Editorials
5 Warren Case Files That Could Be the Plot of ‘The Conjuring 3’!
The Conjuring 2 won the hearts of many horror fans last weekend, and if box office receipts are any indication a sequel should be put into production soon. Though writer/director James Wan may not be at the helm due to his commitments to Aquaman, he will most likely serve as producer like he did on the Saw and Insidious sequels. The Conjuring 2 takes place at the tail end of the 1970s, so it makes sense that a sequel would take place in the 80s (even Wan has admitted this). The Warrens had quite a few well known cases during that decade (whether or not they are “true” is up to you), giving the writers of The Conjuring 3 plenty to pick from. Here are the five most well-known case files of the Warrens that could potentially be at the center of The Conjuring 3!
The Demonic Possession of Arne Cheyenne Johnson
Otherwise known as “The Devil Made Me Do It” case, the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson was the first case in the United States to use demonic possession as a defense. Johnson was on trial for murdering his landlord Alan Bono on November 24, 1981 in Brookfield, Connecticut. As part of his testimony, Johnson claimed that an 11-year-old boy acted as host to the demon that made him murder Bono. The Warrens were brought in to exorcise the demon from the child, and after several days, the demon left and entered Johnson, forcing him to kill Bono. Johnson was eventually convicted but only served five years of his 10- to 20-year sentence before being released. This case could be useful for The Conjuring 3 in that it would force the writers to change the style of narrative. Part exorcism and part court case, it would be more in the vein of The Exorcism of Emily Rose than the first two Conjuring films. This would prevent the potential sequel from becoming too familiar to audiences and critics, prompting complaints of it being “more of the same.”
The Haunting In Connecticut
James Wan has said that he opted not to use the Amityville Horror as the centerpiece of The Conjuring 2 (or any Conjuring sequel) because the case has been adapted too many times. The Haunting in Connecticut was already adapted into a 2009 film starring Academy Award nominee Virginia Madsen, but it wasn’t very good (and neither was the DTV sequel starring Chad Michael Murray). Using this particular case file as the main plot of The Conjuring 3 could do justice to the story, in which the Warrens proclaimed the Snediker home to be infested with demons since it was a former funeral home. They may choose not to go this route though since, like Amityville, it’s been done before.
The Smurl Haunting
This haunting, which supposedly lasted from 1974 to 1989, took place in the home of Jack and Janet Smurl. They claimed that they witnessed multiple instances of supernatural phenomena (smells, sounds, etc.). They finally brought the Warrens in in 1986, who declared that their house was occupied by three spirits and a demon that was said to have sexually assaulted both of the Smurls. This gives the filmmaking team three ghosts and a demon to work with. It ups the stakes and could lead the way to tons of varying scares.
The Werewolf of Southend
This is my pick for a sequel if only because it’s so ridiculous. Apparently in the late 80s the Warrens claimed they exorcised a “werewolf demon” from a carpenter named Bill Ramsey. He claimed to have experienced super-strength and bouts of aggression that he blamed on the werewolf demon that possessed him. As ridiculous as this sounds, it could make for a really great movie. First, it would provide a different take on the werewolf sub-genre, a sub-genre that has become stale in recent years. Second, it’s something that, to my knowledge, hasn’t ever been done before in a film. I mean, it’s a werewolf demon! The only reason I could see them not going this route (and any of the cases listed after this) would be because it takes place too late in the 80s and would mean skipping over a bunch of well known case files. This limits the cases they could use for future sequels.
The White Lady of Union Cemetery
Finally, we’ve got the White Lady of Union Cemetery. Located in Easton, Connecticut, Union Cemetery is considered to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States. The “White Lady” is said to wear, you guessed it, a white dress or nightgown while haunting said cemetery. Ed Warren claimed to have seen the ghost in person. The legend of the White Lady is told in many countries, which means the writers could pick which location and iteration of the White Lady they would like to use for the film. This case file takes place in the late 80s/early 90s and, like the Werewolf Demon, would mean skipping over a bunch of well-known cases. It is doubtful they would choose this case file, but it could be fun!
Which of the above case files do you want to see adapted in The Conjuring 3? It may not be the same without Wan behind the camera, but at least there’s enough material to mine out of each of these cases to make for a terrifying film!
Having grown up in a religious family, Christian movie night was something that happened a lot more often than I care to admit. However, back when I was a teenager, my parents showed up one night with an unusually cool-looking DVD of a movie that had been recommended to them by a church leader. Curious to see what new kind of evangelical propaganda my parents had rented this time, I proceeded to watch the film with them expecting a heavy-handed snoozefest.
To my surprise, I was a few minutes in when Denzel Washington proceeded to dismember a band of cannibal raiders when I realized that this was in fact a real movie. My mom was horrified by the flick’s extreme violence and dark subject matter, but I instantly became a fan of the Hughes Brothers’ faith-based 2010 thriller, The Book of Eli. And with the film’s atomic apocalypse having apparently taken place in 2024, I think this is the perfect time to dive into why this grim parable might also be entertaining for horror fans.
Originally penned by gaming journalist and The Walking Dead: The Game co-writer Gary Whitta, the spec script for The Book of Eli was already making waves back in 2007 when it appeared on the coveted Blacklist. It wasn’t long before Columbia and Warner Bros. snatched up the rights to the project, hiring From Hell directors Albert and Allen Hughes while also garnering attention from industry heavyweights like Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman.
After a series of revisions by Anthony Peckham meant to make the story more consumer-friendly, the picture was finally released in January of 2010, with the finished film following Denzel as a mysterious wanderer making his way across a post-apocalyptic America while protecting a sacred book. Along the way, he encounters a run-down settlement controlled by Bill Carnegie (Gary Oldman), a man desperate to get his hands on Eli’s book so he can motivate his underlings to expand his empire. Unwilling to let this power fall into the wrong hands, Eli embarks on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of his faith.
SO WHY IS IT WORTH WATCHING?
Judging by the film’s box-office success, mainstream audiences appear to have enjoyed the Hughes’ bleak vision of a future where everything went wrong, but critics were left divided by the flick’s trope-heavy narrative and unapologetic religious elements. And while I’ll be the first to admit that The Book of Eli isn’t particularly subtle or original, I appreciate the film’s earnest execution of familiar ideas.
For starters, I’d like to address the religious elephant in the room, as I understand the hesitation that some folks (myself included) might have about watching something that sounds like Christian propaganda. Faith does indeed play a huge part in the narrative here, but I’d argue that the film is more about the power of stories than a specific religion. The entire point of Oldman’s character is that he needs a unifying narrative that he can take advantage of in order to manipulate others, while Eli ultimately chooses to deliver his gift to a community of scholars. In fact, the movie even makes a point of placing the Bible in between equally culturally important books like the Torah and Quran, which I think is pretty poignant for a flick inspired by exploitation cinema.
Sure, the film has its fair share of logical inconsistencies (ranging from the extent of Eli’s Daredevil superpowers to his impossibly small Braille Bible), but I think the film more than makes up for these nitpicks with a genuine passion for classic post-apocalyptic cinema. Several critics accused the film of being a knockoff of superior productions, but I’d argue that both Whitta and the Hughes knowingly crafted a loving pastiche of genre influences like Mad Max and A Boy and His Dog.
Lastly, it’s no surprise that the cast here absolutely kicks ass. Denzel plays the title role of a stoic badass perfectly (going so far as to train with Bruce Lee’s protégée in order to perform his own stunts) while Oldman effortlessly assumes a surprisingly subdued yet incredibly intimidating persona. Even Mila Kunis is remarkably charming here, though I wish the script had taken the time to develop these secondary characters a little further. And hey, did I mention that Tom Waits is in this?
AND WHAT MAKES IT HORROR ADJACENT?
Denzel’s very first interaction with another human being in this movie results in a gory fight scene culminating in a face-off against a masked brute wielding a chainsaw (which he presumably uses to butcher travelers before eating them), so I think it’s safe to say that this dog-eat-dog vision of America will likely appeal to horror fans.
From diseased cannibals to hyper-violent motorcycle gangs roaming the wasteland, there’s plenty of disturbing R-rated material here – which is even more impressive when you remember that this story revolves around the bible. And while there are a few too many references to sexual assault for my taste, even if it does make sense in-universe, the flick does a great job of immersing you in this post-nuclear nightmare.
The excessively depressing color palette and obvious green screen effects may take some viewers out of the experience, but the beat-up and lived-in sets and costume design do their best to bring this dead world to life – which might just be the scariest part of the experience.
Ultimately, I believe your enjoyment of The Book of Eli will largely depend on how willing you are to overlook some ham-fisted biblical references in order to enjoy some brutal post-apocalyptic shenanigans. And while I can’t really blame folks who’d rather not deal with that, I think it would be a shame to miss out on a genuinely engaging thrill-ride because of one minor detail.
With that in mind, I’m incredibly curious to see what Whitta and the Hughes Brothers have planned for the upcoming prequel series starring John Boyega…
There’s no understating the importance of a balanced media diet, and since bloody and disgusting entertainment isn’t exclusive to the horror genre, we’ve come up with Horror Adjacent – a recurring column where we recommend non-horror movies that horror fans might enjoy.
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