Trailer Tuesday: The Conjuring

Hoo-hah! Now this is how you do a trailer - more like a standalone short story than a rapidly edited together flurry of clips that give away the entire plot. Actually, the feature trailer for new horror film The Conjuring is similarly great, playing up the "true story" aspect of the production.

Of course, I may be a tad biased. I have a thing for haunted house films. They're my favourite horror sub-genre. And I always seem to find myself watching one late at night when I'm house-sitting somewhere solo. It really amplifies the creepiness.

Anyway, count me excited then for the latest from James Wan, the director of the first Saw and, more importantly, surprise scare hit Insidious. Insidious was a genre entry that severely cut back on the gore, focusing on atmosphere instead to set skin crawling. And, damn, was it effective.

The Conjuring seems to have been cast from the exact same "old school" mould.

Set in 1971, The Conjuring centres on real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, played here by Wan's Insidious leading man Patrick Wilson, and Vera Farmiga. The couple are summoned to an old farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island when the family living there is plagued by disturbing, inexplicable events. Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston play the traumatised parents.

A strong cast. A non-contemporary setting. And a fantastic critical and commercial reception when the film released in North America a few weeks ago. Even without an aggregated Rotten Tomatoes review score of 86%, I'd be sold on this "very effective," "well-crafted" and "sympathetically acted" supernatural thriller.

Sadly, South Africans still have months to wait to watch The Conjuring. The film is only set to open locally on 1 November... no doubt to coincide with Halloween.