03-005
The Demon Murder Case from 1983
I continue my study on movies based on Warren
cases, as suggested by this article.
Movies That Are (Technically) Part of the Conjuring Universe -
In the previous post, I talked about the
1991 TV movie The Haunted, which is inspired by the “Smurl family
haunting”. The movie is low budget and the atmosphere is very difference from
that of The Conjuring movies. But Warrens appeared in it. It may not be fit
alongside with other movies of The Conjuring Universe well, but it is a
Warrens movie in no doubt.
The Demon Murder Case
Today, I would like to look into another
movie on the list, the 1983 TV movie The Demon Murder Case. This movie
is based on the “Trail of Arne Cheyenne Johnson”, the same base of The
Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. And it would mostly likely being the
first movie ever produced to feature the Warrens, err, sort of.
The movie is produced by two companies, Len
Steckler Productions & Dick
Clark Productions. It has never reached the big screen. The movie is aired by
NBC in US and went direct-to-video in other countries. As mentioned in the
article, it is difficult to get a copy of the movie. However, same as The
Haunted, it can be viewed on YouTube. I put it here so that everyone can
watch.
So, how’s the movie?
The first complaint would probably from the
video quality. If you have watched The Haunted, you will find the
resolution of the YouTube upload nowhere near 4K. Frankly, its quality is not
even up to DVD standard. But picture quality of The Demon Murder Case on
YouTube is even worse. It is a direct conversion from a VHS tape. And the VHS
tape is not in good shape either.
Opening scene of the movie
About the movie itself, I found a review.
WICKED WEDNESDAY: THE DEMON MURDER CASE (1983) -
https://americanoflondon.com/2021/03/31/wicked-wednesday-the-demon-murder-case-1983/
I do not 100% agree on her points. The
movie is far from good but is not that bad. The running time is 93 mins and the
boring trail part only takes up a mere 20 mins, being 5 mins at the beginning
and 15 mins at the end. The other 70 mins of the movie run well. For sure, you
cannot compare this early 80s TV movie with any present day blockbusters.
Quality of the VHS conversion also flattened one’s appetite. But I would give
the movie an overall passing grade.
Another blogger
gives a fairer overview.
GRANDSON OF MADE FOR TV MOVIE WEEK: The Demon Murder Case (1983) -
Okay, does this movie fit with other movies
in The Conjuring-verse? I would say, not really. First, the movie did
not explain the origins of the demon. And the demonic problem was not solved at
the end of the movie. Their house is still haunted. And most importantly, they
changed the names of all the people in the “Trail of Arne Cheyenne Johnson”. Ed
and Lorraine became Guy and Charlotte Harris inside!
Am I recommending it?
Luckily, the “Trail of Arne Cheyenne Johnson” is now dramatized in the official The Conjuring Universe movie The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. So, only if you are very sincere with the Warrens and also get some time to kill, you may try to watch The Demon Murder Case. It is available free anyway. Otherwise, you can just skip this one.
Go back to the Lobby ...
No comments:
Post a Comment