Conjurer promises a classic haunted house tale.  While it did contain at least one good scare, I'm afraid more than the creeps were missing from this flick.  Let's begin with a little catch-you-up.

The Burnetts, Shawn and Helen, are a married couple excited about the baby that is on the way.  Sadly, their routine visit to the obstetrician reveals that the baby is lacking a heartbeat.  Helen understandably sinks into a depression.  Skip to a year later and her brother (John Schneider "The Dukes of Hazzard") buys a chunk of land intending to help out his sister by moving her to the country.  She grew up in the sticks but hubby is a city boy.  Helen and Shawn will live in the existing house on the property until theirs can be built and it needs to be built where a cabin already stands.  

Almost immediately Shawn is warned against doing anything to harm the cabin.  Seems it's got a death curse courtesy of Hattie who used to live there and was hanged for a witch.  She lost a baby of her own and legend says she won't rest until she gets that baby back.  Hmmm... I wonder how that could play into this story?  Now, townspeople believe that those who anger her spirit will suffer dire consequences ranging from crop failure to animal deaths.  Sounds like some fairly nasty business.
 

Shawn begins to notice odd things about the homestead:  strange crows seem to be around all the time, he sees people in the mirrors throughout the house and  he sees things and hears things that ought not be there.  Could this be the work of Hattie or is he just a yuppie with too much imagination?  As it happens, Helen also discovers that she is pregnant again.  Will he be able to act in time to save his unborn child?

The problem with this movie is that it was over before I realized anything was really going on.  I was completely unaware we were at the "climax" and I thought it was merely the beginning of ACT III.  Just when I thought things were getting ready to happen, it ended.  I checked the clock and it was sitting at 1:24.  That's a perfectly respectable time for a feature length film but somehow it didn't seem like anything had really happened in that time.  But hey, at least it went by quickly.  It was like yanking off a Band-Aid.  I'd say its main fault is that it's just plain boring.  I mean c'mon, if the climax doesn't feel like a climax...what can I say?  I won't fake it.  

One thing I found interesting about this picture is how much of the camera work reminded me of Evil Dead.  I would be surprised if director Clint Hutchison said he was not influenced by Raimi.  The cabin in the woods is obvious but if you happen to watch this one please be on the lookout for his use of fog, etc., then tell me I'm wrong.  Impossible.  Too bad he didn't snatch his story telling style as well.  Lead actors Andrew Bowen and Maxine Bahns did the best with what they had.  Sadly it wasn't very much.  This film had potential but failed to realize it.

climax doesn't feel like a climax...what can I say?  I won't fake it.  

One thing I found interesting about this picture is how much of the camera work reminded me of Evil Dead.  I would be surprised if director Clint Hutchison said he was not influenced by Raimi.  The cabin in the woods is obvious but if you happen to watch this one please be on the lookout for his use of fog, etc., then tell me I'm wrong.  Impossible.  Too bad he didn't snatch his story telling style as well.  Lead actors Andrew Bowen and Maxine Bahns did the best with what they had.  Sadly it wasn't very much.  This film had potential but failed to realize it.