Lorraine, you're smarter than this. Don't be an idiot. I don't know. It's disappointing for sure.

SPEAKER_02 45:19

I think what's disappointing about that is the fact that I went into this knowing Valak's name and having seen the nun before watching this.

SPEAKER_01 45:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 45:27

So when I saw this on screen, I didn't even register it as a that's real dumb to have it that big in the background, because I was like, I don't know that I I can't objectively say if I would have noticed it or not had I not seen it and known that already. So that kind of like cancelled out in my mind.

SPEAKER_00 45:44

Yeah. Well, I mean, and that's why I say it's purely a viewing standpoint that is kind of disappointing or lackluster, right? Because it is purely from either maybe I don't know if I necessarily caught all of those things on the very first watch, because I definitely did see this one prior to seeing the nun. So I don't know how that experience was trying to think back to it, but I do agree. Like you watch the nun, you watch this one, you know the name Balak, it does pop a little bit more, and I don't know really what value it adds.

SPEAKER_03 46:15

Maybe for me, I just caught them a lot all in the first watch because I play a lot of Nancy Drew games and I'm very much like where's Waldo type of situation. I'm always looking at all the corners. Says the woman with the magnifying glass tattoo. Yes, but clearly not close enough because I didn't see Bon Jovi. So here we are. I'm too busy finding all the Valex and I didn't notice Bon Jovi.

SPEAKER_02 46:36

Yeah, you're so busy with your Nancy Drew that you didn't tap into your Hardy Boys.

SPEAKER_03 46:40

I don't really know if I like how that was said. Uh that might have been a little borderline after dark. Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_02 46:49

Okay, Banks, earlier we're talking about some bad visuals. Was that it for you? Yeah. When I was saying, man, there's something that I really disliked, and we thought maybe we're on the same page.

SPEAKER_00 47:00

Okay, hold on though. Was it the crooked man for you?

SPEAKER_02 47:03

For me, it's the fucking crooked man.

SPEAKER_03 47:05

Yeah, no, it was the crooked man. Okay. We were on the same page about that. Just that to me, the my personal worst visual is the Valky Strikes because it just gets me upset. But yeah, the crooked man in that CGI was very off-putting in like, whoa, what's happening here?

SPEAKER_02 47:21

For me, the issue is I understand the crooked man is in stop motion because of the illustration style within that toy in the carousel. I get it on paper. That still doesn't mean it looks good.

SPEAKER_01 47:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:36

And that is where I really struggle. I had heard of the crooked man only through the context of there having been plans for a crooked man spinoff. So all I have ever seen is just a goofy looking image of a crooked man, like just the face with like the teeth. And so going through this movie and thinking, oh, wait, is that what this shit is from? And then seeing how it actually comes out to life, it was just such a bummer that absolutely killed any tension for me because I think it had so much potential. Like, man, this kid getting his fire truck sent back to him from his tent, knowing that that's where that toy originally is. Scary as hell on paper.

SPEAKER_00 48:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:16

But then they just fuck up bringing this big goofy lanky guy. And I think it's supposed to be giving Slender Man when really it's just giving ugh.

SPEAKER_00 48:24

Yeah, the visually it was just not really great. The lore was fine. Like I enjoyed the lore of the crooked man. And I don't know if they ever do a spin-off. I know they had intentions too, and it hasn't happened, but if they ever do, it could be interesting. I'm not sure. I don't know if they go with the same visuals or not, but it really felt like a like a not so great Tim Burton kind of visual, and it just felt out of place for this film.

SPEAKER_02 48:49

And I'm Jack the Crooked King. Yeah, exactly. Except that would have been way fucking cooler than this guy.

SPEAKER_00 48:57

Exactly. I think we're all on the same page with that one.

SPEAKER_02 49:00

I actually do want to return to Valak for just a moment. Not about Valk self, but there's the moment where Lorraine is realizing that it's a demon. She has to know the demon's name and has to have dominion over the demon. And she goes out to her Bible, she figures out the name, she comes back up, and even in the midst of that, there's like moments before she gets that where she's asking what the demon's name is. And honestly, in that moment, with the inclement weather, with all the wind, with all the chaos, it sent me back visually to Jennifer Love Hewitt, and I know what you did last summer. What are you waiting for? That's the energy that I got. And I was just like, no, the rain, what are you doing? No, I expected more. You're the chosen one. It was real rough. But then when we get to the point where she is saying, I know your name, in my head, it was say your name, say your name. When I want to condemn you, save her like I send you back to hell's flames. And like I just had this fucking jingle in my head because it just felt so absurd. And I think it felt absurd, not from just her performance, but the way that whole bit just looked theatrically. It just felt a little bit too chaotic, like a controlled chaos versus like a shit's really going down.

SPEAKER_00 50:32

But you still really like the ending.

SPEAKER_02 50:35

Yeah, thank you. Yeah, because I'm looking at the results of what happens on paper for sure. Listen, like flaws in the execution aside, I love the premonition she has and what it turns out to be. I love the resolution of that. I love the banishing of the fucking demon. I love them like getting this shit squashed and settled, and I love a little child knowing that she may not feel seen and heard by everybody in her life, but she does have two people that she can look up to. And I think that's just really sweet. Like, I love the conclusion of this story on paper. Is it perfect in its execution? No. But on paper, I love the way the story wraps up.

SPEAKER_00 51:14

You know what was really good though? I think the wardrobe was really good, and specifically the attention to detail on some of these things. Specifically, the house and the neighborhood looked super similar to what you see in like the actual pictures, which I thought was a really nice touch. And just the attention to detail, the thoughtfulness on matching the wardrobe with the clothes that we know some of these people were wearing from various photos and things like that. And they actually made replica outfits for Vera Farmiga to play Lorraine Warren in some of these scenes. And I think the attention to detail there is really good, really well done. And I really enjoyed looking at all of that and then going back and like looking at some of the photos, like looking up the Enfield haunting and stuff like that, and just seeing how similar and how well done it was visually.

SPEAKER_03 52:02

I think that's some of the best parts of all of this, because it's like they know that they are supposed to be basing this off of something real. In any case of this type of media, the viewer is wanting to see how exact is it to the real thing. And so you gotta go, you gotta do it. If you're gonna do it, fucking do it. And with the costumes, with the set, with all of these things, you want to make it exact, and I appreciate that because even in the end credits, when you're seeing the clips of the actual photos, you spend the whole time being like, damn, wow, the house really was pretty good. Like that was pretty spot on, or man, she looked just like uh Lorraine Warren, those kinds of things. And I love that attention to detail visually because you know that that's what viewers are expecting when you say that something is based on a true story or like supposed to be exactly like whatever.

SPEAKER_02 53:00

I gotta say something though that's just been itching at the back of my brain about this whole thing. There's the approach of acknowledging that the Warrens were contested. It's giving hoax in some ways, not only just this family, but the Warrens themselves, are they just scammers? And for as much as I think this movie and really this franchise paints them in this earnest light, in this we love each other, we believe in each other, and we live in a world in which these things are real, I feel like it kind of doesn't do them any favors that you're also taking a case that they're barely involved in, and then also making up all this bullshit about Valak, and then also weaving this whole spin off of it. Listen, narratively, is it a brilliant move? Yeah, but you're not doing them any favors, bro.

SPEAKER_00 53:51

That's true, I guess. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:53

All you're doing is muddying the waters more with a fiction.

SPEAKER_00 53:56

I told you it gets murky.

SPEAKER_03 53:57

Yeah, but okay, hold on. Here we go. But at this point, it's pretty established that they're just gonna take the essence of Ed and Lorraine and just apply it to different cases. Like, that's the point of the conjuring universe post this particular movie.

SPEAKER_02 54:17

Yes, but how many people do you think who are casually into horror are gonna see that and just like think that and acknowledge that?

SPEAKER_03 54:25

Anyone that would have access to Google.

SPEAKER_02 54:28

You imply a lot that people are gonna be actually Googling these things. Listen, people see a lot of Photoshop shit. There's one time a friend of mine saw a fan trailer, a fan trailer of like a fan fiction, like Nightmare on Elm Street. She sent it to me because she thought that shit was real, even though it explicitly stated that it was fan fiction. Bro, we cannot always count on people to know what's real on the internet or do you even do that thorough of a search?

SPEAKER_03 54:54

You're telling me that people think that Valic is full on real? Like that part of the movie is full on real? Like that actually happened, even though every single photo that they show in the end credits or just whatever. I mean, you don't even at this point. I'm I know that Ryan would probably be getting up immediately and already out the theater, but she would have probably seen a photo or two in which you would have probably seen Valak's face in those photos, and listen that was the part that was real or based on real. No way.

SPEAKER_02 55:25

Binx, here's the thing. Hold on a second, and let's we're gonna we're just gonna lock this out right here. Do I believe in this shit? Absolutely not. Am I telling you that I personally know someone who I think would say that Valak is real? No. But what I am telling you is that a lot more people on this earth are way more gullible than you would ever expect. So they'd probably hear something like think about literally any fucking horror movie that says inspired by true events or is based on a real story, even when it's bullshit. They're gonna still say, Yeah, no, no, no, no, I totally know that thing, though. Yeah, for sure, this like there's a lot of this is actually true. So what I'm saying is the practice of blending the fictional narrative even more with something that's already debated to be a hoax, it's just a little messy. That's all I'm saying.

SPEAKER_03 56:09

Well, then at this point, I just think it's fun to to basically cause chaos in the minds of those that are gullible at this point. I find that humorous. That's hilarious to me. But maybe that's because I'm I guess well versed and barely like it's not like I know every single thing about this particular case, but you know what? We've brought up Valak a few times, so I think it's ready. Are we ready to go to church? Are we ready to sing her praises?

SPEAKER_01 56:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 56:36

I feel that Valik or the nun is probably one of the most intimidating and like creepy looking horror icons that we've probably seen in a good, very good long while. And that's me being very delicate with that. She's a hundred percent one of my favorite horror icons, without a doubt. And that's not just me like being a Catholic and scared of the fact that a demon would be a nun. Like, throw that part out of the window. Like, it's just she's incredibly intimidating, incredibly frightening, and basically just standing there. She does nothing, and just her stare and her glance is insane, in my opinion. And I think that a perfect depiction of that is this iconic scene from this movie, which is the painting in display in the office. Yeah. That is one of my favorite scenes of probably the entire universe because of how fuck that it is.

SPEAKER_00 57:37

It is, it is giving fuck that for sure.

SPEAKER_03 57:40

It's giving heavy fuck that. When you're looking at a shadow moving on a wall and it stops at a painting, first of all, wait, I should back up here. If my husband were to paint that painting, I would tell him, set that shit on fire right now.

SPEAKER_00 57:57

Get it out of my house. What is that?

SPEAKER_03 57:59

Get it out of my house. Get it out of my house, bathe yourself in some holy water, come back in here. Never do that atrocity again.

SPEAKER_02 58:08

Really, what this what the answer is is if Binx's husband painted that shit, Binks no longer has a husband.

SPEAKER_00 58:15

It's the end of that, huh?

SPEAKER_02 58:16

Cut it out.

SPEAKER_03 58:17

Yeah. Well, and wait, but let me be specific. Like, if it was right now, right now, I'd be like, oh my god, that's so sweet. Thank you. Because I love Valk. But like if this, if I if like I was Lorraine, right? Or if I was in the world where Valak, I guess, would be real, much like some apparently people out there might actually think is true. Yeah, no, I would be like, fuck that, set it on fire. Absolutely. So, anyways, you're seeing a shadow stop to a painting, and then the lights are flick, and then all of a sudden it's just coming up at you. No way, no way, that was nuts. Oh, it was favorite scene by far, without a doubt.

SPEAKER_02 58:51

A really, really great scene in the movie, for sure. There's something about it, and I think it really is just being tainted by watching these in what is not release order.

SPEAKER_01 59:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:01

I found her more intimidating in The Nun than I did in this. Again, that's not like a discredit to this movie. I really think it's just the influence of it, but I wasn't afraid of Valik in this movie. I found that scene particularly fantastic, yeah, but not very compelling the rest of the way through.

SPEAKER_00 59:22

Yeah, I agree with you. Like that throughout the rest of the movie, it's not like specifically looking at Valak, right? It's not the same, it doesn't hit the same as that scene. That scene was super well done, and watching that scene back and watching the shadow go around the room and go to the end of the painting, I was like, hmm, they really just recycled this in the nun. They really just recycled that exact scenario with the shadow walking around the walls in the church. And it's like, okay, is this like a one-trick pony, Valak? Is this all you got? Is this a shadow thing? I'm specifically now thinking of the nun, not taking credit away from this scene because I actually really enjoy this scene, even though that scene in the nun was a favorite of mine. I like this version of that work better in this film than I do in the nun. And I think it is just the menacing, just how menacing it is that Valk's shadow is walking around the room, goes to the back of the painting. You get a little bit of campiness with the hands coming from behind and just like the way the fingers move around it and running, the painting all of a sudden runs at you. It was really, really well done. It's like a perfect balance of terror and tension and campiness and just jumpiness. Like it was just really well done. Arguably, to your point, one of the best scenes in the entire film, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:44

Man, we've talked about so many great scenes, and I know that I've shared even a lot of my favorites when breaking down just how beautiful this movie is to look at in so many places. I think for me though, my favorite scene really is something that's very minor in comparison to all of that. It's not the scariest thing. In some moments, it's actually maybe one of the funnier breaks in the whole movie. And it's when we have the constables show up at the house and they're thinking it's rats, maybe it's mice, they're discrediting the whole thing. Then they hear these sounds, and then they see a chair move. They really just nope their way out of that whole situation, right? Yeah. There is a spin-off of what we do in the shadows, and it's a paranormal investigation like task force. It's just two cops and they're just there for the spooky stuff, and it takes place in New Zealand, and it's absolutely hilarious. And that's where my mind jumped as soon as I saw this scene. Why I love this scene is because it adds further credence to what I was talking about earlier, right? I love the decision this movie makes to play with the do we believe in this or not?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:55

Is this a hoax or not? And this is before the Warrens are ever even involved. And I love this moment of turning skeptics into believers, even with just acknowledging, this is really weird.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:08

It is true. They did do that as well, like when Peggy goes into the into Janet and her sister's room, and she finds the Ouija board underneath the bed and is like, Oh, are you serious? This is what this is about. You kids are fucking around with this shit. And then as she's saying that, the dresser flies across the room and she's like, Oh, like, oh, whoops, what's going on here? Never mind. Same, same, but different, right? Like they they do play off of that like skepticism, but then seeing something and being like, Oh, let me dial this back, maybe I'm wrong, kind of feeling. But I think another kind of short scene, or at least just the visual aspect that I really loved out of the scene was when Janet is with the flashlight under the covers, and she's under the covers, the flashlight is illuminating her face, and just the look of terror on her face, the tears, it was perfect. Well done, Janet. Well done.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:06

Janet is such a powerhouse in this movie, and I absolutely adored every bit of her performance. Madison Wolf.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:14

Bravo, ma'am. I will say that you brought up the Ouija thing, and I had just re-listened to our Talk to Me episode, and of course I see the Ouija board, and I was like, these fuckers, here we go. This is exactly why. The only person that I want to kind of shout out or oh god, now I say that and I think of two. Alright, two quick things. One, Bill Wilkins. He's giving grandpa vibes and not in the bestest of bestest ways. It's just that it's a mood when you're yelling out like this is my house. It was just a vibe. It was a mood that I could see myself wanting to scream like this is my house. But also kind of sad that he was really ultimately just a vessel.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:58

I know. Just trying to see his fam.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:00

Just trying to see his fam. That really messed me up to think about someone moving on in their life looking for their family and then being preyed upon even further by a demon.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:11

That's what I'm saying. That's that layer I was talking about in the first half that we couldn't dive into. The complexity of like you get this whole film where you think you're being haunted by Bill Wilkins and the person that died in this house in this chair that's really fucking with these kids. But you come to find out that no, it's not really. I mean, yes, it's Bill Wilkins, but he's being used by Valak, right? Which is really an added layer that was surprising to me, and I didn't expect it going into the film, especially for the first time. And now watching it back, it's still just an added layer that I truly enjoy about this film that I think is really great, and I do love hearing when people realize that for the first time. I think it's a really nice touch.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:56

Yeah, because it's those stories that I was talking about, it's multiple. It's when you think that Bill Wilkins is the actual villain, but then it's really valic. But at the same time, this is happening to this family while it's also affecting the Warrens at their house, a whole frickin' country away. So it's really interesting how there's so many different things going on, and two villains are kind of like a red herring almost moment with him. I feel so bad. He was just trying to watch some good TV and apparently watched Bon Jovi.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:28

I know. Poor Bill. Poor Bill.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:31

You know what was intense though about Bill specifically? Well, first off, Peggy and her neighbor really reminded me of a Rosemary's baby moment when they're down in the building, like just in the basement doing laundry together. But it's later on when she's down there with Ed and it's flooded, and then all of a sudden there's a scratch, and then there's a bite, and it's old man dentures in dirty basement water. One of the most disgusting moments, and I gagged when he started touching it.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:00

That is gross. I know we mentioned this earlier, but maybe not in this exact context. Can we just give it up as a character for the fire truck? Because it sure fucking felt like a character with the most dramatic entrance music when it rolled its ass into the bedroom.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:15

Did anyone else laugh during that scene?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:17

Absolutely, I did. I chuckled a little bit. And then I honestly, and I can't quite place why, and I've had to actually fight the compulsion a lot tonight to preserve Binx's experience. I was reminded of a particular demon and a song from Insidious. And I can't explain why those two things are linked in my mind. But maybe it was just like how high-pitched the fire truck sound was. It was something that I giggled quite a bit with.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:43

You brought up the fire truck, and it that is hilarious. I don't know why I thought you were about to say, give it up for Ed Warren being able to somehow make it through TSA. Or I guess at the time there wasn't TSA, but whatever. Like you're just bringing all this satanic shit on the plane with you across planet. Like what, sir? Just casual. I don't know. That's what I was thinking about. I was like, how do you even package that? What kind of luggage did he buy to fit it? I don't know. Just the things I think about. Just check it, that's fine. Well, we brought up this particular thing earlier, so I'll just get into what I think is the worst part of this movie. And I'm kind of tied between how cheesy the ending is and honestly the crooked man. Because for me, the cheesiness of the ending, I can get behind what you're trying to say, Chris, about and on paper. It kind of makes sense. And it is a good wrap-up. I understand that. It's just so frustrating when it's supposed to be this big reveal, but as a viewer, or I guess maybe it was just me, I'm like, I already know this. I know it. And it's like now you just seem silly, Lorraine, you just seem dumb. But the crooked man part, it's just like the play on it being the child nightmare kind of thing, sure, but it was just off-putting. Ultimately, could have done without.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:13

I think where I struggle is perhaps with the name reveal. I don't feel like the name being revealed is actually that much of a big deal. More than it's just the knife or the dagger that would kill the big bad evil, right? I felt like for me the big reveal is the fact that it is a demon. And granted, you know that the whole time, but them experiencing their reveal, it felt like that was supposed to be the most impactful moment. So I think for me that's why this isn't even close to being the worst part of the movie. I'll acknowledge there is a brief moment visually. The Crooked Man, I agree with you, is the worst part of the movie. But there was also a moment where Valak was looking like Art the Clown, but like not in a cute way. It was like real silly, really goofy, and it was like a low perspective shot looking up, and Valak's face was just kind of stretched, and it was just the most bizarre moment, but it took me out of it. And I think that's again why I didn't find Valak very threatening in this movie.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:12

Interesting. Yeah, I mean, there's definitely for me the worst part of the film is maybe not that exact visual, but just some of the visual effects or the visual choices that were made. Like we talked about the Crooked Man crap, right? Like the Tim Burton inspired whatever Crooked Man visual, but also just the way they made sometimes Bill Wilkins look with his eyes like yellow and glowing, it just didn't feel right. I look, I think that there is a time and a place for campy tactics. Like what they did with Valak behind the painting, good campiness. But what they did with some of the other visuals, it just didn't feel like it really belonged in this type of movie, not one that's really trying to take itself so seriously. And I think that was a little off-putting for me.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:00

So you weren't down, just to be clear, with famed Sith Lord Bill Wilkins.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:05

I wasn't. No.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:07

Always two there are. No more, no less.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:09

I wasn't down for it.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:11

Valak was giving Emperor Palpatine.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:13

Yeah. And the other thing though, when Ed is painting towards the beginning of the film and he is painting the portrait of Valak, the nun, it's truly remarkable how he is getting this done because his paintbrush was seemingly completely dry. You gotta love that paintless paint, though. I mean, fuck. That's great.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:33

It's the paranormal. It's the magic.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:36

All jokes aside, though, this movie for sure is imperfect, but I did have such a fun time watching it. And there were a lot of the valic Easter eggs that seemed apparent, but I do think that there's a lot more that I can go back and appreciate, especially after having watched the movie and then watching a few news programs on the Infield Haunting and some of the interviews with even Janet as an adult and her looking back on that whole experience. I absolutely want to watch this again. I think this is a fun time, and not that it beats the conjuring for me in terms of being a better movie, because the conjuring is just so fucking good and just like a solid haunted house movie, but this is just as good in a completely different way. I think for me, because it defines the direction that I enjoy more about the conjuring. So I'm absolutely gonna watch it again probably in a few months. I'm gonna do a back-to-back-to-back situation.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:33

I definitely will find my way back to this one. I've watched it probably a few times now. I ended up buying the whole conjuring bundle, so I'm invested now. I can definitely see myself watching back to back to back, like you said. It has rewatch value. Even after watching it a handful of times, I still get a lot that I enjoy out of the film. So rewatchability, for sure, it has that value.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:56

Without a doubt. And as we know, I own it on DVD. There's literally no excuse as to why I wouldn't be able to watch this movie or could watch this movie unless I guess the power went out. But I enjoy re-watching this, and I think it's an integral part of the spooky season for sure, in terms of watching the conjuring movies. So, in terms of a binge marathon, sign me up, we're doing it.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:22

Well, I'm happy that even after watching this so many times and it losing a little bit of its shine, you're both still open to it. I can't wait to see what this would feel like on a rewind, maybe way later down the road. But for now, there you have it, folks. The Conjuring 2 from 2016 has earned a universal slash. Now we've really had a lot to talk about here. There have been a lot of feelings to unpack, and we're really honestly only in scratching the surface. So the conversation doesn't end here. We want to invite you to continue it with us.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:54

Definitely. So I want to know if you are on the Valik bandwagon like I am, or as I like to say, going to her church, please let us know. You can join in on the conversation by hanging out with us for free in our Discord. Click the link in our show notes to sign up.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:08

Yeah, and if you've enjoyed listening to us talk about this hauntingly good time of a demonic nun, consider joining our new Blood Drive and becoming a member of our family. Check the link in our show notes or visit hackerslash.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:28

We'll see you next time, folks. And remember, sometimes we have to have a leap of faith to believe when no one else will.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:34

This is as close to hell as I ever want to get.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:47

Okay, so I don't know how much either of you know about the Enfield poltergeist, but something that I found absolutely fucking hilarious when I was doing some light googling earlier. Apparently, Ed Ed and Lorraine Warren were allegedly invited and they checked some things out, maybe they investigated a little bit, but they definitely were not as close to it as this movie makes it out to be. Obviously, there's an introduction of the nun into this, which is a completely fictional element in the conjuring universe, so the lines will blur. But the other take that I've heard I I've heard in my light Googling is that they weren't even invited. That they just showed up and weren't welcome then.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:27

Oh, snap.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:28

And they were convinced that there is a demon, and they were convinced that money could be made off of this encounter. It's not giving for Binks.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:37

That doesn't sound great.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:39

You know what I mean? They're just like, yo, let me just insert myself into your home and make some money off of your family.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:47

It's a little bit sus. First of all, this is giving Mac.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:50

I know. Where is Mac? Come on. We need him for this. We need him for this.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:55

I did not know that. And it's not that I'm not believing it, because I am aware that Ed Warren has told authors of his books and of these cases to kind of fluff up certain things. All right, fine. But to full on say that they just showed up unannounced and they were like, hey, so here's a thought. That seems like a bit of a stretch. Where did you find this? You said Google?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:21

I'm gonna drop links in the show notes to a couple different sources. Again, slightly conflicting in the origin or the intent of like how much they were involved. The general consensus is they for sure were not super close to this. I think about the way the movie positions them as a like, hey, can you go check things out, see if it's legit, and then we'll take it from here.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:42

I imagine it's that's the actual extent of what happened. But there are a few videos online where it's like actual interviews with the family. There's also a breakdown of just some articles that are analyzing just how much or how close were they involved. Some people say, Oh, for sure, they concluded that there was a demon, but I think they're going generally based off of what this movie says instead of the reality that perhaps they weren't as close to this as they make themselves out to be.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:12

Yeah, it is interesting. I think I read that they really were only at the house like a couple of times, right? They were there maybe two, maybe three times, but yeah, everything about this haunting, if you will, I mean, even when you compare it to the Amityville, and there's a lot of suspicion or skepticism around the Amityville haunting, but for some reason this one feels like there's more skepticism, you know what I mean? I don't know what it is. I don't know if because of the facts of like you see the still shot of Janet or whoever, like jumping in the air, presumably floating, right? But it definitely looks like she's jumping off the bed or doing like a little leapfrog or whatever. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:58

Photojournalism, you learn how shutter speeds work. Maybe this is just like the niche Navy photography. Don't use a ridiculously high shutter speed to photograph a helicopter because then people are gonna look at the helicopter and think, wow, why is that helicopter falling out of the sky? Because the propellers weren't spinning. It's that kind of situation. I think there's sus written all over it. The sisters themselves have admitted that they made up some of it, right? Which is again, you see this a little bit in the movie. They said that they pranked the investigators to a certain extent. They claim about 2%, and then the investigators are like, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. If you fucking lied about 2%, you lied about more than that. But I actually found, and I pulled this back up, there was a parapsychologist who investigated the Enfield case alongside Morris Gross. And he says the film greatly exaggerated the Warren's role in the investigation, and he stated in 2016 that they turned up once and that Ed Warren told Playfair the Warrens could make a lot of money out of the case. He corroborated the claim that the Warrens were not invited to the Enfield house and that nobody in the family had ever heard of him until he turned up. So the quote allegedly comes from a parapsychologist who was working alongside Morris Gross. Binx is so sad.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:14

Interesting.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:15

Skeptical, but sad.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:17

I mean, listen, it's a movie, right? They gotta they gotta hype it up a little bit, right? And you got your main characters, Ed and Lorraine Warren, you gotta get them in there. You know what I mean? So I can see it being over-dramatized as far as their involvement in the case, because you kind of have to do that to fill in the movie. I do think it's interesting that Ed did say, quote unquote, that this Enfield case makes Amityville look like a playhouse. So that's an interesting quote.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:45

I mean, when you got little girls jumping off beds, of course it looks like a playhouse.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:49

Yeah. Yeah. Maybe he meant literally.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:52

Literally fucking children's games.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:54

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:55

I feel like at that rate then it's like why make the movie about this case and not like just switch them. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:07

Literally any fucking case they have that they actually had some more involvement in. Does this burst your bubble a little bit, Binks?

SPEAKER_03 1:19:15

No, I mean I know why they probably chose to do this case because they needed to introduce something else, you know what I mean, and make that the bigger deal and just go completely off book, I guess, theoretically. But I still feel like, man, what a little bit of a disappointment. That is ridiculous that they just didn't actually like fully go. I will say, looking at some of the other reasons why they believe this case to be a hoax, I saw there that the two sisters admitting that they were pranksters and such. The eyewitnesses are notoriously unreliable. So, what is this, like a community of liars? They're all just like banding together, role-playing, like this is DD or something.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:57

Yeah. Actually, maybe. But here's the other thing I think is really funny, and again, I'm gonna drop a link in the show notes for everyone to review this. There is a video called The Shocking Story of the Enfield Poltergeist Extreme Ghost Stories, and they actually interviewed Janet.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:13

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:13

And listen, this whole time, Janet's sounding real stress. She's talking about how traumatic this whole experience was for her. And I was listening to it while I was doing a few other things. I was really just kind of like playing as much as I could about the Enfield case in the background while I was getting some work done. And I want to go back and listen to it again and think at what point did she admit she made some things up? But I think, man, like listening to that and and hearing that and wanting to believe in like the potential of it. It sounds so dope. But then to find out that there is that limited connection to the Warrens, listen, this movie kind of got me hype on it, and then I found this out after. I'm like, that kind of sucks, man. I feel like it's like I just looked at Binx as a small little baby Binx and said, fuck your Santa Claus.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:00

No, no, Mac did that, so it's fine. Mac did that already. I'm in denial and I don't really care. I'm still my my bubble is not burst because I'm aware of these things. I just I'm delusional, I guess, at this point, which is fine.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:14

So the water integrity of your bubble is still intact.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:18

Yeah. Yeah. I said it already. I'm aware that he is Ed Warren specifically, is notorious for like exaggerating a lot of the things. I still feel like they're badasses. And like just the things that they have done, or maybe haven't, is still pretty cool. Clearly, enough to make a whole franchise about them. Sure. But this case in particular didn't know this. There is a British drama horror series. It's just three episodes based on this, and I definitely want to check that out because clearly, I guess they would not be in that show. So good to know now.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:55

So we actually had so many people during the spooky preseason pop into the Discord and recommending us a it's like a mockumentary that positions it as real, but it it features, I believe it's either features or is inspired by the Enfield haunting. And it's called Ghost Watch.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:13

Yeah, I think that's the thing is with these loosely based on true stories or whatever, and they turn them into films, like you just take it for what it's worth, enjoy the film. Don't look too far into it, because the farther you look into it, the less and less real it seemingly becomes. So you just if you want to have a good time, let's not fact-check everything. At the end of the day, we're here to be entertained.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:38

There you go. Thanks, Sean.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:39

We're not watching a documentary.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:41

I'm not here to be lied to, Sean. Oh, I am.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:43

What is really interesting is that I'm reading this fact here, and it's saying that Bill Wilkins wasn't the only voice to come through Janet. In fact, there was multiple voices coming from Janet or through Janet, and some of these names, Dirty Dick. What the fuck? Who the fuck is Dirty Dick?

SPEAKER_02 1:23:01

This sounds like a bad Wikipedia edit.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:03

Yeah, it's saying Joe Watson, Fred, Dirty Dick, Andrew Gardner, and Stuart Certon or something, which all those names are pretty normal except for Dirty Dick. I just don't know how you end up with a name like Dirty Dick.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:16

I want you to know that they also brought in a ventriloquist to determine whether it was actually possible that Janet could have just pretended to say or like to voice all these different people. A ventriloquist was on the scene more than the warrants, apparently. In this economy, they deserve it. Well, I mean, in that economy did they deserve it? I mean, in this economy, but in that one did they deserve it?

SPEAKER_02 1:23:40

I think so. It's all just a scale. I mean, how many times have you really seen a ventriloquist make a ton of money? You're right. Name me one ventriloquist that is not the guy, I can't remember his name, who does the I kill you.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:52

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:53

I don't know that guy's name. Isn't that isn't that guy? Man, the m it's why do I want to say Darkness Falls when it's not that? There's another dead silence that has to do with ventriloquism or like puppets. Have you guys seen that?

SPEAKER_02 1:24:04

I have not. I've been told that I smile like an old lady that's in dead silence, which dis feels disrespectful. But there is another horror movie that I am gonna make sure we do next year at the latest. It's Hump Hump. Maybe we can squeeze it in November and December.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:20

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:21

But it is a sequel to a movie that we have already covered.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:25

And it was a made for TV, maybe not made for TV, but it was aired on TV heavily. Did not get a theatrical release. And holy shit, ventriloquism is involved, and you just wouldn't fucking expect it. That shit's wild. If you know what a movie I'm talking about in the chat, don't spoil it. Don't ruin it for these two. Because man, I thought about this movie for weeks after I saw it.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:50

Wait, so we're not gonna get the name of the film?

SPEAKER_02 1:24:53

We're just gonna Yeah, thank you, Sean. Absolutely not, because part of the reveal of the ventriloquism is great.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:59

We're just gonna let it hang in the air like that.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:01

Yeah, and then you're gonna remember this day when you finally see the every movie moving forward.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:06

We're just gonna be like, I wonder if this is the one with the ventriloquist in it.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:10

Yeah. Every sequel. Every sequel moving forward. Who knows? Maybe it's a second film, maybe it's a third film. And it's the sequel to a movie we've already done?

SPEAKER_03 1:25:18

Okay. The problem is that Sean and I are gonna figure this out by the end of the recording.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:22

Yeah, we'll figure it out. Because I'll tell you, I'll tell you one thing. It's actually a wonder that I can actually remember anything to talk about on these movies when we end up doing these podcast recordings because I famously just don't remember details from events. So, like next week, I won't even remember this conversation happening.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:41

Fantastic. That's honestly Sean living up to his stoner persona.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:47

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:48

That's incredible.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:49

Truly. Truly. Come get some. Hey, look, two goldfish died in this Enfield haunting.

unknown 1:25:56

What the fuck?

SPEAKER_00 1:25:58

Alright. R.I.P to the goldfish. I just see I'm just seeing this now. Dang, that's rough, man. The goldfish mysteriously died. It looks like Bill Wilkins may have tried to take credit by electrocuting the fish with spirit energy.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:13

Are you telling me that the sisters ended up killing those goldfish? All for the gag?

SPEAKER_00 1:26:17

I I wouldn't doubt it.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:18

Is the animal report fucked?

SPEAKER_00 1:26:20

I guess we'll see.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:20

You talked about fish and goldfish. Have I told you about my fish named Elvis? When I lived in Texas, I've talked about the show how I grew up with an Elvis obsession. Grew up idolizing Elvis, wanted to be Elvis in some ways, minus a lot of the problematic shit I later learned about as a teenager and then adult. But I had a goldfish named Elvis and woke up one day. It was the anniversary of Elvis dying. Literally, the goldfish was on the counter. The goldfish had jumped from the ball. No way. Died on the fucking kitchen counter on the day actual Elvis died.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:52

Are you serious?

SPEAKER_02 1:26:53

I am dead fucking serious. It was the creepiest thing ever. But this was also spooky Texas house, where like maybe if there was some weird shit happening ghosty-wise banks, this would be the place. Well, well, well.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:08

Surprised to find some metal bands in the mix, like Cattle Decapitation and Avenge Sevenfold. However, I couldn't place those bands in the movie, so I don't know if it was like a credits thing or something. I I didn't look too far into it, but I saw that when I looked up the soundtrack and I couldn't really place it.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:26

Wait, wait. I'm sorry. Cattle decapitation? What the fuck is that?

SPEAKER_00 1:27:29

That's a it's a a vegan metal band.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:32

I it wasn't even that for me. It was Avenge Sevenfold. I'm literally gonna see them in concert hopefully in a few weeks, and they are in this movie? Wow.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:42

I don't know. I don't know. I just you pull up the soundtrack and these two bands pop up.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:48

This is really giving one of these things is not like the others, and it's it's me because Binx and I both have questions or we both had a pause to say something, and it was me like, What is going on? And she's like, I'm absolutely gonna see them soon. It tracks. Miss me with all that. I'll just stick with my Elvis. It tracks. You know what else lifts it up? That ending. Oh wait a minute. Does it? Wait a second. Is that after dark now? Does it now? Is that after dark? Sorry. So weird. No? I don't know what direction you're going with that.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:19

With that kind of delivery? Definitely after dark. Mac would be proud.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:23

I gotta represent for my boy, my fellow Puerto Rican.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:28

Maybe they upgraded to a lazy boy or something later in life, you know?

SPEAKER_02 1:28:32

A little lazy ghost. Oh wow. I'm sorry, Rob. That was a very interesting thought. Now I'm wondering when I'll buy my death chair, or have I already purchased it.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:42

Oh, how morbid. What the fuck? How morbid.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:45

That's okay. I honestly do think about these things sometimes too, Rob. Not to that exact extent.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:51

I don't think of if I've bought the chair that I'm gonna die in, but you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:55

That's because Sean's never gonna die. He's gonna be immortal. Obviously.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:58

That's the gag. I will find some way.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:02

Sometimes I do things and I'm wondering, like, is this the last time I'm ever gonna do that? And then no, it never is. One day it will be, but not today.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:09

Not today.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:10

Banks, leave me alone. What the fuck is happening? This is a night inside my brain. Let's just keep moving. Keep pushing. Let's keep pushing. Keep it pushing. Keep it pushing. That's a parasizzle. Keep it pushing.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:24

Keep it pushing.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:26

It's giving hoax in some ways. Not only just this family, but the worns themselves. Are they crackpots? Crackpots? Is that the term? Not crock pots. Crock pots are a tool for cooking. Crackpots. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:38

Crackpots. Not a crock pot.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:40

Not a crack pipe.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:41

Definitely not a crack pipe.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:42

Yeah. I don't know what. Yeah. I don't know what you're trying to Okay, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:51

Let's just back this up. I want to throw it back to yesterday. And patrons, y'all in the chat, or sorry, listeners in the chat, y'all weren't with us when we were recording yesterday. But at the end of our recording session, I shared a link in a story. And we're recording this as a rewind for the spooky season. Banks, we exist in a world in which a woman thought she met the actor who played Billy from Stranger Things, met her in the online forum, and she left her husband and sent him $10,000. Like, that's a world in which this happens. And you're gonna tell me that you can't believe that people would believe that this shit is real?

SPEAKER_00 1:30:26

Somebody out there. You're right. Somebody out there.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:29

That's a good point. I I rest my case. You're right. You're right. You win. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:36

Binx is not amused.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:37

Yeah, I'm not. Sometimes I think about like if I had never brought it up, I feel like it wouldn't have been brought up as much. You know what I'm saying? Like, since I've called it out, it now somehow, some way, it always finds its way into someone's mind.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:56

Because before I brought it up, it was never mentioned. I promise you, I have a couple episodes on the podcast where I'm singing that song. And I have to actually think Well, let me know what they are. I'm gonna have to think back and look back on it because and it might have been the original insidious episode. Because there's an episode where the show opener, the little like static is out, is me singing the note of I would I would hope that it would be the insidious episode, and I'm gonna be smart individual.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:25

It's come up.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:26

It's come up.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:26

Well, you know what? Then I it's n I'm just not gonna have that's it. I'm just not gonna w w watch or listen to old up.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:36

I promise I will find out and let you know so you can navigate safely.