Conjuring Up A Good Movie Tonight, Plus Jasmine is Blue and Woody is Hot

Ian and I took time out from his make-up English class to go see "The Conjuring" tonight. Funny, we haven't gone to see a horror flick in over a year, probably not since "Sinister" last year.  This one was a better-than-average demonic possession opus, with more than its share of provocative jump moments with the now obligatory music score abruptly shifting from dead silence to super loud. The paranormal specialists in the film are non-fictional characters; a real-life couple (Ed and Lorrainne Warren) who were involved in several high-profile paranormal cases in the 60s and 70s, including the Amityville Horror incident. The director, James Wan, is best known for the Saw series; a franchise I've made it my business to keep away from. Here he shows a deft touch with the exorcism genre. The acting was top notch, particularly the two female leads, Vera Farmiga as Lorraine Warren and Lili Taylor as the mother, and **spoiler alert** the key figure in the possession plot. I was curious about the background of this case, which as far as I know never developed the notoriety of Amityville, but there was barely a listing on Wikipedia about it. I'll need to look elsewhere, obviously.

Last week Karen and I went to see "Blue Jasmine." I have to concede: Woody Allen is a genius. I now have to look beyond the half-dozen or so mediocre to bad movies that pepper his filmography in the 80s, 90s and Aughts. The director of "Blue Jasmine" is a genius working at the peak of his powers -- and he's 77 years old!  It has been a privilege for this cinema-head to have been able to follow the trajectory of his career from nearly the beginning to now. No one could have guesses while viewing "Sleeper" or "Bananas" 40 years ago that Allen would prove himself capable of such artwork as "Blue Jasmine," or "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," or even "Midnight in Paris." (Owen Wilson notwithstanding) I must applaud his development, and I wish him many more years of filmmaking to come. I predict Cate Blanchett's name will be added to the list of actresses that Allen directed to an Oscar, joining Diane Keaton, Dianne Wiest, Penelope Cruz, and yes, even Mira Sorvino.(Has he ever directed a male actor to an Oscar? Or even a nomination?) Blanchette in playing a privileged upper class New York socialite borrowed her clipped, patrician style of speech from her role in "The Talented Mr. Ripley," but everything else about her performance was breathtakingly original and emotionally transcendent.  The disintegration of her character's self-esteem and its effect on her psyche were artfully presented. And it was fabulous to see Blanchett again - I haven't seen much of her latest except for "Lord of the Ring" reruns.

Bedtime. Until we meet again...