Conjuring 4K (2013/Warner 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray)/Daddy (2023/MVD/Anchor Bay Blu-ray)/It Follows (2014/Lionsgate Blu-ray)

4K Ultra HD Picture: A- Picture: X/B+/B+ Sound: B+ Extras: C+ Films: B/C/B

Up next are more horror releases, including two upgrades...

Just as a The Conjuring: The Last Rites is about to hit theater screens as the Fall 2025 movie season sets in, James Wan's The Conjuring 4K (2013) at long last gets a 4K UHD release from Warner Bros. spawning several sequels and the highly successful spin-offs The Nun and Annabelle. The Conjuring franchise went from a modestly budgeted Hollywood horror movie to overnight hit to a multi-billion dollar multi-film franchise for Warner in the span of twelve years.

You can read my review of The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It here:

https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15952/Cannibal+Man+(1972/Severin*)/Chariots+Of+The+God

Watching The Conjuring again in 2025, it is pretty clear why it works for audiences in the same way that Poltergeist did. The supernatural terror is very contained and doesn't go out of its way to be gory whilst allowing sound design to most of the heavy lifting.

The Warrens being real people helps add to the overall realism and weight of The Conjuring where other films of the like feature characters that are completely fictional. James Wan does a great job of using minimal cuts during some of the film's moments letting long shots breathe and organically flow in the dark spaces of the haunted house where most of the film takes place. It has some subtle references to other films that influenced it (The Changeling, Poltergeist, The Exorcist) and does a good job of portraying its characters as real people who actually existed that are deathly terrified.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga masterfully star as the Warrens, characters based on the real life demonologists who represent a couple with a tight emotional bond that makes you trust and feel for them as they help a tormented family navigate a haunting. It can be said that the sequels carry the same tone as the original and are different enough from James Wan's other supernatural franchise, Insidious, that the two don't get confused.

The film also stars Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Hayley McFarland, and Joey King to name a few. The tale centers on The Warrens, a husband a wife duo who are experienced in demonology and the occult. Among their many successful cases, which include that of the haunted Annabelle doll, one that stuck with them the most was one that consisted of a pair of ghosts that preyed on an innocent family that moved into their farmhouse in the 1970s.

The Conjuring 4K is presented in 2160p on 4K UHD disc with HDR10, an HEVC / H.265 codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and an audio track in a lossless English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) mix, which is the original mix from the previous Blu-ray release. It is interesting that James Wan and Warner Bros. decided not to remix the film for this release. That being said, the presentation visually and audibly is of a high standard on 4K UHD and captures a detailed balance in its dark shots, showing more detail than before without noticeable compression or grain as seen in previous 1080p versions.

Special Features:

New Featurette - Scariest of Them All

New Featurette - Reflections on the Conjuring

The Conjuring: Face-to-Face with Terror featurette

A Life in Demonology featurette

and Scaring the "@$*%" Out of You featurette

A few new extras and a much improved sound and picture make this edition of The Conjuring appealing to fans of the series.

Daddy (2023) is a dark comedic / sci-fi trip that dives into the subject of masculinity face first.

Directed by Neal Kelley and Jono Sherman, the film imagines a dystopian future where men must prove that they are worthy of being fathers or else be forced to get a vasectomy. They show up to a government retreat in the mountains of California and cohabitate to undergo the challenge. Expecting children to show up that they have to adopt and prove themselves with instead they realize that they must prove their worth as a father by fathering each other. As the men start to realize the grander scheme of what is happening they must rise to the challenge of fatherhood or never get the opportunity.

Daddy is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and an English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) lossless mix. The film is very nicely shot in the digital format and utilities a lower budget well with unique locations and production design.

Special Features include:

Feature Length Audio Commentary with the Filmmakers

Bonus Web Series C.U.P.S. - Episodes 1 and 5

Extended / Alternative Dance Scene

and a Daddy Improvisation Reel.

Once the realization of the twist of Daddy sets in, it starts to lose a little appeal but overall, it's an interesting deep dive into the male mind and fatherhood.

Finally, It Follows (2014) gets a re-release on Blu-ray from Lionsgate Films that features a new slip-cover exclusive to Walmart retailers.

Starring Maika Monroe (Longlegs) and directed by David Robert Mitchell, the film follows a supernatural force that cannot be seen that attacks teenagers who are sexually active. As a nineteen year old (Monroe) is plagued by visions and the feeling that she is always being watched, she struggles to keep one step ahead of the entity.

The film also stars Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto and Jake Weary.

It Follows is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1 and an English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) lossless mix. The film's cinematography is one of its strongest points and it looks and sounds fine for the 1080p format here, but much better on 2160p versions that are also available.

Special Features:

Critics' Commentary hosted by The Nerdist's Scott Weinberg, featuring Eric D. Snider (MovieBS), Britt Hayes (Screencrush), Samuel D. Zimmerman (Shock Till You Drop), Alison Nastasi (Flavorwire) and Eric Vespe (AICN).

A Conversation with Film Composer Disasterpeace.

and a Poster Art Gallery.

It Follows is an interesting horror film with a very unique visual style that has the same tone as many A24 films. It was a highly successful independent film upon it's initial release and opened the doors for this kind of edgy independent genre filmmaking that has become pretty normal in Hollywood today.

- James Lockhart

https://letterboxd.com/jhl5films/