Gremlins (1984)

In 1984, Gremlins defied expectations by grossing 148 million dollars at the box office, despite going up against heavy competition like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Ghostbusters. It was a highly controversial movie in its initial release – many critics were appalled by the onscreen violence. This was also a concern for some of the movie’s supporters; Roger Ebert, in his three-star review, wrote this about the infamous microwave scene, “I had a queasy feeling that before long we’d be reading newspaper stories about kids who went home and tried the same thing with the family cat.” It was this graphic moment and the heart ripping scene in Temple of Doom that led to the creation of the PG-13 rating; many parents went into expecting to see a family movie and where absolutely shocked when it turned violent in the second half.  The marketing for Gremlins focused largely on how cute Gizmo was, thus misleading people into believing they would be watching an E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial knock off.  Joe Dante, in the Gremlins commentary, relates a story about how a mother walked out of a screening, with her daughter in tow, and complained to the theatre manager about the horrific violence. The little girl, of course, wasn’t at all fazed by the violence and wanted to watch the movie. The original script, by Chris Columbus, was a much darker movie: the mother is beheaded by Stripe; the family dog is eaten; and it is Gizmo who turns into Stripe. It was producer Steven Spielberg and Joe Dante who decided to lighten the tone, which is what makes it a truly unique experience. If Gremlins was a straight horror movie, it would have died quickly at the box office. If Joe Dante would have been merely content in aping E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the movie would have faded into obscurity. 

Gremlins is an interesting movie because of how it constantly shifts gears; it begins as a cute family comedy, then turns into a pure horror movie, and finally settles into cartoonish anarchy. The Gremlins are interesting creatures – they are not so much evil as they are mischievous. They begin life as cute and furry Mogwai, and then metamorphose (which only occurs if they are fed after midnight) into green, reptilian-like creatures that have an appetite for destruction. They leader of the group, Stripe, with his white Mohawk often resembles a Muppet version of punk rock singer, Billy Idol.  They even have a similar scowl. 

At first, the Gremlins are your typical monster movie menace; the scene where the science teacher Mr. Hanson tries to lure a Gremlin out from underneath his desk with a candy bar is a genuinely scary. The creature is kept off screen entire time – its presence is established through sound effects and footsteps.  While many critics complained about the violence, Mr. Hanson’s demise is left to our imaginations.  As the movie progresses, the Gremlins become less monstrous and more cartoonish parodies of mankind. They appropriate mankind’s worst qualities:  they drink; chain smoke; play cards; one of them flashes Kate in the bar; and they are willing to harm one another just for a cheap laugh.  It is also interesting that they begin to dress up like humans; one of them is wearing Mickey Mouse ears during a screening of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Stripe survives the movie theatre explosion, because his craving for Milk Duds takes him to the department store next door.  Even Gizmo, our furry protagonist, isn’t immune to the consumer culture; he becomes enamored with the television and drives a pink Barbie corvette at the movie’s climax. 

The other criticism of Gremlins is that Zach Galligan is a pretty bland lead. This isn’t entirely false; Galligan doesn’t exactly radiate onscreen charisma (Phoebe Cates fares much better). However, I believe this actually works in the movie’s favor, because Billy Peltzer is an unremarkable guy: he is a scruffy bank teller; lives in his parents’ attic; his best friend is his pet dog; and he harbors a crush on his pretty co-worker, Kate, but is too shy to make a move.  He believes Kate is out of his league; this is understandable considering that Gerald, the bank manager, also has designs on her.  A better and more charismatic actor would not work in this role; it’s easy to believe Galligan’s Billy having confidence issues, but that would not be the case with a more established actor. Billy has an agreeable personality, but he’s not exactly the prettiest contestant in the pageant.  If you were a social misfit in high school, then it is incredibly easy to relate to Billy. While Zach Galligan isn’t a great actor, I do like the moment when Billy finally works up the nerve to ask Kate out; Galligan plays this to absolute perfection - he hesitates a bit before uttering the word, "date."

Phoebe Cates is, essentially, the Jessica Alba of the 1980s – an actress of limited range but with an agreeable screen presence. She really isn’t given much to for the first two thirds of the movie, except look absolutely adorable.  She does this to absolute perfection; it is easy to understand why Billy would have a massive crush on Kate.  Who wouldn’t?  Like Galligan, she is able to come through in the clutch when the filmmakers need her to; I am, of course, talking about the famous scene in which Kate reveals why she hates Christmas (Her dad dressed up like Santa and broke his neck while attempting to go down the chimney). This scene was greatly controversial; the studio heads wanted to cut it because they felt it was in bad taste. Joe Dante liked it because of how ambivalent the audiences’ reactions were to it. How would you respond to such a story? On one hand, it is so ridiculous to the point of being comical. On the other hand, this is clearly a painful memory for Kate and it’s easy to feel bad for her.  Cates is a limited actress, but she is spot on in this scene; there is not a hint of irony in her performance, she plays it with absolute sincerity.  I rather like the character of Kate, largely because she has a fairly cool head on her shoulders; like how she is able to buy time while serving a bar full of Gremlins.  She does an occasional scream, but she doesn’t turn into a quivering pile of Jell-O, either.  It’s also interesting to see a more traditional female role given a slightly darker edge; she hates Christmas and even snaps at Billy when he begins to question her about it.  I like Gremlins 2, but Kate often gets lost in the mix in that movie.  

While the Spielberg influence is there (he was an executive producer), Gremlins is unmistakably a Joe Dante movie: the movie is loaded with cinematic in jokes (Lew Landers, a character from Dante’s previous movie, The Howling, appears on the television at the end); Dante’s stable of actors appear in small roles (Dick Miller as Futterman, Belinda Balaski as Mrs. Harris, and Kenneth Tobey as the Gas Station Attendant); and his brand of dark humor is on full display in this “family picture” (the demise of the miserly Mrs. Deagle is one of the highlights).  There is still a debate as to who was the real director of Poltergeist: Steven Spielberg or Tobe Hooper?  This is not the case with Gremlins. 

Gremlins is also an affectionate spoof of the science fiction/horror movies of the 1950s. It has fun sending up the tropes; The Gremlins hatching from their pods is very reminiscent of the scene in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, when replicates burst out from their pods.  There is usually a scene in 1950s horror where the young protagonist runs to police chief and tries to warn him about the terror that is heading their way, and the police chief responds by kicking our hero out of his office.  In Gremlins, Billy tries to warn Sheriff Frank about the onslaught of monsters that are about to ravage Kingston Falls, but, naturally, the sheriff doesn’t believe him (even after having met Gizmo).  A similar scene happens in The Goonies, when Chunk calls the police and tries to get their help. It’s also interesting because that scene references Gremlins; the officer on the phone starts listing all the pranks Chunk has pulled in the past and then mentions, “Just like that last prank about all those little creatures that multiply when you throw water on them.” Both scripts were written by Chris Columbus, so it's not that surprising. 

Credits
Cast: Zach Galligan (Billy Peltzer), Phoebe Cates (Kate), Hoyt Axton (Rand Peltzer), Frances Lee McCain (Lynn Peltzter), Polly Holliday (Mrs. Deagle), Glynn Turman (Mr. Hanson), Dick Miller (Mr. Futterman), Scott Brady (Sheriff Frank), Keye Luke (Mr. Wing), Corey Feldman (Pete), Judge Reinhold (Gerald), Jackie Joseph (Mrs. Futterman), Edward Arnold (Mr. Corben),  Belinda Balaski (Mrs. Harris), Jonathan Banks (Deputy), John Louie (Chinese Boy), Harry Carey, Jr. (Mr. Anderson),  James MacKrell (Lew Landers), Chuck Jones (Mr. Jones), Don Steele (Rockin’ Ricky Rialto),  William Schallert (Father Bartlett), Kenneth Tobey (Gas Station Attendant),Howie Mandel (voice of Gizmo), Frank Welker (voice of Stripe/Mogwai/Gremlins).

Director: Joe Dante
Screenplay: Chris Columbus
Running Time: 106 min.

Stranger Things (2016)

(Warning: There are some minor spoilers in this post. Read at your own risk.)

I usually avoid writing about current popular culture, because there is so very little that can be added to the conversation. The Netflix series Stranger Things has become such a massive success that already fan theories and fiction have sprouted up all over the internet. It has been the subject of many entertainment websites, and social media, that there is little more that can be said. However, I immensely enjoyed the series to the point that I feel compelled to write about it. It’s a show that manages to stick with you after having watched it and leaves you wanting more.   Stranger Things is essentially the Duffer Brothers tribute to the early works of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King (with a few other references thrown in). It perfectly captures the look and feel of the early 80s. However, this is not the historic 1980s as we know it, but rather the cinematic 1980s that was prevalent in movies like E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and The Goonies.  The children communicate via walkie-talkies and ride their bicycles across town, while their parents remain oblivious to the chaos engulfing the neighborhood.  If this series was set in modern times, the children would constantly be bombarded with text messages from their parents. Also, the boys wouldn’t have to go the science teacher, Mr. Clarke, for information about alternate dimensions; they could just look it up on Google. 

However, nostalgia is not enough to explain how Stranger Things has resonated with audiences of different ages. A person in my age group might view  it through a nostalgic lens, but that is certainly not the case with any one under the age of thirty. Plus, there have been many 80s nostalgic pieces in the last decade, but most of them have been quickly forgotten. They certainly didn’t inspire any fan fiction. Stranger Things is the best type of homage – it pays tribute to movies of the 1980s, while still functioning as its own story. You don’t need to be familiar with the early movies to understand what is happening in the show.  The references help enhance the story, as opposed to the other way around. 

It is also a positive sign when the least interesting aspect of the TV show is the monster.  The characters in Stranger Things are so compelling  that at times you wish the damn monster would stop getting in the way. The Duffer Brothers maybe Spielberg imitators, but they make for some excellent students. Like Spielberg, they understand the importance of likable characters. The majority of Spielberg imitators (i.e. Roland Emmerich) often get so hung up on the special effects that they completely ignore the human element. Their focus is entirely on the action set pieces that their characters tend to be on the cartoonish side (see Emmerich’s 1998 Godzilla. On second thought, don’t). 

The best thing about Stranger Things is the naturalistic performances by its child actors.  They are not one dimensional catchphrase generating machines designed to elicit “AWWWWS” from the audience; they look and act like genuine 1980s children. It’s great to see Winona Ryder in a starring role again and David Harbour is terrific as the flawed, but determined police chief, but it’s the children that steal the show.  Millie Bobby Brown has been singled out for her performance as Eleven (justifiably so, as she is terrific), but Finn Wolfhard is equally good as Mike. I could probably write an entire novel about Stranger Things, and maybe I’ll return to it in a future entry, but for now I would like to focus on the relationship between Mike and Eleven as it is the heart and soul of the show.

Mike is descended from such child protagonists like Elliott from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Mikey from The Goonies, Sean from Fred Dekker’s The Monster Squad,  and Sam Weir from the TV show Freaks and Geeks – he is a socially inept nerd that has very little contact with girls, a small circle of male friends, and is defined by his loyalty. He also possesses a keen intellect and is open minded towards outsiders. This last point is important, because if Dustin and Lucas had their way, Eleven would have been immediately turned into the authorities. Mike, even though he doesn’t know her, is willing to give her shelter for the night and protect her from the “bad people.” It also speaks volumes about Mike that even at the lowest point in their relationship (he believed that she lied to him about Will) he is still willing to shelter her in the basement and refrains from telling his parents about her.  He doesn’t have a vindictive bone in his body. 

The character of Eleven has two cinematic influences: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial  and Charlene “Charlie” McGee from Stephen King’s Firestarter. There is a crucial difference between Charlie and Eleven;  Charlie was raised by her parents, who helped keep her powers in check, and has actual interactions with the outside world.  Eleven, on the other hand, has spent her entire life as a test subject in a science laboratory.  She has never had any meaningful interactions with people.  She is an even bigger introvert than Mike, albeit unintentionally.  After she escapes from the lab, she devolves into a feral state – she can barely speak and is forced to scavenge whatever food she can find. Yet, despite her fragile appearance, Eleven is the most powerful character in the entire series – she has telekinetic powers and can break necks with just a simple snap of her head. There has been some criticism over the body count that Eleven racks up throughout the course of the series, however, it is important to note that Eleven only kills people when she and, more importantly, her friends are being threatened.  You would be wise to tread lightly around this girl, or she will make you pay.

I said that Millie Bobby Brown was "terrific,” but that is an understatement – she is absolutely phenomenal.  In lesser hands,  Eleven could have been an absolute disaster; a typical child actress would have Eleven bugging out her eyes and waving her hands around in a spastic manner every time she uses her powers. Or, the filmmakers might resort to a lot of cinematic trickery to cover up the limitations of their child star; in Firestarter whenever Charlie (Drew Barrymore) uses her powers the camera will zoom in on her face and her hair will start to flutter (it looks like she's standing in front of a fan), and then, just to clue in the audience that things are about to get REALLY serious, we are bombarded with rapid close ups of Charlie's eyes and whatever person/object she is unleashing her wrath on. There are also a lot of impressive pyrotechnics on display.   The Duffer brothers (and Shawn Levy) never resort to this and allow for Brown’s performance to speak for itself.  Their direction is far more restrained than Mark L. Lester's was for Firestarter; the moment when Eleven makes Troy, the school bully, piss his pants is a great example of this. Mike is standing on the right front of the frame, in a close up, while Eleven is stationed in the center of the frame, out of focus, in the background. While everyone laughs at Troy’s “accident,” Eleven remains perfectly still the entire time.  She is the only still person in the frame and our eyes immediately are drawn towards her. We don’t need zoom in or rapid close ups of Eleven’s eyes to help connect the dots; her body language tells us all we need to know.

The most impressive aspect of Brown's performance is how she's able to communicate so much by doing so very little; she's able to say more with just the slightest tilt of her head than most actresses are with pages of dialogue. It's also a nice touch on Brown's  part that Mike, with the exception of  Benny, is the only character Eleven smiles at throughout the entire series. In episode four, the kids are at a school assembly and Dustin smiles at Eleven, but it doesn't even register with her; she wears a somber face. Later in that scene, after Eleven makes Troy piss his pants, Mike looks back at her and she flashes him a smile.  There are actors that are only as good as the material they are given and then there are the special kind that can transcend the material and take it to a higher level; Brown falls in the latter category.  On paper, there really isn't much to the character of Eleven and, yet, Brown is able to inject so much life into Eleven that she completely outshines her co-stars.

I’m going to go all pretentious college professor by suggesting that Stranger Things is largely about the battle for Eleven’s soul between Dr. Brenner and Mike. This is reiterated in the fact that Brenner and Mike are the two most influence people in her life. They are the only two characters that can actually carry on a conversation with Eleven.   Dr. Brenner is the closest thing to a father figure Eleven has (she calls him “Papa”), but he is very clinical in his treatment of her and is only interested in her powers.  Mike, on the other hand, is a far more compassionate and emotional person; instead of coldly referring to her as a number, he gives her the nickname of “Elle.” Mike is Elle’s moral compass. Again, she has spent her entire life locked up in a science laboratory and  has been raised to be a weapon; the concepts or right and wrong are foreign to her.  Mike’s biggest contribution is that he instills a simple code into Elle, “Friends always tell the truth/Friends don't lie.”  This is a phrase that Elle will repeat back to Mike multiple times throughout the series.  The writers do a great job of visually linking Mike and Eleven; in episode three he gives her a watch to help keep track of the time, and she wears it until episode seven when she gives it back to Mike for safe keeping before she goes into "the bath."

It is also important to note that Mike leads by example. The ending of episode six (where Elle saves Mike though levitation) is probably the highlight of the series, because we get to see Elle in full bad ass mood, but it also overwhelms this very simple fact: Mike is willing to risk his life to save his friend Dustin.  The school bully, Troy, has Dustin in a grip and threatens to cut out his teeth with a switchblade if Mike doesn’t jump off a ledge hanging over the lake. This is a deadly jump and most likely will kill Mike, but he goes through with any ways because it will save a friend. Luckily for Mike, Elle happens to arrive just in time to save him.  Self sacrifice isn’t a phrase you will find in Dr. Brenner’s vocabulary, but it is very much ingrained into Mike. It's not surprising then that Eleven openly rejects her amoral "Papa" at the end, especially after having experienced genuine love from Mike. 

I mentioned before that the word “terrific” doesn’t do justice to Millie Bobby Brown’s performance, well that also applies to Finn Wolfhard's portrayal of Mike. He is also a phenomenal performer that is able to take a basic archetype (the gawky nerd) and transform it into a fairly complex character. It also helps great that Millie Bobby Brown and him have great onscreen chemistry; it isn't surprising that multiple Mike/Eleven video tributes have popped up all over Youtube. The latter part is important; individually the two of them could give great performances, but if there is zero chemistry between the two of them the entire show falls apart.

There are two scenes that highlight just how good Wolfhard is:

1) In episode four, after the boys have given Elle a makeover to make her more “girlish” (they put her in a blonde wig and have her wear a dress), Mike is completely taken aback and comments, “Pretty!” He then tries to cover it up by adding, “Good!”  What I love about Wolfhard’s performance is that you can see the light bulb go off his head when he first lays eyes on the “new” Elle – he has officially discovered girls. I also love the little smirk that comes across Elle’s face after hearing Mike’s compliment

2) In episode eight, Mike attempts to explain his true feelings to Elle and, after words have failed him, gives her a quick kiss on the lips.  The sincerity of the performance helps this scene out immensely; I like how frustrated Mike gets at his inability to explain the concept of a girlfriend to Elle. He stumbles over his words and is almost ready to drop it until Elle throws the phrase “Friends never lie”  at him. After even more stumbling, he just goes for broke and kisses her on the lips.  Elle's reaction is priceless: she takes a deep breath and then smiles. It is a sweet moment that is underlined by tragedy; this is the happiest moment in Elle’s life, but it is incredibly short lived. 

I cannot stress enough how good Finn Wolfhard and Millie Bobby Brown are in the scene (and the entire series), they completely sell it. It is the kind of scene that in the hands of lesser actors could either be extremely laughable or painful. In the hands of Wolfhard and Brown it is a genuinely moving scene.  It’s enough to reduce even  the meanest old man into a whimpering mass of tears. 

Credits:

Cast: Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Chief Jim Hopper), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Matthew Modine (Dr. Martin Brenner),  Joe Keery (Steven Harrington), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Randall B. Havens (Mr. Clarke), Rob Morgan (Officer Powell),  John Reynolds (Officer Callahan), Joe Chrest (Ted Wheeler), Mark Steger (The Monster), Peyton Wich (Troy), Cade Jones (James), Sharon Purser (Barbara), Catherine Dyer (Agent Connie Frazier), Chester Rushing (Tommy H), Chelsea Talmadge (Carol), Ross Partridge (Lonnie Byers).

Creators: The Duffer Brothers
Directors: Matt & Ross Duffer, Shawn Levy (episodes 3 & 4).
Writers: The Duffer Brothers, Justin Doble, Paul Dichter, Jessica Mecklenburg, Jessie Nickson – Lopez, Alison Tatlock.
Running Time: 42 – 55 minutes (8 episodes).

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

The Conjuring 2 is simultaneously one of the most unnerving and unintentional hilarious horror movies I have ever seen.  It is based off the “true story” of the Enfield Poltergeist that reportedly harassed an English family (The Hodgsons) from 1977 to 1979. The popular consensus is that the whole thing was a hoax (though there are a few brave souls that believe it is genuine).  In real life, the Warrens’ involvement in the case was a fairly minimal, but in the movie they are unshakeable bad asses who successfully vanquish the foul demon that is behind the haunting (this is not an exaggeration). It is a tale of two halves – the first half of the movie, dealing with the Hodgsons experience with the Poltergeist is extremely tense and frightening. The second half, when the Warrens arrive on the scene, gets progressively more absurd and nearly devolves into self parody.  

In the first half, director James Wan does a nice job of establishing ominous presence through simple cinematic tricks. There is a scene that recalls Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby – the youngest son, Billy, nearly trips on a toy fire truck and, out of a frustration kicks into a makeshift tent that he has set up at the end of the hallway.  He then walks into his bedroom, while the tent is framed through the doorway, thus signaling to the audience that something scary is about to happen.  After hesitating, Billy crawls into his bed and, once the tent is no longer visible in frame, an off screen force kicks the fire truck into Billy’s room. It’s masterful job of utilizing the frame without resorting to a cheap jump scare, or silly CGI. It is a technical well done movie, but what really sells it is Madison Wolfe’s appealing performance as Janet Hodgson. It easy to root for the wide eyed, and frail, Janet and it is extremely unpleasant to see the punishment she endures at the hands of the demon. 

The second half, however, takes a turn for the worse once the Warrens arrive on the scene. The movie’s portrayal of the Warrens is a bit over the top – they are absolute saints endowed with Marvel – like super powers. Ed Warren is not only a ghost hunter, but he is also a handyman (he fixes the Hodgson’s plumbing) and serenades the family with the Elvis classic, “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You."  Lorraine maybe a psychic, but she is also a super compassionate human being – she takes time from her busy schedule to give Janet a few words of encouragement. The Warrens dominate the second half, which is unfortunate, because the plight of the family is far more interesting. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are good enough actors to make it work, but the script often lets them down.  The real life Warrens, of course, were nothing like their cinematic counterparts – they were con artists always in search of a quick buck. I urge you to check out to Steven Novella’s hilarious account on meeting the Warrens and just how clueless they truly were. 

The other unfortunate trend of this movie is to paint skeptics as obnoxious bullies – early in the movie there is a scene where Ed gets into a shouting match with Stephen Kaplan on a talk show.  Kaplan is depicted as being a belligerent jackass unwillingly to listen to reason. Interestingly, while the Warrens did have a few run-ins with Dr. Kaplan, this dialogue in this scene is based off an exchange Ed Warren had with noted skeptic, Joe Nickell, on the Sally Jessie Raphael show.  Also, I might add that Stephen Kaplan was a firm believer in the paranormal, but was convinced the haunting in Amityville was a hoax. The other skeptic in the movie, Anita Gregory (Franka Potente), is not as irritating as Kaplan, but she is just as cold and distant. The Warrens are truly warm and sympathetic individuals who genuinely want to help the family, while Gregory is a complete cynic and is only capable of seeing the worst in people.  I like Franka Potente, but her character is is so one dimensional that even she can’t breathe life into it.  

The opening of the movie, which finds Ed and Lorraine holding a séance at the Amityville house, borders on the tasteless as we are given a graphic recreation of the real life DeFeo murders.  The movie doesn’t imply, but blatantly states that Ronald “Butch” DeFeo, Jr. was under demonic influence when he murdered his family – as opposed to being a sociopath under the influence of drugs.  It is a bit queasy to see Wan exploit a real life tragedy to set up his mostly fictional movie.  The original Amityville Horror also opens with the murders of the DeFeos, but it is done in a far more tasteful manner, despite being an exploitation movie; it gives the audiences a few flashes of the violence, but doesn’t dwell on it. 

The first Conjuring had similar flaws, but at least the dead witch’s motivation made sense – revenge, simple revenge.  The demon’s motivation in The Conjuring 2 is a bit muddled to the point that it rivals that of any James Bond villain. What exactly is its end game? Is it using the Hodgson’s to get to the Warrens? It is implied that the demon is luring Ed to his death. If so, then why does it trick them into leaving the house?  This usually wouldn’t be a big deal, but the demon’s sinister plot is an important part of the movie – it is a point of emphasis in the movie’s last half hour. It also doesn’t help that the demon, a pale faced nun, looks like a castoff from a Marilyn Manson video.  The first Conjuring only gives us a few glimpses of the witch, Bathsheba, while the nun in the sequel is given prominent screen time. 

The Conjuring 2, despite its flaws, is still worth seeing.  James Wan knows how to ratchet up the tension and the acting, overall, is pretty good.  It also helps that if you take its whole “based on a true story” claim with a grain of a salt. In fact, It would be best to think of it as an alternate universe where demonic possession is a real thing and the Warrens are genuine ghost hunters, instead of second rate con artists. 

Credits
Cast: Vera Farmiga (Lorraine Warren), Patrick Wilson (Ed Warren), Madison Wolfe (Janet Hodgson), Frances O’ Connor (Peggy Hodgson), Lauren Esposito (Margaret Hodgson), Simon McBurney (Maurice Grosse), Maria Doyle Kennedy (Peggy Nottingham), Simon Delaney (Vic  Nottingham), Franka Potente (Anita Gregory), Benjamin Haigh (Billy Hodgson), Patrick McAuley(Johnny Hodgson), Bob Adrian (Bill Wilkins), Bonnie Aarons (Demon nun), Robin Atkins Downes (Demon voice), Javier Botet (Crooked Man), Steve Coulter (Father Gordon), Abni Sinha (Harry Whitmark), Chris Royds (Graham Morris), Sterling Jerins (Judy Warren), Daniel Wolfe (Kent Allen), Annie Young (Constable Heeps), Elliot Joseph (Constable Peterson), Cory English (Skeptic Kaplan), Deborah Weston (Talk Show Host).

Director: James Wan
Screenplay: Carey Hayes, Chad Hayes, James Wan, David Leslie Johnson.
Running Time: 133 min.