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Conjure
Razor Digital // Unrated // March 28, 2006
List Price: $14.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
Reviewing DVDs is something which I truly enjoy, although it can be somewhat challenging at times. These obstacles are typically quite minor, but this time, I've run into something which seems insurmountable. In order to write, I rely on my vocabulary, which has never let me down in the past, but in this situation, I'm stumped. You see, "vanity project" won't do the trick; nor will "self-indulgent". Conjure has transcended the boundaries of both of those terms and entered a egomaniacal state that nearly defies description.
Conjure is the creation of illustrator Matt Busch. Although I've never heard of Matt Busch (I left the world of comic books behind 10 years ago and have never looked back), I know he's an illustrator because Conjure opens with a 9-minute biography for Busch, and to a lesser extent, his girlfriend Sarah Wilkinson. I honestly thought that this was just some showy gimmick and fast-forwarded through it...until I realized that it was part of the movie. As Conjure the movie opens, Matt Busch, played here with aplomb by Matt Busch (wearing a Matt Busch hat), visits a cemetery and finds a picture of a house. He takes the picture home to show his girlfriend Sarah Wilkinson (I'm not sure how she got the part, but Sarah Wilkinson is cast in this role). Matt decides to paint a picture of the house (which he keeps calling a castle...apparently our definitions of that word differ). As Matt works on the painting, he begins to experience weird visions and Sarah starts to see objects moving by themselves throughout the house.
Suddenly, the two find themselves outside of the "castle". They go inside and explore it, finding it empty and questionably decorated. While wandering through the house, the pair hear odd noises and see a small spider, then they are whisked back home. Once there, it appears that Matt's painting has unleashed some evil forces and a group of ghosts begin to attack the couple.
Conjure is the kind of movie that I wouldn't want anyone else to have to watch, but I feel that others should see it, simply to join in my astonishment. Simply put, Conjure is one of the strangest things that I've ever seen. I can't believe that this is being distributed on DVD. This has the feel of something that someone would make on a boring weekend solely for their friends.
Given Busch's background in entertainment, encompassing comic books, painting, music, and amateur filmmaking, I can certainly understand his desire to make a movie. But, nothing in Conjure works. The movie was shot on video. Anyone who has ever held a video camera, even for a moment, knows that you shouldn't point it at a sunlit window, as this causes the image to distort and "blow out". And yet, there are many shots like this in Conjure, resulting in a very ugly image. I'm sure that neither Busch nor Wilkinson would claim to be actors...and they shouldn't; they aren't believable even when they are playing themselves. I actually felt sorry for Wilkinson, as she's asked to react to all of the ghostly-goings-on, but her expression never changes. (Wilkinson is also credited as "Costume Designer". I can only assume that this amounted to "Honey, wear this shirt.") The story, what little there is, is indecipherable at times. However, the bulk of the latter half is stolen from Evil Dead. Given the home-grown nature of the project, the visual effects are surprisingly good, as the ghosts, who are rendered through compositing and layering shots, have a nice, ethereal quality.
Again, I can't knock Busch for making Conjure. As an example of what he could do with limited resources, it would make a nice calling card to Hollywood. However that doesn't mean that it something that others should be expected to experience, understand, or enjoy.
Video
Conjure brings itself to DVD courtesy of Razor Digital Entertainment. The movie has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. Again, the movie was shot on video (3/4 inch?) and the image varies in quality. At times, it looks quite good, especially the outside, daytime shots. However, again, anytime that the camera is aimed towards a bright light-source, the image "blows out" almost entirely. The night-time scenes show some video noise. The good news is that the image is fee from grain and there are no defects from the source material. The transfer has no overt technical flaws, but it can't help the fact that Conjure looks like a home video.
Audio
The DVD contains a Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track. This track provides clear dialogue, although there is some audible hissing at times. The music, by Matt Busch, sounds fine. The sound effects provide some notable stereo separation and there is a nice amount of bass as well.
Extras
The Conjure DVD contains an array of extras. For those of you searching for the definition of irony, check out "The Making of Conjure" (13 minutes), where the interview with the sound mastering expert is inaudible. The featurette shows just how homemade Conjure was, as Busch begin to shoot it while visiting a friend, having no real concept for a finished movie. The piece looks at the special effects used in the film, and we learn that the movie was originally 3 hours long. The "Conjure Premiere" (18 minutes) gives us footage of a Q&A session from the premiere featuring Busch and Wilkinson. The "Alternate Ending" (2 minutes) would have been a downer and with the six "Deleted Scenes" (8 minutes total), we learn that Busch cut the scene which basically explained the whole movie. The extras continue with a 10-page "Interactive Sketchbook", "Bloopers and Outtakes" (4 minutes), a "Photo Gallery", an "Art Gallery", and 3 different "Trailers" for Conjure.
If you are familiar with the work of Matt Busch and want to witness his "ultimate creative endeavor" (his words), then you may find Conjure interesting. For everyone else, simply ask your friends if they have a video where they chase their girlfriend around the house, and if you can borrow it. This will save you the trouble of having to track down a copy of Conjure.
Reviewing DVDs is something which I truly enjoy, although it can be somewhat challenging at times. These obstacles are typically quite minor, but this time, I've run into something which seems insurmountable. In order to write, I rely on my vocabulary, which has never let me down in the past, but in this situation, I'm stumped. You see, "vanity project" won't do the trick; nor will "self-indulgent". Conjure has transcended the boundaries of both of those terms and entered a egomaniacal state that nearly defies description.
Conjure is the creation of illustrator Matt Busch. Although I've never heard of Matt Busch (I left the world of comic books behind 10 years ago and have never looked back), I know he's an illustrator because Conjure opens with a 9-minute biography for Busch, and to a lesser extent, his girlfriend Sarah Wilkinson. I honestly thought that this was just some showy gimmick and fast-forwarded through it...until I realized that it was part of the movie. As Conjure the movie opens, Matt Busch, played here with aplomb by Matt Busch (wearing a Matt Busch hat), visits a cemetery and finds a picture of a house. He takes the picture home to show his girlfriend Sarah Wilkinson (I'm not sure how she got the part, but Sarah Wilkinson is cast in this role). Matt decides to paint a picture of the house (which he keeps calling a castle...apparently our definitions of that word differ). As Matt works on the painting, he begins to experience weird visions and Sarah starts to see objects moving by themselves throughout the house.
Suddenly, the two find themselves outside of the "castle". They go inside and explore it, finding it empty and questionably decorated. While wandering through the house, the pair hear odd noises and see a small spider, then they are whisked back home. Once there, it appears that Matt's painting has unleashed some evil forces and a group of ghosts begin to attack the couple.
Conjure is the kind of movie that I wouldn't want anyone else to have to watch, but I feel that others should see it, simply to join in my astonishment. Simply put, Conjure is one of the strangest things that I've ever seen. I can't believe that this is being distributed on DVD. This has the feel of something that someone would make on a boring weekend solely for their friends.
Given Busch's background in entertainment, encompassing comic books, painting, music, and amateur filmmaking, I can certainly understand his desire to make a movie. But, nothing in Conjure works. The movie was shot on video. Anyone who has ever held a video camera, even for a moment, knows that you shouldn't point it at a sunlit window, as this causes the image to distort and "blow out". And yet, there are many shots like this in Conjure, resulting in a very ugly image. I'm sure that neither Busch nor Wilkinson would claim to be actors...and they shouldn't; they aren't believable even when they are playing themselves. I actually felt sorry for Wilkinson, as she's asked to react to all of the ghostly-goings-on, but her expression never changes. (Wilkinson is also credited as "Costume Designer". I can only assume that this amounted to "Honey, wear this shirt.") The story, what little there is, is indecipherable at times. However, the bulk of the latter half is stolen from Evil Dead. Given the home-grown nature of the project, the visual effects are surprisingly good, as the ghosts, who are rendered through compositing and layering shots, have a nice, ethereal quality.
Again, I can't knock Busch for making Conjure. As an example of what he could do with limited resources, it would make a nice calling card to Hollywood. However that doesn't mean that it something that others should be expected to experience, understand, or enjoy.
Video
Conjure brings itself to DVD courtesy of Razor Digital Entertainment. The movie has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. Again, the movie was shot on video (3/4 inch?) and the image varies in quality. At times, it looks quite good, especially the outside, daytime shots. However, again, anytime that the camera is aimed towards a bright light-source, the image "blows out" almost entirely. The night-time scenes show some video noise. The good news is that the image is fee from grain and there are no defects from the source material. The transfer has no overt technical flaws, but it can't help the fact that Conjure looks like a home video.
Audio
The DVD contains a Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track. This track provides clear dialogue, although there is some audible hissing at times. The music, by Matt Busch, sounds fine. The sound effects provide some notable stereo separation and there is a nice amount of bass as well.
Extras
The Conjure DVD contains an array of extras. For those of you searching for the definition of irony, check out "The Making of Conjure" (13 minutes), where the interview with the sound mastering expert is inaudible. The featurette shows just how homemade Conjure was, as Busch begin to shoot it while visiting a friend, having no real concept for a finished movie. The piece looks at the special effects used in the film, and we learn that the movie was originally 3 hours long. The "Conjure Premiere" (18 minutes) gives us footage of a Q&A session from the premiere featuring Busch and Wilkinson. The "Alternate Ending" (2 minutes) would have been a downer and with the six "Deleted Scenes" (8 minutes total), we learn that Busch cut the scene which basically explained the whole movie. The extras continue with a 10-page "Interactive Sketchbook", "Bloopers and Outtakes" (4 minutes), a "Photo Gallery", an "Art Gallery", and 3 different "Trailers" for Conjure.
If you are familiar with the work of Matt Busch and want to witness his "ultimate creative endeavor" (his words), then you may find Conjure interesting. For everyone else, simply ask your friends if they have a video where they chase their girlfriend around the house, and if you can borrow it. This will save you the trouble of having to track down a copy of Conjure.
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