The Conjuring's Annabelle Stars In Her Own Film ~ Trailer

So far the only information we have on the plot of this sequel to last year's summer hit, "The Conjuring" is what is on the trailer below.  "The Conjuring" featured paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. In the film, the Warren's explain that they have been investigating the occult for some time and have come across objects that tend to be possessed by an evil entity.  In order to remove these objects from circulation from humanity, they keep them in their private museum. One of these items is a doll named Annabelle. The large doll sits behind a cabinet with a sign that reads Do not touch!  The doll is creepy and sinister looking.   I don't know how any kid would want the thing.    

James Wan of "Saw" & "Insidious" fame will produce "Annabelle" while John R. Leonetti ("Mortal Kombat: Annihilation," "The Butterfly Effect 2") directs this one. 

The story is by "Swamp Devil" script writer Gary Dauberman.

The trailer below starts with the 60's group The Association's hit "Cherish" playing in the background. A women is in a nursery when her husband presents her with a long box.  Inside the box is the doll which she adds to her collection on a shelf.  The next scene shows the husband and wife asleep in bed at night.  A breeze blows open a curtain and we can see a light go on at their next door neighbor's house.  A man enters and kills the neighbor with an axe.  She wakes her husband and he leaves the room to go investigate. The woman gets up and puts on a robe. As she is about to follow her husband, another woman enters holding the doll, "I like your doll" the woman says. From behind the woman the crazed Axe murderer enters.  Chaotic shows a fight.  The crazy woman holding the doll lies dead against a bloody wall. Written in blood above the dead woman, written in blood is the Anarchist A.

We don't know if the doll is possessed at this time, or if this is where the doll attains the demonic presence. I think this is a pretty shocking trailer, but I am not sure what they are hinting at.  Annabelle is produced by Evergreen Media Group, which owns the rights to Ed and Lorraine Warren's case file. Warner Bros. is distributing the film. 

Look for "Annabelle" to hit theaters in time for Halloween.  The theatrical release date is set for 10/3/2014

Related

The Conjuring ~ Summoning Up the Supernatural
The Conjuring ~ Right Behind You Trailer
The Conjuring ~ Arranging the Pieces

Movie Data

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Year:  2014

Staring:  Annabelle Wallis, Alfre Woodard, Ward Horton, Tony Amendola, Eric Ladin, Brian Howe 

Director: John Leonetti

Producer(s): Peter Safran, Joan Mao, James Wan

Writer: Gary Dauberman

Rating: Not Rated Yet

Running Time: 

Release Date: 

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The Purge: Anarchy ~ Some Just Try To Survive - It's A Trap

As it is today, in 2023 the middle class are a shrinking class and find themselves continually disenfranchised.  In the world of the New Founding Fathers the lower middle class are dissapearing.  Eva and her daughter Cali are struggling to maintain hope as Eva's father quietly succumbs to cancer.  On the night of the annual world, her fragile world will fall apart.


A small group of survivors fight their way through the Los Angeles embattled streets.  Carmen Ejogo ("Sparkle"), and Zoe Soul ("Prisoner") are a mother and daughter whose home was invaded and they find themselves out on the streets with no where to run.

Frank Grillo ("Captain America: The Winter Soldier") plays Leo Barnes, finds himself the de facto leader of this group. Zach Gilford ("The Last Stand"), Kiele Sanchez ("A Perfect Getaway") are Shane and Liz a couple being hunted for sport. 

In the clip below shows Eva, Cali, Liz, Leo and Shane find themselves witnessing a brutal kidnapping.  While trying to get to safety, Shane finds himself in a trap and Leo must fight their way out of it.

Blumhouse Productions and Universal studios open, "The Purge: Anarchy"  on July 18, 2014. "Safe Night"

Related

The Purge: Anarchy ~ A Review Of A Revolution In the Making
The Purge: Anarchy ~ They're Coming Some Purge For Revenge
The Purge: Anarchy ~ Some Purge For Kicks

The Purge - Has Come And Went ~ Are We Any Better For It?
The Purge - Survive The Night
The Purge - New Trailer Official Trailer
The Purge - Coming in June 7th
The Purge - One Night

Movie Data

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year:  2014

Staring: Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Zach Gilford, Carmen Ejogo Zoe Soul 

Director: James DeMonaco

Producer(s): Michael Bay,Jason Blum,Andrew Form,Bradley Fuller,Sebastien Lemercier

Writer: James DeMonaco

Rating: R

Running Time: 103 minutes

Release Date: 7/18/2014

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The Purge: Anarchy ~ Some Purge For Kicks

The United States elected into office New Founding Fathers of America, have been in power for 9 years, and have turned the United States into a strictly enforced martial law state. This year's Purge is an opportunity for those who the government has taken away their illegal ways of making money.  They roam the street, raping, pillaging and looting.  They dress as if is was dia de los muertos or if they were attending a bloody Mardi Gras.  Their death masks are created to cause fear in their prey.

A small group of survivors fight their way through the Los Angeles embattled streets.  Frank Grillo ("Captain America: The Winter Soldier") plays Leo Barnes, the reluctant leader of this group. Zach Gilford ("The Last Stand"), Kiele Sanchez ("A Perfect Getaway") are Shane and Liz, and  Carmen Ejogo ("Sparkle"), and Zoe Soul ("Prisoner") are a mother and daughter whose home was invaded and they find themselves out on the streets with no where to run.

In the clip below shows that the Purge is an American institution and people are preparing for it.  Some are checking the news and making their way to safety where they will lock down their homes to wait out the night.  While others are preparing to take revenge on those they felt wronged them.  Two women are dragged out of their home by military thugs.  One man stands up to them.  The group is chased throughout the streets of L.A. until we come to rich old lady holding a auction. Death stalks the night.

Distributed by Universal Studios and produced by Blumhouse Productions, "The Purge: Anarchy" opens in theaters on July 18, 2014

Related

The Purge: Anarchy ~ A Review Of A Revolution In the Making
The Purge: Anarchy ~ They're Coming Some Purge For Revenge

The Purge - Has Come And Went ~ Are We Any Better For It?
The Purge - Survive The Night
The Purge - New Trailer Official Trailer
The Purge - Coming in June 7th
The Purge - One Night

Movie Data

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year:  2014

Staring: Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Zach Gilford, Carmen Ejogo Zoe Soul 

Director: James DeMonaco

Producer(s): Michael Bay,Jason Blum,Andrew Form,Bradley Fuller,Sebastien Lemercier

Writer: James DeMonaco

Rating: R

Running Time: 103 minutes

Release Date: 7/18/2014

Read More

The Purge: Anarchy ~ They're Coming Some Purge For Revenge

The New Founding Fathers of America, have been in power for 9 years, and have turned the United States into a strictly enforced martial law state. The time has come to Purge, and now sergeant Leo Barnes has a score to settle.  In this now a self-regulated Darwinian government he has the opportunity he has been looking for. Over a year ago, Leo lost some one very close to him.  Now, with nothing to loose, he is ready to make the justice that the NFFA could not give him.

Producer Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions whose many horror films include "Oculus," Scott Derrickson's "Sinister," James Wan's "Insidious," and "Insidious: Chapter 2," "Paranormal Activity," Rob Zombie's "The Lords Of Salem" and the grossly underrated "The Bay," brings to us once again, James DeMonaco's dystopian society.  

 Frank Grillo ("Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "End of Watch") plays Leo Barnes, a man out for revenge. Zach Gilford ("The Last Stand"), Kiele Sanchez ("A Perfect Getaway"),   Carmen Ejogo ("Sparkle"), and Zoe Soul ("Prisoner") star in this darwinian tale of survival of the fittest.  

In the clip below shows Leo (Grillo) reluctantly leading a young couple and a mother and daughter through the dangerous streets of Los Angeles.  "Don't stop, don't look back, run for your life."  "Survive the Night"

Look for "The Purge: Anarchy" in theaters July 18, 2014

Related

The Purge: Anarchy ~ A Review Of A Revolution In the Making

The Purge - Has Come And Went ~ Are We Any Better For It?
The Purge - Survive The Night
The Purge - New Trailer Official Trailer
The Purge - Coming in June 7th
The Purge - One Night

Movie Data

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year:  2014

Staring: Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Zach Gilford, Carmen Ejogo Zoe Soul 

Director: James DeMonaco

Producer(s): Michael Bay,Jason Blum,Andrew Form,Bradley Fuller,Sebastien Lemercier

Writer: James DeMonaco

Rating: R

Running Time: 103 minutes

Release Date: 7/18/2014

Read More

The Conjuring ~ Summoning Up the Supernatural

"Diabolical  forces are formidable. These forces  are eternal., and they exist today. In a world that scoffs at ghosts and laughs at the unusual, the Warrens deliver a contrary message. That message is this: The fairy tale is true. The devil exists. God exists. And for us, as people, our very destiny hinges upon which one we elect to follow."

I walked into "The Conjuring" hoping that this film would scare the living daylights out of me.  Something that would leave me emotionally spent after the lights come up.  "The Conjuring” is the film that does exactly that.  Ignore the based on a true story tagline.  This film is scary and will scare the crap out of you.  The film takes place in the 1970's and centers on the Perron family and their encounters with the dark entities that inhabit their house.  We also view this story from the point of view of Ed and Lorraine Warren.  The Warrens are two real-life demonologists who have been investigating paranormal activity since the early 1950's.  Devout Catholics, the two join forces to fight the demons that have invaded the Perron family's home.  The film stars horror genre veterans, Vera Farmiga from "The Orphan," "Joshua" and television's "Bates Motel" as Lorraine Warren. Patrick Wilson who starred in "Insidious," "Passengers" and "Watchmen," as her husband Ed.  Ron Livingston ("The Odd Life of Timothy Green") and Lili Taylor ("The Haunting") are Roger and Carolyn Perron.  They have four girls, Cynthia, Christine, Nancy, April, and Andrea.  "The Conjuring" is rated R for some impressive and disturbing images. The film runs about 1 hour and 52 minutes.

I must admit that we have seen this film in one form or another over the past forty-years.  From the "Amityville Horror," to the granddaddy of them all "The Exorcist,” what makes director, James Wan's ("Saw" & "Insidious") new take on the paranormal horror genre different than the two classic films mentioned, is the execution.  Wan's vision of horror is superb as he brings all the paranormal horror genre tropes together perfectly.  The story is familiar, a normal family moves into a house that they purchased for a bargain, investing every penny into the house, and soon thereafter, strange things begin to happen.  The year is 1971, and the place is Rhode Island.  The opening shots of this film establish the Warrens as Paranormal Investigators, Ghost Hunters, Cooks, or as they prefer, Demonologist.  They give lectures about what they do, but they are portrayed as a God-fearing Catholic family who cherish their only daughter, Judy (Sterling Jerins).  The Perron family moves in to their formidable looking home with wooden floors, creaky doors, loose floorboards, and of course, a history.  They do all this to the beat of the Zombie's "She's Not There.”  The hairstyles are unmistakable.  All the guys wear long sideburns; Roger has the wide belt buckles, while Ed wears polyester.  Lorraine dresses in a frilly dress that I think my mother used to wear, and Carolyn seems fond of a housecoat.  The kids look like kids in my second grade class picture.  Almost instantly, the Things-That-Go-Bump-In-The-Night begins.  Simple things like a bang on a wall or a door, or pictures being knocked off a wall start the party off.  The disturbances get worse.  Carolyn appears daily with bruises on her arms and back, and Cindy is a somnambulist.

Brothers Carey and Chad Hayes wrote the screenplay.  The brothers hit every motif in the book, from smells of rotting meat, birds crashing into the house, unexpected other-worldly appearances,  to weather that changes from mild to severe in the middle of a scene.  The first night, Sandy, the family's beloved dog is found dead.  James Wan's use of unique and weird camera angles punctuates the dread and urgency in each scene.

Composer Joseph Bishara creates the creepy, dread-filled atmospheric environment with his deep tones of the brass and the shrill shrieks of the violins.  The tension rises as the temperature drops on the set.  Together, with the subtle noises, the intense score and the shock images of the dead bring on the primal fear of the characters that transfers directly to the audience.  The Perrons call upon the Warrens out of desperation.  Ed is apprehensive, but Lorraine is fearless.  Lorraine, who has psychic abilities, had a traumatic experience while assisting in an exorcism on their last case.  As Lorraine and Ed inspect the house, they discover the dark entities that inhabit the grounds.  Upon the grounds lived a descendant of Mary Eastey, a woman convicted and hanged as a witch.  There is a lot going on in this film, however, the film is evenly paced, and we aren’t bogged down on any one detail.

As the film progresses the suspense becomes even more palpable.  The tension rises and so does the freaky factor.  Done without the use of CGI, Wan goes back to the days before computer graphics and does the effects either in camera or manually.  This gives the atmosphere a certain sense of realism that the audience feeds on.  The actors too, emote a sense of fear in a way that can only happen when the ghoul is actually in front of you.  Make no mistake, director James Wan doesn't pull punches when it comes to jump scares.  James Wan uses the traditionally cheap jump scare effectively, and in the most sublime way.  Scream after scream went the audience, as we reached the climax.  At the end, our emotions spent, we all laughed nervously on the way out of the theater, and joked with complete strangers at which parts we jumped or screamed.  We enjoyed “The Conjuring” all in good, scary fun.

Release date for "The Conjuring" is Friday July 19th 2013 in the US

Related

The Conjuring ~ Right Behind You Trailer
The Conjuring ~ Arranging the Pieces

Movie Data

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Year:  2013

Staring: Joey King, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston

Director: James Wan

Producer(s): Rob Cowan, Tony DeRosa-Grund, Peter Safran

Writer: Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes

Rating: R

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The Conjuring ~ Right Behind You Trailer

With this new trailer for "The Conjuring,"  I am hoping that this is the horror film that redefines the word scary for me. 

Here is the official synopsis of Warner Bros. new horror film "The Conjuring."

"Before there was Amityville, there was Harrisville. Based on a true story, "The Conjuring" tells the horrifying tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives."

Release date for "The Conjuring" is July 19th 2013 in the US

Related

The Conjuring ~ Summoning Up the Supernatural
Conjuring ~ Arranging the Pieces

The Conjuring ~ Getting Ready

Movie Data

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Year:  2013

Staring: Joey King, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston

Director: James Wan

Producer(s): Rob Cowan, Tony DeRosa-Grund, Peter Safran

Writer: Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes

Rating: R

Read More

The Conjuring ~ Arranging the Pieces

Now that we have the low down on James Wan's new horror film "The Conjuring,"  here are some more pieces of the puzzle. Like, what lurks in he darkness?

What can we learn from real life Ghost-Busters from the 1970's ?

Infestation, Oppression, and Possession? Sounds like it came from the "The Handbook for the Living and the Dead."  OMG is that polyester? 

Playing up the "based on a true story" aspect of the story, the trailer has clips of interviews with the family members who allegedly lived through this paranormal events portrayed in "The Conjuring."

Here is a confrontation scene with Patrick Wilson as Ed Warren standing in the forefront. 

James Wan kicks up the tension in the latest trailer (above) with some creepy Poltergeist activity.  Following a similar plot line to "The Amityville Horror," which the Warrens also investigated, where a family moves in to a house with a history, bad things happen, paranormal investigators get the call to check out the place, a priest is summoned, things get scarier, family leaves home.  The challenge for director Wan, is to get the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up for longer than just a few minutes, give the audience something to talk about at the water cooler at work, and most importantly -- give the audience nightmares.

Release date for "The Conjuring" is July 19th 2013 in the US

Related

The Conjuring ~ Summoning Up the Supernatural
The Conjuring ~ Right Behind You Trailer
The Conjuring ~ Getting Ready

Movie Data

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Year:  2013

Staring: Joey King, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston

Director: James Wan

Producer(s): Rob Cowan, Tony DeRosa-Grund, Peter Safran

Writer: Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes

Rating: R

Read More

The Conjuring ~ Getting Ready

I am looking for a film that scares the living daylights out of me. Something that leaves me shaking after the lights come up, is "The Conjuring" the film that will do that for audiences. "Insidious" came close, but will director James Wan's second horror film with a paranormal theme be the one to do the trick? 

In this day and age, fans of the horror genre have come to find the concepts, the jump scares, the blood, the violence, the gore, and the scary creature/monster/villain, not so scary. Are we just jaded? The director of horror goes through great pains the set the mood, adjust the music just right to create the atmosphere of dread, and build the tension. What ends up as the climatic moment draws nigh, is that we end up with CGI creature that just doesn't quite cut it. What we are left with is a film with lots of great suspense but ultimately we are left wanting.

Here is the official synopsis of Warner Bros. new horror film "The Conjuring."

"Before there was Amityville, there was Harrisville. Based on a true story, "The Conjuring" tells the horrifying tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives."

I have to warn you, this is another "based on a true story" but don't let that fool you. It doesn't matter if you believe that 

The first trailer sets up the film as a story about paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine  Warren enter the Perron's household in an attempt to seek out the entity or entities lurking within.

The film takes place int the 1970's and centers on the Perron family. Ron Livingstone ("The Odd Life of Timothy Green") and Lili Taylor ("The Haunting"), are Roger and Carolyn Perron, they have four girls; Cynthia, Christine, Nancy, April, and Andrea. All seems happy (as usual) as they move into their new farmhouse in this trailer below. With the Zombies playing in the background "Time of the Season" the joy of a mother (Taylor) playing hide and seek quickly dissolves as the presence makes itself known to the family. Check out the chilling trailer below.

Composer Joseph Bishara, creates the creepy, dread-filled atmospheric environment for  "The Conjuring" just as he has done for both 2010's "Insidious," and "Dark Skies," from earlier this year. Bishara, not only creates and tension riddled score, but also served as the evil spirit for both "Insidious," and "The Conjuring." Bathsheba (Bishara) , a witch whose pact with the Devil has gone seriously awry hangs herself on a tree on the property long before the Perron family moved in...

In James Wan's new film horror veterans. Vera Farmiga from "The Orphan," "Joshua" and television's "Bates Motel," Patrick Wilson ("Insidious") take on the challenge of being paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren who are called in to investigate and help out the Perron family. Director James Wan, typically works with writer Leigh Whannell, who is responsible for the first three "Saw" films, and "Dead Silence," which was also directed by Wan, and of course, "Insidious." Whannell will be back for "Insidious: Chapter 2" as both writer and in the part of Specs.

Release date for "The Conjuring" is July 19th 2013 in the US

Related

Insidious Chapter 2 ~ It's Still Happening
The Conjuring ~ Summoning Up the Supernatural
The Conjuring ~ Right Behind You Trailer
The Conjuring ~ Arranging the Pieces

Movie Data

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Year:  2013

Staring: Joey King, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston

Director: James Wan

Producer(s): Rob Cowan, Tony DeRosa-Grund, Peter Safran

Writer: Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes

Rating: R

Read More