Annabelle (2014)

The conjuring was much better, and if you think by watching Annabelle, it will give you a greater appreciation of The Conjuring, it won't. The movie, though billing Annabelle, the story of a doll possessed with evil spirits is true, the entire rest of the movie is all fiction.

Annabelle starts out with the first few minutes being the same first few minutes of The Conjuring. That was a nice touch for continuity.

One of the things I did enjoy about the movie was over the course of the film, Annabelle's skin actually gets darker and bluer. It added a sense of creepiness, but overall, I felt the movie was a boring snoozefest. It started out well enough too. The first 20 or so minutes is actually the best part.

One of the biggest issues I had with the film was set design. This movie is supposed to be taking place in the 1960s. Yet, the paint colors on the walls of their home, though beautiful, were not at all colors that would have been available back in the 60s. Also, the lead actress, her clothes were not very original to the 60s. She actually looked very modern. Even her hair was a modern cut, with just a hint of 60s bounce.

This is where The Conjuring movie far exceeded in it's believability. From the clothing, to the hairstyles, to the muted colors of browns and oranges, The Conjuring feels more like the decade it was supposed to represent than Annabelle.

I can't say I would recommend this movie for watching, especially if your time is valuable and you want to spend it watching something you care to remember, rather than easily forget.

Below is the picture of the real Annabelle, which is a Raggedy Anne doll. Sometimes I wonder if it would have been scarier for the movie had they just used a replica doll. There is something more eerie about the sweet appearance of Anne. The doll they used in the movie looks creepy as shit, but imagine how surprised you would have been if this sweet pristine looking Raggedy doll (I had one myself growing up), I think that would have added more to this movie, than the doll they decided to use.