The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

Author: Film Trace June 13, 2021 Duration: 54:00

James Wan just wanted to make a fun haunted house movie when he accidentally launched a 2 billion dollar cinematic universe with The Conjuring in the summer of 2013. Wan is a modern horror master. Saw, Insidious, and the entire Conjuring Cinematic Universe are all his spawn. His creative spark has begotten us 8 CCU films in less than 8 years. Here we have the 3rd mainline Conjuring film starring the pillars of the CCU, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the real-life paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren. What has the CCU accomplished and where does it go from here? How has its factory model of filmmaking suppressed or supported creativity within the horror genre?

Join us as we trace the life of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It from conception (a very real murder blamed on the devil) to production (Wan passing baton to Chaves) to release (covid pushed to day and date release) to reception (give the people what they want)


Ever find yourself falling down an internet rabbit hole after the credits roll, clicking from a film’s trivia page to the director’s biography and then to some obscure piece of production history? That’s the exact feeling Film Trace aims to capture and expand upon in audio form. This isn't just another review show. Instead, each episode is a deep, meticulously researched excavation of a single movie’s entire journey. We start with the initial spark of an idea-the script found in a drawer, the chance meeting that got it greenlit-and follow every twist and turn through casting, chaotic production, and post-production. The story continues to the film’s release, its critical and cultural reception, and what legacy it holds now. Think of it as a comprehensive, narrative-driven biography of a film, built on primary sources and genuine curiosity. The hosts at Film Trace use their collective nerd superpowers to do all that obsessive digging for you, weaving together context, history, and behind-the-scenes details into a compelling story about how art gets made. You’ll come away from each installment of this podcast not just with an opinion on a movie, but with a real understanding of its place in the wider world of TV and film. It’s for anyone who believes the story off-screen is just as fascinating as the one projected on it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 131

Film Trace
Podcast Episodes
Hairspray (1988)	and Xanadu (1980) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:15
We continue our Camp Cinema season in our fifth episode covering Hairspray (1988) and Xanadu (1980)Special Guest: Gavin Mevius and Louie Rendon from the great Mixed Reviews podcastJohn Waters is the prince of camp. We si…
Sugar and Spice (2001) and Vanilla Sky (2002) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:49
We continue our Camp Cinema season in our third episode covering Sugar and Spice (2001) and Vanilla Sky (2002)Special Guest: Good friend and frequent guest, MollyThe early Aughts was a bizarre time in American culture. T…
The Love Witch (2016) and Black Swan (2010) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:43
We continue our Camp Cinema season in our second episode covering The Love Witch (2016) and Black Swan (2010)Special Guest: Filmmakers Emily Gallagher and Austin Elston of Fishtown FIlmsAs the dust begins to settle on th…
Madame Web (2024) and Pearl (2022) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:26
Welcome to the first episode of Season 13 of Film Trace. In this season, we will explore the notion of Camp in Film. Building off of Susan Sontag's foundational 1964 essay, Notes on Camp, we will explore two films each e…
A Discourse on The Oscars 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:55
We felt like doing an Oscars show, so we did:Topics of discussion1. Intro: 2023's Film Trace movies. They stood the test of time, but were they awarded upon release?2. Nominated film most obviously conceived specifically…
Dr. Strangelove (1964) and Alphaville (1965) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:55
In the seventh episode of our Future Wars cycle, we discuss the classic Dr Strangelove (1964) alongside a bizarre artifact from the French New Wave, Alphaville (1965)Special Guest: Good friend of the show and onscreen pe…
The Omega Man (1971) and Zardoz (1974) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:01
In the sixth episode of our Future Wars cycle, we discuss the last man on earth romp The Omega Man (1971) as well as the bonkers fever dream that is Zardoz (1974).Special Guest: Sean Patrick from the great Everyone’s a C…
The Terminator (1984) and Aliens (1986) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:56
In the fifth episode of our Future Wars cycle, we tackle two giant films from the action sci fi maestro James Cameron: The Terminator (1984) and Aliens (1986).Special Guest: David Riedel, film critic and co-host of the g…