Annabelle is the prequel to The Conjuring that explains the origin of the eponymous doll, but as in Alien prequel Prometheus, its really a re-tread with boring characters and routine situations. Opening in 1969, expectant mother Mia (Annabelle Wallis) sees the still-at-large Manson Family on the news, and before you can say foreshadowing, shes attacked by two Devil Worshippers. Even though they appear to have wandered in from Blood Orgy of the She Devils, these bozos still manage to conjure Something Awful, which of course possesses Annabelle (the doll, not the actress), so its not long before our heroine starts hallucinating, hearing strange noises, walking down dark corridors etc. When The Local Priest proves unhelpful (whatre the odds?) Mia turns to kindly neighbour Evelyn (Alfre Woodard), who just happens to have an occult library that comes in useful when things start going bump. Keeping things in the Insidious/Conjuring family, the cinematographer on those films, Mortal Kombat: Annihilations John R Leonetti, calls the shots here, following James Wans authorial voice as though directing episodic television and keeping everything moving steadily enough to make you forget how stale it all is. Theres The Doomed Priest, The Record That Plays By Itself, The Leave The House Now! Phone Call (which of course goes unheeded), and what self-respecting generic horror picture allows its Token Ethnic Character to survive?
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
