By Geno McGahee
The horror genre got a good shot in the arm when THE CONJURING was released and it has led to various other films, including a sequel and ANNABELLE, a film that turned 257 million at the box office. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and New Line Cinema followed up with ANNABELLE: CREATION, which delves deeper into the story of the haunted doll and continues this path into the world of THE CONJURING that has become so immensely popular.
A doll maker, Samuel Mullins (Anthony Lapaglia) and his wife, Esther (Miranda Otto), have the idea life as they live happily and comfortably with their young daughter. That would all change when Samuel is forced to change a tire and a car accidentally hits and kills his daughter. Years pass and the Mullins home now becomes the residence of some young orphans, tended to by Sister Charlotte (Stephanie Sigman). The tone of the film is immediately creepy and feels very much as the others in the series do. It’s easy to see that these films are all connected by the atmosphere and overall approach to production.
Janice (Talitha Bateman) had a bout of polio and is now on crutches, making her the outcast in the group of orphans. She does have one good friend, Linda (Lulu Wilson), that sticks by her and wants to remain together if they should find willing parents to adopt them, but she still wants to have fun with the others. This makes Janice quite the loner and she now starts getting lured by some unknown force to a locked room that Mullins had insisted everyone stay out of. When she gets in, she discovers Annabelle and also realizes that there is something rather wrong with the doll and the room.
Curiosity continues to get the best of Janice and she comes face to face with the demonic force that resides in the house. The cinematography was very effective in the scene where the demon initially reveals itself and Janice’s condition make it that much more intense, considering that she had no escape. She could not run away. It was pretty impactful.
The demon attacks young Janice and puts her into a wheelchair , prompting Mullins to start to think that there is more going on there than meets the eye, but his wife, who is now bedridden, refuses to entertain it. The pleas of Janice to Sister Charlotte have to be disregarded because the group has nowhere else to go. They must stay in that house or they are out on the streets and dealing with a demon is better than dealing with being homeless.
Mullins remains somewhat quiet until he discovers that Janice has found the doll, prompting him to erupt in anger and panic. As he storms around, he comes face to face with the demon and (spoiler) it doesn’t end well for the king of the castle. His death was a very cool scene where we get a pretty good glimpse at the Baphomet-like monster that is haunting his house all while Annabelle sits there and watches on.
Linda begins a crusade to rid the world of the doll and Sister Charlotte begins to believe the story. It becomes a huge battle between good and evil and the pace of the film increases steadily until the finale. One of the coolest scenes of the film was when the demon took over the body of a scarecrow. ANNABELLE: CREATION tells this story with great visuals and atmosphere. Great acting across the board and a cool haunted house story makes this a good flick to watch on a rainy night.
BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS
“Annabelle: Creation” Blu-ray Combo Pack contain the following special features:
• The Horror Continues
• Horror Shorts: Attic Panic and Coffer
• Director’s Commentary
• Directing Annabelle
• Deleted Scenes Featurette
“Annabelle: Creation” Standard Definition DVD contains the following special features:
• Deleted Scenes Featurette
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On October 20, “Annabelle: Creation” will be available to own for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, FandangoNow, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. On October 24, “Annabelle: Creation” will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
ABOUT DIGITAL
*Digital movies or TV episodes allow fans to watch a digital version of their movie or TV show anywhere, on their favorite devices. Digital movies or TV episodes are included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs. With digital, consumers are able to instantly stream and download movies and TV shows to TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones through retail services like CinemaNow, Flixster Video, Vudu and more. For more information on compatible devices and services go to wb.com/digitalmoviefaq. Consult a digital retailer for details and requirements and for a list of digital-compatible devices.
BASICS
PRODUCT SRP
Blu-ray Combo Pack $35.99
DVD Amaray (WS) $28.98
Standard Street Date: October 24
EST Street Date: October 20
DVD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French
BD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese
DVD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French
BD Subtitles: English, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Brazilian Portuguese
Running Time: 109 minutes
Rating: Rated R for horror violence and terror
DLBY/SURR DLBY/DGTL [CC]
THE CREDITS
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.
