You're right. I need to write better.
You write gooder than me!
I watched The Amityville Horror back in my gullible youth and ate all the BS up. As a more or less rational adult that knew their shtick, I watched one of their Conjuring films with my jaw hanging open and head shaking not believing anyone could be so blatantly ridiculous.
To this day, I hear people claiming, "But it's was based on true events!" as if that means anything.
Thank you, Wolrab, you give me inspiration to write. Writing, for me, can be a struggle. Not too long ago, I asked two investigative journalists, authors, if they'd mentor me. They told me no. I was going to join a local writing group; but it had been disbanded. I can't afford to hire a writer. But I keep researching, and writing, and even though my progress is slow, I can say
I'm getting somewhere.
I was 14 years-old when
The Amityville Horror book was first published, 16 when the first movie came out. I believed a lot of it. But after time, after scrutinizing the details and hearing what other (skeptics) had to say, I no longer believe paranormal, supernatural, or occult claims as scientific fact.
People have been harmed as a result of
anecdotal, paranormal stories.
I find it despicable when people, some who may be held in high regard, like actress Vera Farmiga who plays Lorraine Warren in
The Conjuring Universe movies,
tweets things like, "My dear friend Lorraine Warren has passed. From a deep feeling of sorrow, a deep feeling of gratitude emerges. I was so blessed to have known her and am honored to portray her. She lived her life in grace and cheerfulness. She wore a helmet of salvation, she dawned her sword..."
and, "...compassion, and took a shield of faith. Righteousness was her breastplate, and she has touched my life so. Love you Lorraine. You're waltzing with Ed now."
Actor Patrick Wilson, who plays Ed Warren in
The Conjuring Universe movies
tweeted, "The heavens will surely burn a little brighter tonight. We lost a friend and and inspiration. I will miss the stories, the laughter, and the guidance. Rest In Peace, Sweet Lorraine. Tell Ed I said hello."
Lorraine Warren claimed to be a self-professed demonologist, clairvoyant, light-trance (psychic) medium. Science does not support those claims.
The Warrens were involved with people who have been harmed by fake paranormal stories. Here's one example.
Note: the Maurice Theriault case
is not one of
The Conjuring Universe's movies. I am showing this as an example of one of the Warren's cases that Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson could have researched, before they decided to accept roles to play Lorraine and Ed Warren.
Maurice Theriault: Convicted child rapist, committed suicide
Theriault was a poor, tomato farmer, who's father pulled him from school either from third, or fifth grade, depending on who's right. Maurice was described as a devout Catholic.
Maurice was said to have paranormal powers, such as superhuman strength as seen by lifting a heavy statue of the Virgin Mary, and, lifting a tractor. The reality was he dead-lifted (pulled straight up on) the statue, something any strong person can do. And the tractor? He drove the tractor to a high spot on the ground where it bottomed out. He lifted one end of the tractor as it balanced on the high spot. No paranormal powers. Those events could appear as paranormal to the unknowing, unsuspecting.
Theriault was supposed to speak in tongues. But his sister, Danna Daviau, said Maurice spoke a version of French, and pig Latin, that made some people think he was speaking Latin backwards.
1
Some facts about Maurice Theriault:
- 1976 Four charges of incest, child rape conviction. 5 years probation
- 1981 Maurice’s dad, Maxime, shot killed his (Maurice's) mother, Emelda, before committing suicide
- 1985 Exorcism video made
- 1985 Rape charge. Charge later dropped by accuser who said it was the devil, Maurice's doppelgänger, who raped her.
- 1991 November, Maurice's wife took out restraining order against Maurice
- 1992 October, Maurice's wife took out restraining order against Maurice
- 1992 Maurice called & left message on Ed & Lorraine Warren’s phone. Same day, Maurice shot his wife in the arm with a 12-gauge shotgun, then committed suicide
Maurice Theriault was said to have bled through his eyes and nose. This may, or may not, have been a sign of a problematic medical condition. A condition that was never diagnosed, or treated. His sister said she saw Maurice put blood under his eyelid,
2 which is not, in that situation, a medical condition. She also said Maurice was obsessed with the occult.
3
Ed and Lorraine Warren got (their friend) Bishop Robert McKenna to perform an exorcism.
Perhaps poverty prevented Maurice from being able to get medical attention.
In the book,
Satan's Harvest, which is about Maurice's life, page 20 says Maurice was 10 years old, lived in poverty, Fort Kent, Maine. The book says Maurice smelled like cow dung, was made fun of by other kids, had more chores than most other school boys so didn’t have time to have fun.
Page 38 of
Satan's Harvest says Maurice was 15 years old, going in the fifth grade, when his dad pulled him out of school to help at the farm.
There was said to be evidence Maurice Theriault had raped his own step-daughter.
Satan's Harvest was published about two years
before Maurice Theriault committed suicide.
This post is getting long, so I'll make future posts to illustrate more examples of the harm associated to purported paranormal cases Lorraine Warren had direct involvement.
True facts and proper contexts of "based on a true story" productions are rarely revealed by movie producers, distributors, and book publishers.
Sources:
1,2,3. Lasalandra, Michael and Mark Merenda.
Satan's Harvest. Dell Publishing. 1990.
Associated Press.
By demons possessed? 8 Nov 1992. Retrieved from URL <http://>stuff.mit.edu/afs/net.mit.edu/dev/user/tytso/usenet/americast/twt/news/620
