The Travel Channel’s Shock Docs series starts on a high note with Devil’s Road: The True Story of Ed and Lorraine, the very real story of the Warrens who brought the process of paranormal investigations and supernatural occurrences to be known throughout the world over.
Devil’s Road begins by telling of how the Warren’s legacy became known worldwide with the release of The Conjuring film in 2013. Several interviews with their daughter and son-in-law, Judy and Tony Spera, along with other paranormal investigators added to the dynamic of how the documentary was not only a tale of a loving family, but one that wanted to help others in a way no one else could.
Each portion explained what the families living in haunted places faced, and how the Warrens saved them from the evil forces that threatened their lives.
What I most enjoyed was the use of authentic audio recordings and news clips, and how there was emphasis on how they were faced with skepticism and ridicule. However, the paranormal pioneers proved the incidents that occurred were not natural.
It was explained that Ed lived in a house that was haunted when he was a young boy and Lorraine discovered as a child that she was a clairvoyant. The couple met when they were both 16 and fell in love, however they did not know in the beginning that their story would be one intertwined with great evil and helping other families overcome it.
The Warrens investigated numerous cases in Connecticut and all over the northeastern United States. Through their conversations with families that dealt with demons and evil spirits they found the entities fed on anger and pain and would grow stronger with the more they consumed.
An interesting fact I did not know what Ed Warren was a painter and sold his art to make money to support his family. What interested his buyers most was the paintings of haunted houses, he would sell them to the homeowners and find out their stories.
Situations covered include the houses from The Conjuring, The Amityville Horror and The Haunting in Connecticut.
It was the book and film for The Amityville Horror that made the Warrens famous all over the world, with their experience in dealing with paranormal occurrences they were called to help people in other countries like England where the Enfield Poltergeist event happened.
One of the most noticeable events was the “Devil Made Me Do It” Case of Arne Johnson, which was the first known legal case where the defense sought to prove innocence based upon the defendant’s claim of demonic possession and denial of personal responsibility for the crime. The judge ruled that such a defense could never be proven and was therefore not feasible in a court of law.
The flow of the documentary definitely helped keep viewers aware of the timeline of the events. With the help of catholic priests, the Warrens were able to help rid the families’ homes of evil entities.
The only thing I disliked is that this is just a single episode. I supposed it’s always good to finish watching and wanting more.
Mark’s overall score: Five possessed dolls out of five.
Check back soon for more on the Warrens and The Conjuring films.
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