The Conjuring. 2013. [DVD] Directed by J. Wan. New Line Cinema.

BACKGROUND:

In 1970, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren are called to help Carolyn and Roger Perron, as well as their five young daughters, with the demon that they are being tormented by.

HOW I USED IT:

I used The Conjuring series as an example of my thesis, which is that “Based on a True Story” films and books are inherently exploitative.

The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case. 2016. [DVD] Directed by J. Wan. New Line Cinema.

BACKGROUND

In 1977, the Warrens come out of a self-imposed sabbatical to assist with the case of Peggy Hodgson, a single mother of four children who believes her daughter is possessed by a demon.

HOW I USED IT:

I used The Conjuring series as an example of my thesis, which is that “Based on a True Story” films and books are inherently exploitative.

The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It. 2021. [DVD] Directed by M. Chavez. Produced by James Wan.

BACKGROUND:

The Warrens are brought in to consult of the case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who murdered his landlord while being possessed by a demon that entered his body after the exorcism of David Glatzel.

HOW I USED IT:

I used The Conjuring series as an example of my thesis, which is that “Based on a True Story” films and books are inherently exploitative. This is especially true in the case of David Glatzel, who was a child when this incident occurred and has since asked to be left alone.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose. 2005. [DVD] Directed by S. Derrickson and P. Harris Boardman.

BACKGROUND:

Reverend Moore is being prosecuted for the wrongful death of a girl he performed a church-sanctioned exorcism on, but the case is not all that it seems.

HOW I USED IT:

I used this film as another example of this genre being exploitative. The director of this film took the story of a severely ill young woman who died from neglect and turned it into a profitable horror show. 

Whitney, C., 1976. Germans Stirred by Death of Woman in Exorcism. The New York Times

BACKGROUND:

    Annelise Michel, a 23-year-old German student from West Germany, dies from malnutrition and dehydration. After a long battle with mental illness, her family turned to religion, and 67 exorcisms were performed on her in the year before her death.

HOW I USED IT:

I used this article to give context to the plot of The Exorcism of Emily Rose and its real-world tragic inspiration. 

Storr, W., 2017. The Conjuring 2: what really happened during the Enfield Haunting?. [online] Available at: <https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/06/13/the-conjuring-2-what-really-happened-during-the-enfield-haunting/>

BACKGROUND:

An exploration of the real-life inspiration behind The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case. Ultimately, it was revealed that the haunting was an elaborate hoax thought up by the mother to attract money and journalists.

HOW I USED IT:

I used this article to give context to the plot of The Conjuring 2.

Serena, K., 2021. The Creepy True Stories Behind ‘The Conjuring’ Films. [online] All That’s Interesting. Available at: <https://allthatsinteresting.com/true-story-of-the-conjuring-perron-family-enfield-haunting>

BACKGROUND:

    An explanation of each of the stories that inspired the popular Conjuring trilogy.

HOW I USED IT:

Further context on the origins of each of the Conjuring films.

ABC News, 2015. Owners of Home on Which the Movie ‘The Conjuring’ Is Based Sue Warner Bros.. [online] Available at: <https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/owners-home-movie-conjuring-based-sue-warner-bros/story?id=34789302>

BACKGROUND:

    After the release of The Conjuring in 2013, the owners of the house that the story was based on sue James Wan for throwing them into the public eye, resulting in fans breaking into their home and sacrificing animals on their property. The owners, Norma Sutcliffe and Gerald Helfrich, ultimately have to sell their home of almost thirty years to escape the spotlight.

HOW I USED IT:

Norma Sutcliffe and Gerald Helfrich were forced to sell their long-time home due to harassment caused by the popularity of the Conjuring films. 

ABC News, 2006. Amityville Horror: Horror or Hoax?. [online] ABC News. Available at: <https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132035&page=1&singlePage=true>

BACKGROUND:

Was the Amityville Horror an elaborate hoax concocted by the Lutz family in order to gain game and fortune? Interviews with friends, family, and neighbors suggest that this might be true.

HOW I USED IT:

The Lutz wrote the book on exploiting a horrific crime for money and entertainment, according to those that knew them best. Their case is strongly tied with the Warrens. 

Bever, L., 2016. The ‘Amityville Horror’ house is for sale: Five bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and one bloody history. [online] The Washington Post. Available at: <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/06/22/the-amityville-horror-house-is-for-sale-five-bedrooms-3-5-bathrooms-and-one-bloody-history/>

BACKGROUND:

    A retelling of the horrifying history of the infamous Amityville Horror house and the crimes that were committed there. The home was the host of a six-person murder in 1974 when Ronald Defeo Jr. shot down his parents and siblings.

HOW I USED IT:

I used this to give context to the reason the Lutz believed their home in Amityville was haunted. Ronald Defeo Jr. has murdered his parents and siblings there just a year previous. 

Lugrigio, A. and Harris, A., 2007. Mental illness and violence: A brief review of research and assessment strategies.

BACKGROUND:

    An examination of the relationship between mental disorders and violent behavior and evidence such as the MacArthur Study suggest that mental illness and violence towards others are not inherently connected.

HOW I USED IT:

I used this article as evidence that shows that those who suffer from mental illness are not inherently violent towards others. 

Stuart, H., 2003. Violence and mental illness: an overview. World Psychiatry, 2, pp.121-124.

BACKGROUND:

A medical journal that studies specific cases that examine the relationship between violence and illness. The journal suggests that while there is some violence among a percentage of people with mental afflictions, it is almost always an outside influence that caused the violence (child abuse, substance abuse, negligent caretakers, etc.)

HOW I USED IT:

Further evidence to support the theory that mentally ill people are not inherently violent.

Loren, R., Mulvey, E., Robbins, P., Silver, E., Steadman, H., Monahan, J., Grisso, T., and Appelbaum, P., 2001. Rethinking Risk Assessment: The MacArthur Study of Mental Disorder and Violence. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

BACKGROUND:

    A commonly referenced study that proves mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and psychosis are not inherently connected to violence towards others.

HOW I USED IT:

Further evidence to support the theory that mentally ill people are not inherently violent.