Sunday, November 16, 2014

Annabelle (2014)



Directed by John R. Leonetti
Produced by Peter Safran, James Wan
Written by Gary Dauberman
Starring: Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Alfre Woodard
Music by Joseph Bishara
Cinematography: James Kniest
Edited by Tom Elkins
Production company: New Line Cinema, RatPac Entertainment, Atomic Monster, The Safran Company
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date: 1 October 2014 (Hong Kong)
Running time: 99 minutes
Country: United States
Budget: $6.500.000
Box office: $231.800.000


"Annabelle" is a horror film directed by John R. Leonetti, It's both a prequel to and spin-off of "The Conjuring". The film tells the story of the doll Annabelle more particularly. In 1969, John and Mia Form live in Santa Monica and are expecting their first child. John gives her a doll that she has been trying to find. Mia loves it and puts it with the rest of her doll collection, saying that she "fits right in". At night, Mia hears a murder occurring at their neighbours, the Higgins'. When Mia returns home and call the police as her husband told her to do, she is attacked by a woman holding the doll and a male accomplice. John and the police arrive and kill the man while the woman kills herself. She leaves a bloody symbol drawn on the wall and a drop of her blood falls on the face of the doll in her arms.


Cast
  • Annabelle Wallis as Mia Form
  • Ward Horton as John Form
  • Tony Amendola as Father Perez
  • Alfre Woodard as Evelyn
  • Kerry O'Malley as Sharon Higgins
  • Brian Howe as Pete Higgins
  • Eric Ladin as Detective Clarkin
  • Ivar Brogger as Dr. Burgher
  • Tree O'Toole as Annabelle Higgins
  • Keira Daniels as 7-Year-Old Annabelle Higgins
  • Vera Farmiga as Lorraine Warren (archive footage)
  • Patrick Wilson as Ed Warren (archive footage)
  • Morganna May as Debbie (archive footage and new dialogue)
  • Amy Tipton as Camilla (archive footage)
  • Michelle Romano as Mary
  • Christopher Shaw as Fuller


First of all, it's important to mention that the director of the film is John R. Leonetti, not James Wan. Probably because of that fact the movie turned out not the way I'd expected. Unfortunately. However, for the sake of justice I need to say there are really frightening moments that may make courage fall.

I'm completely disappointed with the cast... I even can't single anyone out. The acting leaves much to be desired, the characters are banal and typical. That's the way!


Advantages
  • The story of Annabelle

Disadvantages
  • Just an other horror film

"Strangenesses"
  • Always have a friend with a sin for which he or she needs to atone
  • A doll or a baby?

Clue Moments
  • Moving
  • Childbirth
  • The curse


In fact the film doesn't clue the origin of Annabelle Doll. Strangely enough, yes. So I decided to surf the Internet in search of information. I found out lots of information on that site. I chose something but I recommend to visit the site if you want to learn more.

Well, the character was created by writer (and marketing genius) Johnny Gruelle when his daughter brought him an old doll and he drew a face on it. Gruelle would go on to feature the character in a series of children’s books he wrote and, following the tragic death of his daughter, as the symbol for a virulent anti-vaccination campaign. On September 7, 1915, he received a U.S. Patent for his Raggedy Ann doll and with it a toy legend was born.

The woman, who’s name has evidently been lost somewhere in the annals of paranormal research, must have concluded that the antiquated, child-sized rag doll would be the perfect gift for her daughter who was just about to graduate from nursing school. Apparently she was correct in her assumption and, even though Donna was not known to be a collector of dolls, she happily brought the object into to the apartment that she shared with another nursing student, Angie. Once there the Raggedy Ann doll was tossed on the bed and promptly forgotten about… for the first few days anyway.

At initial the signs that something was amiss were subtle. From time to time, Donna would notice that the toy seemed to have changed position slightly, but simply attributed it to a jostling of the bed or something equally mundane. As the weeks passed, however, the doll’s erratic movements became more troubling and both Donna and Angie became genuinely alarmed when they returned home to find the rag doll standing upright and leaning against a chair in the dining room, as if it had frozen mid-step when it heard the door open.

It was then that Donna and Angie realised that there was something truly bizarre about the doll. Donna would later describe the unsettling situation to renowned paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren.


Soundtracks
  1. Joseph Bishara - Annabelle Opening
  2. Joseph Bishara - Black Stroller
  3. Joseph Bishara - Broken Needle
  4. Joseph Bishara - Cult Killings
  5. Joseph Bishara - Demon Doll Rises
  6. Joseph Bishara - Disciples of the Ram
  7. Joseph Bishara - Doll Disposal
  8. Joseph Bishara - Doll Is Back
  9. Joseph Bishara - Found at Prayer
  10. Joseph Bishara - It's the One
  11. Joseph Bishara - Not My Blood
  12. Joseph Bishara - Promise Me
  13. Joseph Bishara - Return Home
  14. Joseph Bishara - Shaken Foundations
  15. Joseph Bishara - The Devil Preys
  16. Joseph Bishara - They Summon


Quotations:
* * *
Annabelle Higgins: I like your dolls.
* * *
Father Perez: May God have mercy on your soul!
* * *
Mia: There are things happening that can't explain.
* * *
You may see the trailer here.


Plot: 3/10
Entertainment: 4/10
Acting: 4/10
Originality: 5/10
Music and Sound: 4/10

4/10

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