TRANSCRIPTIE 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:07.519
Think she's a DLC cosmetic that got downloaded by Satan.
00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:16.879
When the Conjuring introduced us to the Warren's collection of haunted objects, one doll made enough of an impression to get a movie of her own.
00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:21.440
Newline handed the story to screenwriter Gary Doberman and director John R.
00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:24.719
Leonetti, who had shot the Conjuring for James Juan.
00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:32.640
Leonetti brought Creepy Doll Experience to the table, particularly as he'd already worked behind the camera for Child's Play 3 and Dead Silence.
00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:36.880
This time, though, the story follows a young couple preparing for their first child.
00:00:37.119 --> 00:00:45.039
The husband buys his wife a vintage doll for her collection, but after a violent attack inside their home, strange events begin to follow the family.
00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:54.240
Leonetti drew inspiration from Rosemary's baby, bringing together pregnancy, domestic life, and the fear that something has found its way into the place you're supposed to feel safest.
00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:56.960
The studio turned it around in less than a year.
00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:05.519
Audiences turned it into a roughly$257 million hit, and the Warden's collection officially became a franchise.
00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:08.719
This week we're talking about Annabelle.
00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:24.560
When you hear it, you're gonna think we are insane.
00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:35.120
You're tuning in to Annabelle, but if you support the show, you'll also get to hear our B-side at the end of this episode where we get into the horrifying truth surrounding the real Annabelle.
00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:37.120
I can't wait to dive into that one.
00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:40.000
But before we get there, Sean, had you seen this one before?
00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:45.200
I have seen this one before, but probably not in the last 10 years.
00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:48.079
You know, Sean, I've literally never seen this movie before.
00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:49.040
No way.
00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:56.400
I've never seen it because I had never seen all the conjuring movies until we started covering them in order for the podcast.
00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:57.840
So that's a start.
00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:06.239
I saw The Conjuring, and I saw Annabelle Creation because within the first year of the podcast, we had like a brief three-month hiatus.
00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:11.599
And when we brought it back, one of my original co-hosts wanted to pick a movie, and she picked Annabelle Creation.
00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:17.680
And I have had a chip on my shoulder about Annabelle ever since because I was not a fan of that movie.
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:21.120
I thought it was really pretty and also pretty superficial.
00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:23.199
Nothing really clicked or worked for me.
00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:27.360
It felt like it was good looking without being super interesting.
00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:31.439
So my expectations for Annabelle as a whole just have never been really high.
00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:55.360
And that's exactly what I would have asked you, not knowing if you've seen any of the Annabelle installments in this franchise, because you know, that's the whole thing is when we start to get these branch-offs of this franchise separating from the conjuring, direct conjuring kind of series that we get, the question becomes is this something that can live up to the potential of the doll that was introduced in the conjuring?
00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:58.719
You know, but you've already seen Annabelle Creation, didn't like that one.
00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:02.159
So it's going to be interesting to see how that compares with this one.
00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:03.599
Yeah, it is tough.
00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:09.360
And I mean, I also want you to remember what we got of Annabelle the last time we saw her in the last conjuring movie.
00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:18.159
For some reason, I've had it in my head that Annabelle is a suit g silly goose, you know, a silly goofy little girl who's just out here doing silly goofy things.
00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:28.719
But I will say I was very open to this being a good movie, knowing that it was a box office hit, knowing that it quickly followed on the heels of the conjuring.
00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:31.840
So this felt like it was still an early conjuring days.
00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:35.759
And I walked into this, although not expecting to love it.
00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:40.080
I walked into it with an open mind, expecting to be able to respect it.
00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:47.840
And I gotta say, immediately I love the approach and the angle that this movie takes.
00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:55.599
I had to refresh myself on the plot of Annabelle Creation because I know that it it leads in to this one directly.
00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:03.759
Although this is a prequel to The Conjuring, and Annabelle Creation is a prequel to this, so it's a prequel to a prequel.
00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:10.400
I had to wrap my head around it, but it made it so much more satisfying now watching this movie.
00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:19.519
I started at the beginning chronologically, and in some franchises, Sean, that works.
00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:25.360
You could technically watch all the Star Wars movie in chronological order, not in order of release.
00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:29.199
Yeah, you can it may be a different experience for you, but you can do it.
00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:31.120
I wouldn't recommend it for Annabelle.
00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:32.959
I have not liked the experience so far.
00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:37.519
Here's the thing with Annabelle: it's a creepy ass doll, first of all.
00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:40.720
I mean, way creepier than the real Annabelle, right?
00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:43.839
So it's definitely got the look.
00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:48.240
And in the conjuring, it
Load full transcript
felt like a really creepy doll.
00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:51.360
It has this like just uneasiness to it.
00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:55.600
Get that fucking doll out of my house reaction when you're watching it.
00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:59.199
Annabelle has a face that makes you uncomfortable before she even does anything.
00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:05.040
So you feel a constant sense of dread just seeing her sitting in the background.
00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:07.759
Why would anyone want a doll like this in their house?
00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:09.360
I have no idea.
00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:30.319
But one of the things that I think that this movie does is it plays on the fear of being alone in a room, looking down a dark hallway, just the sense of someone nearby when nobody should be there or is there, the stillness, the anticipation, it can definitely be effective or more effective rather than what eventually appears.
00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.199
There's a lot that this movie does really, really well.
00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:34.720
And I need to preface this.
00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:40.959
The biggest thing that I felt watching this movie, and then after watching this movie, is fuck.
00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:43.360
I really wish I had just watched it when it came out.
00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:46.079
This was my last year in the military.
00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:52.000
I was just going through a lot of medical treatment, so like I wasn't even really like connected to movies that were coming out at the time.
00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:58.480
I really wish I had seen it then because what I found was that this was a very well-constructed movie.
00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:02.399
There's a lot of shots that linger in really uncomfortable ways.
00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:10.800
But the problem is that I have seen a lot of movies that came after it, so it wasn't hard to recognize where a scare was heading before it ever happened.
00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:22.319
I could appreciate the execution technically, but I was never affected by this movie apart from a couple specific moments, and it involves a sewing machine.
00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:33.120
And I had to like just pull my headphone out of my ear, and I just knew that it wasn't gonna be a good moment, particularly because I just grew up afraid of sewing machines.
00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:37.439
My mom had one all the time, and I was so sure that there'd just be blood gushing at any moment.
00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:39.439
But that was really it.
00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:48.240
It was my personal experience projected onto the movie that actually made it uncomfortable, not because I think there were a lot of innovative scares in here.
00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:54.240
It's not to say they were bad, it's just damn, I wish I hadn't seen everything that came after it.
00:06:54.560 --> 00:07:00.399
Yeah, but also this film plays on a very familiar formula for scares and jump scares.
00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:08.959
So I feel like any of the more seasoned horror fans will start to pick up on things and predict when the scares are coming.
00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:14.079
So for me, this movie becomes very it's audible scary, right?
00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:16.000
It's like the loud versus scary.
00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:16.720
Like, what is it?
00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:20.000
Is it the is it the sound that's trying to get you?
00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:24.000
Because on screen, it's not doing a whole lot.
00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:26.160
The sound does do it.
00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:29.439
It makes it very uncomfortable, it makes it very unsettling.
00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:38.720
But one of the things that I appreciate most about this movie are the performances that we get and and really just from some of our central characters.
00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:44.639
Mia as a character is someone that I absolutely was captivated by.
00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:48.399
One, her style being emulated from like Grace Kelly.
00:07:48.959 --> 00:08:07.759
Two, a lot of the emotion and the power that we get from her performance, and even John, her husband, as an opposite to her, he has classic shitty horror husband or horror dad energy, but also redeems himself in a lot of moments, so he's not just one-dimensional and one flat note.
00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:16.240
There's a lot of there's a lot of the human touch in this movie that I really appreciated a lot, especially with the music choices that we get.
00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:18.639
Sean, I'm a fucking lover of the oldies.
00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:22.800
I love moo music from the 50s, 60s, 70s.
00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:28.480
So when the song Cherish starts to play on a turntable, I was like, oh yeah, this is my shit.
00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:29.120
This is it.
00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:34.639
The soundtrack to the movie, the song choices, the atmosphere, and the setting as a whole.
00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:46.799
Just the late 1960s setting, the dim apartment corridors, the basement spaces, the confined rooms, they just give you a really good old school claustrophobic kind of quality to them.
00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:56.000
It adds to the vibe of the movie for sure, but you know, obviously, Annabelle is just an excellent horror image, so you can play a lot with that.
00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:04.399
The question is is that, you know, I think the film kind of understands that sometimes the anticipation of a doll moving is scarier than the movement itself.
00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:08.480
But the question becomes did they play on that too much?
00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:10.000
Oh, for sure they did.
00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:11.440
Sean, absolutely.
00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:13.360
Way too much, in my opinion.
00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:14.480
Because it's tough.
00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:22.639
On one hand, it has, like you said, a handful of maybe effective sequences, maybe some good scare sequences, one or two, maybe.
00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:29.759
The movie knows how to use the empty space, the obscured backgrounds,
the silence, the loud noises, the sudden movements.
00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:36.879
Even if you see some of the scares coming, I think that the staging can still make certain moments pretty effective.
00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:40.159
But the story is just familiar, you know.
00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:50.240
Essentially, some kind of presence terrorizing a young family, strange things happen around the house, you know, the protagonist struggles to convince others that something is wrong.
00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:52.320
It's, you know, rinse and repeat.
00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:54.080
Not always bad if it's done really well.
00:09:54.159 --> 00:10:00.480
And it's not that this is done horribly, it's just that it is something that you're gonna you're gonna predict, you're gonna see a lot of this coming.
00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:01.600
You're not wrong.
00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:06.960
And what's I think disappointing is the fact that this movie starts off really strong.
00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:13.919
I loved the beginning of this movie, and I think really that's kind of what held out for it throughout the entire ride.
00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:20.559
But this movie does have a lot of familiarity to it, which I think makes it very palatable and very safe for a lot of people to watch.
00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:33.120
If you enjoy period pieces but that are supernatural, I think if you like domestic-based horror, if you want stories that are centered on motherhood, I think this is a really great option.
00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:50.159
And I think if you need some if you're someone who needs surprises, if you need shock, if you don't watch supernatural horror because it feels a little repetitive and reductive, I think maybe this isn't gonna be your number one pick.
00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:52.240
It might be less effective there.
00:10:52.720 --> 00:11:05.440
But if you're looking to throw something on in October and you're someone who doesn't necessarily maybe watch horror all year long, or you're around others who don't, and you love a good demon story, I think this is an absolutely safe choice.
00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:06.559
Yeah, for sure.
00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:07.440
I mean, that's true.
00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:14.799
For some people, this is gonna be probably pretty scary for the people that don't watch a lot of horror and are only consuming horror during this time of year.
00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:25.919
I gotta ask though, without giving anything away, and I don't remember what happens exactly in creation, but do you feel like the backstory of Annabelle was surprising at all?
00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:30.960
Sean, one thing that I felt then and I still feel now, it feels convoluted.
00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.919
Yeah, but I've been trying to remember all the events that happen in it.
00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:38.480
If you watch Annabelle Creation, it essentially ends with the beginning of this movie.
00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:41.519
I honestly feel, Sean, we didn't need Annabelle Creation at all.
00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:43.600
I feel like we should have just had this movie.
00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:47.039
This movie is enough origin story for Annabelle for me.
00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:57.039
If you're just into maybe supernatural horror, the conjuring completists, this is definitely something that you'll probably want to see if you haven't already, or put it on your list.
00:11:57.279 --> 00:12:10.879
I don't think this is the right movie for you if you are seeking a lot of originality, expecting even a killer doll movie, or if you're a gore lover that's just looking for brutal kills.
00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:12.639
Oh, absolutely agreed.
00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:15.600
And speaking of which, how would you describe that gore score?
00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:22.879
Annabelle has some blood and some violent moments for sure, but it's not interested in ripping people apart or making you lose your lunch.
00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:26.720
It's it's literally just interested in that supernatural tension.
00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:34.879
And I think the horror comes from the creepy atmosphere, the demonic scares, and the threat of what's lurking around the corner.
00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:38.000
So it really just earns this one a pretty low gore score.
00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:39.840
And what about the animal report?
00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:41.519
Well, it is actually safe.
00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:46.080
There were no animals harmed or depicted of harm throughout this movie.
00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:49.679
Let's go ahead and get into our readings in Annabelle from 2014.
00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:51.519
Was it a hack or a slash?
00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:56.879
Listen, Annabelle is one creepy-looking doll, let's face it.
00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:02.799
But apparently having a face that only a demon can love isn't enough to carry an entire movie.
00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:17.039
I think that there are moments where this film can get under your skin, and I appreciate the effort to expand the conjuring universe, but I think by the time the credits rolled, I was kind of left wondering if this story really needed to be told.
00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:24.000
It feels like a case of Hollywood seeing a memorable prop and immediately asking, how can we squeeze 90 minutes out of this thing?
00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:34.639
Annabelle feels like a movie that genuinely just exists because the doll was popular, not because anyone had a particularly compelling story to tell about her.
00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:42.879
It's honestly kind of a shame, I think, because the idea of a young family losing their sense of safety in their own home is genuinely unsettling, right?
00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:48.720
But there's a lot you could do with that premise, but the film, I feel like, never quite turns it into something distinctive.
00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:57.759
And I think even the ending feels more interested in connecting another dot in the conjuring universe than giving us a story that we'll
remember.
00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.960
It's still an entertaining movie for what it's worth.
00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:08.000
If you want the vibe, it's got some spooky vibe, it's got the atmosphere, it's not a bad movie to watch around this time of year in October.
00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:15.440
And I wouldn't call it a complete waste of time, but this one is just one of those horror movies that feels pretty forgettable once you step away from it.
00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:22.320
And I think despite having a character that's practically built to haunt your dreams, the movie itself doesn't leave much of a nightmare behind.
00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:28.080
I did want more from a film centered on a doll that looks like it knows where you buried the bodies.
00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:30.799
It's just a genuinely creepy-looking doll.
00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:39.600
And Annabelle might have a killer look, but this movie probably should have stayed in the toy box because for me it's a it's unfortunately a hack.
00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:42.720
I actually did not walk into this episode expecting this.
00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:43.679
No way.
00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:45.279
I thought this movie was fine.
00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:55.360
It wasn't particularly exciting, but it does do enough that makes me care enough to watch and stick along for the ride and still be invested.
00:14:55.679 --> 00:15:01.120
Because if this movie was centered on Ed and Lorraine Warren, I think I would have had an eye roll.
00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:04.159
This had scares that were very predictable.
00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:14.159
But what it did have in spades is atmosphere, a great setting, incredible music, the rosemary's baby DNA was felt throughout it for me.
00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:21.279
And the characters, particularly our main character, Mia, gave me a lot to hold on to.
00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:25.679
Even if the horror itself was uneven, this felt like a slow burn.
00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:34.240
While a lot of the things in this movie are very, very familiar, I also think that they are technically and objectively just well executed.
00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:44.720
What I appreciate is this film's ability to drop us in the middle of a time period where the Manson family was running rampant.
00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:46.720
We're in the immediate aftermath.
00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:50.080
There's concerns about cults and cult activity.
00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:58.080
There's a lot, at least in the opening of this movie, and you can see where there's a shift in how people are even viewing the world.
00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:03.519
And there's a lot of that nuanced character work that really makes me invested in who these people are.
00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:08.320
It's not a perfect movie by any means, but I also think it's still a slash.
00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:11.679
My proudest slash, but it's still a fine movie.
00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:16.480
And with that, Annabelle from 2014 has earned one hack and one slash.
00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:25.120
Now, while our scores are in, we're gonna take a quick break, and when we return, we're gonna get into the home invasion, the basement elevator, and the price this movie puts on saving a soul.
00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:26.399
Stay with us.
00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:35.759
Why rest in peace when you can rest in someone else's nursery?
00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:37.600
Are you tired of aging?
00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:46.399
Sick of paying taxes, terrified of the thought that someday your body will decay and your loved ones will forget you ever existed?
00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:49.840
Well, have we got a deal with the devil for you?
00:16:50.080 --> 00:17:02.879
Introducing the Doll House, the only premium immortality program that transfers your eternal soul into a horrifying porcelain doll through our proprietary, totally not hell-approved satanic ritual.
00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:07.839
Here at the Dollhouse, we believe death is just a temporary inconvenience.
00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:18.079
And with our patented Blood Moon soul transfer, you can leave your mortal body behind and spend eternity terrorizing an unsuspecting family.
00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:24.400
Look at the benefits, lifetime membership, and by lifetime we mean all lifetimes.
00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:29.599
Yours, theirs, and several generations of terrified children.
00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:41.119
Zero aging, no wrinkles, no gray hair, no prostate exams, just a permanent thousand-yard stare and a smile that says, I know what you did in 1997.
00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:42.640
Free relocation.
00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:48.640
Get passed down through generations, donated to thrift stores, or accidentally purchased at an estate sale.
00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:51.200
Our dolls are designed to travel.
00:17:51.519 --> 00:18:02.000
Family entertainment, nothing brings loved ones together like unexplained noises, demonic visions, and a baby monitor picking up Latin chanting at 3 a.m.
00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:06.400
And the best part, you don't even need to be a skilled occultist.
00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:15.920
Just gather your cult, summon the Dark Lord, spill a little blood, and perform the ritual in the presence of a legally distinct antique doll.
00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:17.680
Results may vary.
00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:19.920
Immortality is not guaranteed.
00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:22.880
Soul transfers are non-refundable.
00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:31.279
The Dark Lord reserves the right to repossess your eternal existence for failure to meet your blood sacrifice quota.
00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:32.559
The dollhouse.
00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:38.559
You can't take it with you, but you can make sure nobody else gets a good night's sleep either.
00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:43.680
Welcome back, folks.
00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:49.279
You're not entering the spoiler zone for Annabelle, which has earned one hack and one slash.
00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:52.240
Now, again, this is a spoiler zone, so fair warning.
00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:54.799
Everything in Annabelle is fair game from here on out.
00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.039
So let's kick things off with our sleigh by sleigh.
00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:02.480
Yeah, the key thing to know is that this isn't a traditional body count horror movie.
00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:07.200
Most of the deaths happen, you know, off-screen or through supernatural events.
00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:15.039
So the kills are mostly functional to the story with little graphic detail, no elaborate practical effects showcases or things like that.
00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:19.200
There are a few here that we want to talk about, though.
00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:22.720
I want to start kicking it off with the Higgins parents.
00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:27.599
I absolutely loved this scene, period, Sean.
00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:34.160
We had the news cast, and we acknowledged that the Tate and Labianka murders had just taken place.
00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:38.640
So the Manson family is in everyone's minds.
00:19:38.960 --> 00:20:01.359
Yeah, I did really like the whole vibe and setup of that time period, being in the late 60s, having that on the background where they're talking about the Manson family, and just really kind of living in that space of what it might feel like to be seeing that on the news, you know, and living through that, or some kind of special, you know, on TV about that happening in that year or whatever.
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:06.960
Yeah, and I mean, listen, we could have gone straight into Pete and Sharon's house.
00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:09.359
They could have done that, and they didn't.
00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:17.119
Instead, we watched their attack and their demise through their bedroom window from a neighbor's house.
00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:29.519
And while that is a very interesting choice, what I think it does for me is create this horrible distance between violence and then the people who could help but are blissfully unaware.
00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:31.200
Mia suspects something.
00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:41.359
She hears a scream, even though she gets up and sees nothing, she could have absolutely just gone back to bed and man, it could have been a very different story from here on out.
00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:51.359
But I absolutely loved seeing Pete essentially tell his wife to go ahead and call the police and then just flick a blood over on the wall.
00:20:51.680 --> 00:21:13.200
I also kind of enjoyed it, the whole setup to that, you know, leading in and easing into it with the whole Manson thing on TV and then going into that whole part where, you know, we see it, but she wakes up to the scream and we're seeing it from afar, which was a really kind of cool, different way to kind of showcase something like that or give us a kill in a horror movie.
00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:18.400
So definitely a pretty interesting choice, I think, paid off really well.
00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:26.960
And it's a it's a definitely a grim way to kick
things off, but the movie definitely saves most of the actual violence for the next part of the attack.
00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:34.960
The murders that you know establish that these you know cultists are dangerous before the supernatural stuff actually takes over.
00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:40.559
And it's you know, obviously, when they are now entering Mia's house.
00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:42.880
What a terrifying reality.
00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:53.599
So, one, we get to see Annabelle Higgins lurking in the nursery, and we later hear her whisper, I like your dolls.
00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:55.440
Wow, okay, Sean.
00:21:55.680 --> 00:22:10.319
This is one of the only moments that was effective for me because hearing That line, never seeing Annabelle, but hearing that line, it was very close and almost up there with Is Tamara home from the original Strangers for me.
00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:13.119
It was fucking unsettling.
00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:21.359
And the fact that we see Mia the entire time and she's like standing her ground, but also saying, please just take anything you want and get out.
00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:25.119
And we just see Annabelle's boyfriend come in from behind her.
00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:37.759
Yeah, seeing Annabelle Higgins kind of lurking in the background, already looking like some kind of weird demonic entity, even though she was a physical person at this time, you know, and that whisper was really effective.
00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:44.720
But yeah, it's literally that moment where he like comes around and shanks her in the side of the stomach that was absolutely wild.
00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:47.359
And the attacks got brutal.
00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:52.720
I mean, absolutely brutal, really fast-paced, really violent for sure.
00:22:53.039 --> 00:23:00.960
There's a lot of commotion, and throughout this entire time, we see that Mia is her vision starting to like fog and like haze a little bit.
00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:03.200
She's starting to get a little bit out of it.
00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:14.960
And just as this guy disarms, essentially John, like throws him against a wall, the cops come in as he's about to stab Mia, and it's about to get really fucking bad for her.
00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:22.400
But the the stress and the heartache and the trauma of also seeing this man get gunned down right in front of her.
00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:25.440
But this cannot be good for her blood pressure, obviously.
00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:26.559
No way.
00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:27.279
Exactly.
00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:32.240
And then the next moment that we see, she's being wheeled out on a stretcher.
00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:41.359
We then see Annabelle's dead body, cult symbol on the wall, written in blood, and then Annabelle the doll on the lap.
00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:44.799
That was definitely intense.
00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:54.400
The blood that falls also that just drips onto the doll's face, marking kind of like the beginning of the haunting.
00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:56.160
And into the eye.
00:23:56.400 --> 00:23:59.759
Into the eye, of course, you know, something weird like that.
00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:02.319
Sean, super fuck that.
00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:03.119
I don't care.
00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:04.880
Burn that shit, get rid of it.
00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:06.000
I don't want it in the house.
00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:09.359
I don't know how they go back to this house after all this fucking happens.
00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:10.319
No fucking way.
00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:12.160
And keep that nursery.
00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:13.440
Like none of it feels good.
00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:20.480
But yeah, this is probably it's probably the opening's most memorable death because I think it serves two purposes.
00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:35.759
I think it it gives us a really disturbing image and it establishes that the doll's supernatural connection is there and you know the blood is visible, but the scene isn't really super graphic by like horror standards.
00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:40.720
It was a very effective way to showcase what's happening and how this kind of starts.
00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:46.799
I couldn't help but just really feel like you know, they really kind of just did a whole nother Chuck E thing.
00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:47.279
Yeah.
00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:50.720
I know there's more lore behind this, and we'll talk about it.
00:24:50.880 --> 00:25:06.880
There's more for sure, but my initial gut feeling, and maybe it's because we just got off of like Bride of Chucky, and I was revisiting that a little bit, but I'm just like, well, okay, Sean, we got we got off of Bride of Chucky, and I just finished saying at the top of this episode how the director worked on Child's Play 3.
00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:15.599
Did it have to be a person that did this ritual that had this event that now they are part of this doll?
00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:18.960
Or could it have just been a cursed item somehow?
00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:25.599
Like, you know, I kind of liked the ambiguous lore of this being this demonic cursed item, but not really.
00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:32.720
I don't know if I really needed to know that this was some cultist, random cultist, that just ran into somebody's house and slit her own throat, you know?
00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:37.519
This is the fine line of some properties need more backstory and others don't.
00:25:37.599 --> 00:25:39.200
I think we could have done with a little less.
00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:42.720
I personally like it, so I'm not mad at it, but I do see your point.
00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:52.640
I mean, listen, when you've had Charles Lee Ray using voodoo to put himself in the body of a doll because of soul transference, I mean, I get it.
00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:55.599
I can see why you think it's it's not an original take.
00:25:55.920 --> 00:26:02.319
Yeah, and you know, some people may really like it, and I'm not mad at that, but that's my initial reaction to it.
00:26:02.640
--> 00:26:08.559
Sean, I'd really like to share with you and be vulnerable about a really dumb moment that I had watching this movie.
00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:14.799
Our next bout of violence is not actually a death, but it's almost a death, and it's Father Perez.
00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:15.279
Yeah.
00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:23.920
So much suspense leading up to this between Annabelle's bloodshot eyes, as because he's now he's trying to get this doll out of their house.
00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:35.599
When he attempts to cross the threshold into the church, he is flung backwards on the concrete, and then the shot that we see is his hand outstretched towards Annabelle, the doll being on the ground.
00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:38.000
We see blood pulling from the corner.
00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:48.480
Sean, I really thought Father Perez was dead, and then I felt really dumb when I later realized, wait, no, he can't be dead because he's in the Curse of La Yorona.
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:51.279
Oh my I didn't even remember that, so you're good.
00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:52.559
Well, it wasn't a good movie.
00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:54.000
Bless you, Linda Cartellini.
00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:58.880
I'm so glad you're getting your flowers with Crystal Lake because you are an incredible actress, but that movie was not it.
00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:03.759
I'm fairly sure they even retconned that movie from being in the Conjuring franchise officially.
00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:06.000
They were like, we're not part of this.
00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:12.480
But the Father Perez character makes another appearance in that movie and he references Annabelle Adal.
00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:15.039
Whether you like it or not, it's still there.
00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:18.720
I think it just speaks to the unmemorable movies, you know?
00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:19.920
That's just how it is.
00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:23.119
But I get it, I did think he was genuinely dead gonna be dead too.
00:27:23.279 --> 00:27:28.480
I mean, the same thing as like I remember when I first watched this, I thought for sure her baby was gonna be dead.
00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:29.279
You know what I mean?
00:27:29.359 --> 00:27:35.680
Like I thought I thought for sure that she was gonna survive, but the baby was gonna be dead, or there's gonna be some weird shit that happens with that.
00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:43.759
If they had committed harder to the bit, because there is this moment where she sees Annabelle the doll in the crib and she's beating the shit out of that doll.
00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:47.440
And then we later see still baby on the ground.
00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:49.279
We heard like a little bit of the noise.
00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:53.759
I thought, oh my god, James Wall, was I not familiar with your game?
00:27:54.000 --> 00:27:56.079
Are you actually gonna kill a baby right now?
00:27:56.319 --> 00:27:59.599
Leonetti, are you actually gonna direct a film in which a baby is that?
00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:06.880
I if you
are, you're going fucking hard for Annabelle, and then that's a little intense for a conjuring franchise.
00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:09.839
But sure enough, it was a figment of imagination.
00:28:09.920 --> 00:28:12.799
It was just a manipulation, an illusion, a trick of the light.
00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:29.039
Which you know, the demons like to play tricks on you for sure, but I can tell you, and most people that maybe have been listening to us for a while will probably also agree that like if they did go that far and that hard, that might have been slash territory for me.
00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:34.960
Just think about how gnarly that scene would have been, it would have amplified this movie to the next level.
00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:39.119
Here's the thing, it's not that I want little Leah to pass at all.
00:28:39.279 --> 00:28:40.960
I'm so glad that she's okay.
00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:48.160
I think what we're alluding to here, Sean, is that there is an a lack of edge and a lack of darkness in this film.
00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:53.440
The conjuring franchise and by extension, Annabelle, feels a little safe.
00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:57.200
For a lot of demonic energy, it feels a little safe.
00:28:57.279 --> 00:29:07.359
We have like rinse and repeat paint by the numbers deaths, minimal at that, but it doesn't feel particularly dangerous, which is a crazy thing to say.
00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:14.960
One of the final moments that we get, one of the final kills that we get with Evelyn's sacrifice, I think was a very interesting kill.
00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:18.960
I'm just thinking like none of that had to go down, unfortunately.
00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:21.279
I feel like it's sad but true.
00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:35.039
Mia considers sacrificing herself to save her baby because it's basically saying that if you, you know, if you sacrifice yourself and it's guiding her to the window to jump, then she can save her baby.
00:29:35.119 --> 00:29:41.920
But we all know that they're they're not gonna hold up to this, like they're just trying to get another person to do some crazy shit.
00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:43.920
And so they stop her.
00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:55.599
Evelyn and and her husband stop her, but then Evelyn's like, I'm gonna do it and sacrifice because she's also, you know, tormented by something that happened when she lost her kid.
00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:58.160
It's it's this whole thing, and she dies, but like for what?
00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:01.039
Because we all know that this fucking doll ain't done.
00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:04.640
Yeah, she dies because she feels like this is her purpose.
00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:10.559
So she recalls hearing her daughter's voice, telling her that it's not her time, that she still has a purpose.
00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:18.960
And my god, I wish her purpose was to continue living on and just like having a good life and and loving others and and living in a lot of joy.
00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:26.079
Because for her to go
the way that she did while I can honor a sacrifice, I just don't think it was necessary.
00:30:26.160 --> 00:30:29.039
Because also, why are you giving the demon what the demon wants?
00:30:29.279 --> 00:30:30.720
Yeah, don't give into that shit.
00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:40.160
The tough thing for me, it's the film's most maybe significant death emotionally, but it does the movie earn the emotional payoff, you know what I mean?
00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:40.799
I don't know.
00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:41.759
It's tough.
00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:55.039
What I will say though, having not seen this movie before, in the third act, when John is with the father in the hospital, and the father shares, oh, well, a baby can't offer its own soul.
00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:59.359
I thought for a second, are they trying to frame Evelyn as a red herring?
00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:04.720
Because Evelyn is there with her, but then she was wearing an all-white gown.
00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:09.519
And the last people to wear an all-white gown were the cultists in the beginning of the movie.
00:31:09.759 --> 00:31:12.799
So I was very pleased to see that they didn't do that.
00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:21.440
There was like this give and take there in the third act, where I thought that there was the potential for them to do things that were a little bit outside the box.
00:31:21.599 --> 00:31:23.119
It all stayed within the box.
00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:25.119
Yeah, it got a little fishy for sure.
00:31:25.200 --> 00:31:32.400
That would have been a wild thing if she ended up being like maybe the leader of the cult or something, and but that would have been too much.
00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:35.200
No, it would have been too much, and I wouldn't have liked it.
00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:38.400
And I was concerned that maybe that was the direction that they were going.
00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:43.920
So, what I can appreciate it is that there's a little bit of misdirection in there that I can appreciate.
00:31:44.079 --> 00:32:03.200
I mean, we got more misdirection earlier in the film when obviously those kids were drawing the pictures of a stroller getting hit by a green truck, and we had a lot of that visual misdirection when the camera refuses to show you anything that is not an extreme close-up of Mia on her face.
00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:03.759
Yeah.
00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:07.680
To obscure the fact that she's carrying Leah and Leah is not in the stroller.
00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:08.240
Yeah.
00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:11.359
Another moment that I thought the baby was gone for sure.
00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:14.480
That's two times they faked me out on a baby death.
00:32:14.640 --> 00:32:15.920
This one wouldn't have been as good.
00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:19.680
This one would have been basically fucking pet cemetery, but that's okay.
00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:21.279
Oh, yeah, no, you're right.
00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:39.680
I'll tell you what I did like, and I'd argue maybe the strongest element of this film is its cinematography and probably the atmosphere that you're talking about, because I think the movie doesn't always have the strongest material to work with, but it does know how to make an ordinary room feel pretty fucking threatening.
00:32:39.839 --> 00:32:48.720
When you think of it like this movie understands, you know, this whole dark hallway, suspicious corner can do a lot of heavy lifting, especially, you know, in these horror movies.
00:32:48.799 --> 00:32:58.720
And I think the lighting and the framing keep you kind of looking for something lurking in the background, and the production design kind of gives you this convincing setting with that 60s vibe.
00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:03.119
Everything's a little dimmer, you know, things aren't as bright and vibrant with really bright lights.
00:33:03.279 --> 00:33:13.359
There's a lot of warm lights, a lot of dimmer lights, and I think it all adds to kind of the feel of this movie when you match it with the sound, it gives you some good stuff.
00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:24.480
So, you know, I think that the story might not be the most original thing in the toy box, but at least the filmmakers know how to make that toy box look terrifying.
00:33:24.799 --> 00:33:30.400
And part of that is because, you know, as I mentioned, there's a lot of influence here from Rosemary's Baby.
00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:40.240
And Leonetti described how that film is so psychological and gives you moments where you have to really explore the entire frame.
00:33:40.640 --> 00:33:53.279
So a lot of the shots that are in here are shots that are sustained for a significantly longer period than you might expect because it's encouraging you to look at every single uh nook and cranny of the frame.
00:33:53.920 --> 00:33:57.359
Even some of the highlights in the shadows.
00:33:57.759 --> 00:33:58.640
Imagine this, right?
00:33:58.720 --> 00:34:00.720
I want to use this actually, this is a great example.
00:34:01.119 --> 00:34:12.000
When Mia is holding Leah after just rescuing her from the falling books, and we have Annabelle rising in the background, and she doesn't just rise, she starts to levitate.
00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:18.159
She is standing in front of curtains that look pitch black because of the lighting in the room.
00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:18.719
Yeah.
00:34:19.039 --> 00:34:24.639
And yet, even within that, you have to see the subtle outline of a pitch black demon.
00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:33.039
It's not just the composition of it, but even how they're just carving out the faintest image in these shadows with lighting is just nuts.
00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:34.559
That's a really good call out.
00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:38.800
And that is one of the cooler shots in the film for sure.
00:34:39.039 --> 00:34:44.960
That whole moment that you're talking about, because the sun puts everything out of focus, but gives you the perfect amount of lighting.
00:34:45.039 --> 00:34:46.400
It's just creepy enough.
00:34:46.559 -->
00:34:54.880
And you don't even notice until I don't know, it took me a second to notice until we got on the close-up that we were seeing this demon behind Annabelle.
00:34:55.119 --> 00:35:04.880
Now, one scene that I also really, really appreciated, and this is where I was getting to earlier of like, okay, the things that I found personally intimidating or f or frightening.
00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:12.800
There's a moment where Mia is on her sewing machine watching TV, and then also the Jiffy Pop is going.
00:35:13.199 --> 00:35:13.679
Yeah.
00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:20.880
And I absolutely love that we got another Jiffy Pop scene in horror that isn't screamed from 1996.
00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:23.280
Ah, good.
00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:24.000
Good stuff.
00:35:24.159 --> 00:35:24.320
Yeah.
00:35:24.880 --> 00:35:29.840
Okay, so Annabelle is out here with a demon, is out here turning on all the burners.
00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:31.519
The jiffy pop is going.
00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:39.360
And it's not just that we get and see that Mia is sewing and is a little distracted.
00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:47.199
It's that we expect in the almost final destination like event, we expect that she's gonna start sewing into her entire fucking finger.
00:35:47.599 --> 00:35:51.039
So when she only nicks it, it was like a great relief for me.
00:35:51.519 --> 00:35:51.679
Yeah.
00:35:52.079 --> 00:36:00.079
But I grew up so afraid watching my mom use her sewing machine because that needle looks so fucking painful.
00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:14.239
And when I was on the ship, our TV studio on the ship where I was working was very close to the embroidery shop where the bosun's mates would like do all the fucking embroidering on like ball caps and uniforms, etc.
00:36:14.639 --> 00:36:20.639
I saw someone who actually, like this is like an industrial-sized embroiderer, fucking got their finger caught in there.
00:36:20.960 --> 00:36:22.800
So those things freak me the fuck out.
00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:24.239
You could not pay me to sew.
00:36:24.559 --> 00:36:28.159
And you could not pay me to get near a sewing machine in a fucking horror movie.
00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:30.719
I have an old sewing machine in my garage right now.
00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:31.519
Of course you do.
00:36:31.599 --> 00:36:32.559
You and Binks both.
00:36:32.639 --> 00:36:33.679
Jesus Christ.
00:36:34.719 --> 00:36:52.880
I think it also just did a really great job at just building the tension because you are sitting there with the close-ups constantly going back to the sewing machine and her fingers so close to it and such a close-up of it that yeah, you're just thinking the whole time, oh my god, you're bracing for her to nick her finger.
00:36:52.960 --> 00:36:58.480
You're you're bracing for it the whole time, and it's constantly building tension.
00:36:58.639 --> 00:37:07.280
So I agree, not because I'm scared of that stuff or because I have any history with sewing machines, but just because it actually
did an effective job at building tension.
00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:12.639
Some of the best tension in the movie, outside of I like your dolls, and then being trapped in a fucking basement.
00:37:12.880 --> 00:37:13.679
Yeah, for sure.
00:37:13.760 --> 00:37:17.119
But the basement in the elevator was, you know, kind of a fun scene.
00:37:17.280 --> 00:37:18.639
I thought it was pretty fun.
00:37:18.800 --> 00:37:25.440
And the the funny thing is, is that we really don't even see anything, you know, that much or at all in this whole scene.
00:37:25.679 --> 00:37:28.320
But I do think that it was kind of fun.
00:37:28.400 --> 00:37:31.760
I think, you know, Mia's going into the which is I don't know.
00:37:31.840 --> 00:37:43.760
I don't I guess I haven't lived in that many apartment buildings, but to have a basement storage area like that that looks like a bunch of like cages in the dark seems like a really strange thing.
00:37:43.920 --> 00:37:47.840
Maybe that's was more common back then, or maybe it's like a city thing.
00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:48.960
I have no idea.
00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:51.039
Listen, Sean, it was the 60s.
00:37:51.119 --> 00:37:52.159
What are you gonna do?
00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:58.639
Yeah, I mean, it's probably like parking garages now, but uh dang, that was absolutely wild.
00:37:58.880 --> 00:38:02.559
So, you know, the I the poor lighting just added to it.
00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:22.400
Of course, the the thing that I thought was really well done is obviously she sees like this this whole thing, she starts to hear these things, she sees this thing, she sees that old stroller or whatever, and she's getting freaked out, and she runs back to the elevator, closes the elevator, has this moment of relief.
00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:24.159
Like she's like, Great, I'm done.
00:38:24.239 --> 00:38:35.920
And then it opens and she's not even paying attention, and she goes to walk out and notices that she's still on the same floor, and so she freaks out, goes back in, and it keeps fucking with her like this.
00:38:36.079 --> 00:38:40.880
And I it was actually a pretty fun moment for for this movie.
00:38:41.119 --> 00:38:47.599
And it keeps going and going and going, and then eventually she just has to run right through it.
00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:58.079
Sean, the trick here is when you have this happen to you, hold down the number of the floor that you're going to and hold down the closed door button, it'll force the elevator to go up.
00:38:58.639 --> 00:39:02.159
Unless the entity is stopping the elevator from going up.
00:39:02.480 --> 00:39:04.960
Then I think you have bigger problems, quite frankly.
00:39:05.280 --> 00:39:06.000
That's true.
00:39:06.239 --> 00:39:13.280
Again, horror movies show you between this, between Resident Evil, I just went to go see crawlers in theater.
00:39:13.440 --> 00:39:15.760
There's a final destination movie involving an elevator.
00:39:16.079 --> 00:39:16.320
That's true.
00:39:16.639 --> 00:39:19.199
Lots of good reasons to just avoid elevators.
00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:20.079
Yeah.
00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:23.840
Stairs are a good choice, sometimes the safest choice.
00:39:24.159 --> 00:39:39.199
Another moment that I thought was kind of fun, not like super scary, like it may get a lot of people, to be honest with you, but it's the moment where Mia's getting messed with and sees little Annabelle Higgins running through the house and trips her eventually.
00:39:39.360 --> 00:39:41.039
She's chasing her through the house.
00:39:41.280 --> 00:40:06.800
One thing led to another, and she was in a room, turns around and notices little Annabelle Higgins from across the hall in the other room, and the door is like halfway shut almost, and the kid starts running towards her, but as she bursts through the door, she turns into the grown Annabelle Higgins, which was kind of effective and like charges at her, and she gets really scared.
00:40:06.960 --> 00:40:09.760
What a great reaction that Mia had as a character.
00:40:09.920 --> 00:40:11.199
A lot of good emotion there.
00:40:12.480 --> 00:40:20.800
Let me also just tell you that the woman who plays Mia in this film reminded me of two different people the entire time.
00:40:21.199 --> 00:40:26.400
That was Diana Agron from Glee and Jessica Roth from Happy Death Day.
00:40:27.280 --> 00:40:29.840
But this actress is named Annabelle Wallace.
00:40:30.239 --> 00:40:36.719
Funny to be an Annabelle starring in a movie called Annabelle, and for you yourself to not be the Annabelle.
00:40:36.880 --> 00:40:41.679
You may have also seen her in the Tom Cruise Mummy, or maybe you didn't, because don't see that fucking movie.
00:40:41.760 --> 00:40:42.239
It's terrible.
00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:44.079
Oh my god, I forgot she was in that.
00:40:44.159 --> 00:40:44.719
That's so true.
00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:45.920
She's also a malignant.
00:40:46.239 --> 00:40:48.639
But a great character in this movie, nonetheless.
00:40:48.800 --> 00:40:54.079
Definitely, I think when you think of what this character is, I think you, you know, you can definitely relate.
00:40:54.239 --> 00:40:56.880
She's a she's a caring, determined mother.
00:40:57.039 --> 00:40:57.679
She's vulnerable.
00:40:57.760 --> 00:40:59.440
She's very vulnerable in this movie.
00:40:59.599 --> 00:41:02.960
She's, I think, you know, she is a good protagonist.
00:41:03.119 --> 00:41:07.440
I think that Mia gives this film its emotional center.
00:41:07.760 --> 00:41:19.360
The horror becomes, I think, way more personal because she's not just trying to save herself, she's trying to keep her child safe, which I think is always something that adds a little bit to these types of films.
00:41:19.599 --> 00:41:22.880
She was just a good compelling protagonist, I would say.
00:41:23.199 --> 00:41:33.679
Yeah, I absolutely adored her, and I absolutely adored the fact that she didn't just roll over and give in to John anytime that he crossed her.
00:41:34.079 --> 00:41:44.079
So for example, there was a moment where they're discussing just how she's feeling, and she hits it back with a quote of, You know that being a doctor doesn't make you an expert on everything, right?
00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:49.280
Which I absolutely appreciated because John was pissing me the fuck off throughout this movie.
00:41:49.519 --> 00:41:54.320
Then he would have moments of like, okay, no, you actually seem like a nice guy, just a little bit of an idiot sometimes.
00:41:54.639 --> 00:41:57.039
And then goes right back to pissing me off again.
00:41:57.199 --> 00:41:59.360
I'm just like, I'm fucking over this guy.
00:41:59.599 --> 00:41:59.760
Yeah.
00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:11.599
But Mia's range between her moments of joy to her moments of just coming undone and unraveled, but still being so fucking strong to try to keep this shit together.
00:42:11.840 --> 00:42:13.039
I absolutely loved her.
00:42:13.199 --> 00:42:16.880
Yeah, no, she was definitely good, but I agree with you with John.
00:42:17.920 --> 00:42:21.199
Her husband as a character, it is kind of back and forth, right?
00:42:21.280 --> 00:42:31.599
Like in one end, I think John provides this kind of grounded contrast to Mia's, you know, frightening experiences, but he does have some skepticism, which sometimes feels understandable.
00:42:31.760 --> 00:42:32.880
He wants to believe.
00:42:32.960 --> 00:42:36.159
You can kind of see like he is supportive in a way, you know.
00:42:36.239 --> 00:42:46.880
He he's not like 100% doubting her, but then there are moments where his skepticism becomes a little bit frustrating when Mia is clearly terrified.
00:42:47.039 --> 00:42:59.519
So he sometimes feels like the standard horror movie husband who needs the extra evidence before accepting the obvious, but it is a tough thing because he isn't like the worst that we've gotten.
00:42:59.599 --> 00:43:05.840
And so is John being reasonably skeptical, or does this movie keep him in denial just to prolong the conflict?
00:43:05.920 --> 00:43:06.639
I don't know.
00:43:06.960 --> 00:43:08.159
Well, you know what, Sean?
00:43:08.239 --> 00:43:09.280
Here's how I feel about that.
00:43:09.360 --> 00:43:20.559
The worst that we see of John happens before any of the shit even goes wrong, and that is when he makes her pregnancy his wife and his baby sound like an inconvenience to his career.
00:43:20.960 --> 00:43:21.760
That's where it is.
00:43:22.159 --> 00:43:28.079
You better make very clear that you're talking about your residency and not the wife and child that you have here in your home.
00:43:28.800 --> 00:43:29.679
I absolutely not.
00:43:29.840 --> 00:43:30.000
No.
00:43:30.159 --> 00:43:31.360
So that that was one thing.
00:43:31.519 --> 00:43:35.280
He's at worst someone who centers himself over his family.
00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:45.519
At best, a guy who's a little bit of a buffoon and doesn't fucking choose his words wisely, doesn't think before he speaks, which is also problematic for someone who wants to be a doctor, I would say.
00:43:46.000 --> 00:43:59.760
But in addition to that, what kills me is that for all the good that he does in terms of wheeling the TV and getting her her snacks or her cravings, all these little like superficial gestures of love and support, he undermines.
00:44:00.480 --> 00:44:12.079
It by not listening to her, by not respecting what she's saying, and then having the fucking audacity to then say, I love you, I'll always believe you.
00:44:13.519 --> 00:44:15.280
You spent this whole movie not believing her.
00:44:15.360 --> 00:44:16.800
What are you talking about?
00:44:17.280 --> 00:44:20.639
Where he did listen was when she said, Oh, I can't go back in that house.
00:44:20.880 --> 00:44:22.400
I'm not gonna go back in that house.
00:44:22.639 --> 00:44:30.320
He didn't do what we've seen from shitty horror dads in the past and said, Well, we got too much sunk in this, so we're gonna have to deal with it.
00:44:30.559 --> 00:44:30.880
Yeah.
00:44:31.119 --> 00:44:32.480
Okay, good for you.
00:44:32.559 --> 00:44:36.480
I'm so glad you didn't do that bare minimum fucking treatment.
00:44:36.800 --> 00:44:39.679
But it doesn't make you fucking great.
00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:49.039
He did also decide to go on a business trip mid-pregnancy or pretty late in the pregnancy, which seems like just a really bad decision, no matter what the circumstances.
00:44:49.679 --> 00:44:58.159
And I know that you're also in a situation here, sir, where you have to navigate your residency and getting all this done.
00:44:58.480 --> 00:45:00.079
But what other options are there?
00:45:00.320 --> 00:45:06.559
Or could you not have arranged for literally anybody in your family to stay with your pregnant wife if this is something that you had to do?
00:45:06.800 --> 00:45:12.000
You all just got attacked by a cultist in your house in the middle of the night.
00:45:12.239 --> 00:45:13.760
Your wife is on bed rest.
00:45:14.159 --> 00:45:16.079
Get a nursed or something?
00:45:16.239 --> 00:45:17.519
Like, there's come on.
00:45:17.679 --> 00:45:19.119
That was that one got me.
00:45:19.360 --> 00:45:22.960
I understand that like for work, not everything is always a choice.
00:45:23.280 --> 00:45:31.199
There are other choices that could have been made in the periphery of this obligation that could have made this go very, very differently.
00:45:31.360 --> 00:45:35.039
So also, if you're not gonna hook the popcorn, take it off the fucking stove.
00:45:35.199 --> 00:45:36.320
Why'd you leave it sitting there?
00:45:36.719 --> 00:45:37.679
That's also his fault.
00:45:37.920 --> 00:45:38.159
Yeah.
00:45:38.320 --> 00:45:39.039
Okay, sorry.
00:45:39.119 --> 00:45:40.079
Enough about John.
00:45:40.159 --> 00:45:43.760
I'm just gonna sit here and trash this man who was also kind of nice in a lot of moments.
00:45:44.159 --> 00:45:45.199
I know it's tough.
00:45:45.519 --> 00:45:48.320
Interesting dynamic, this this couple in this movie.
00:45:48.400 --> 00:45:52.159
We talked, you know, about Evelyn a little bit already.
00:45:52.320 --> 00:45:54.639
We talked about Father Perez a little bit.
00:45:54.800 --> 00:46:12.559
And I think what's interesting for me, like just to kind of touch a little bit more on Annabelle as a character, Annabelle the doll, I should say, as a character, is you know, we know that this doll now becomes a conduit for this demonic entity that's unleashed.
00:46:12.960 --> 00:46:21.119
And what I think, you know, obviously we have touched on already, is the doll's kind of grotesque design is is very memorable.
00:46:21.280 --> 00:46:25.679
It's the reason, there's a reason why we got a spin-off basically of this doll.
00:46:25.760 --> 00:46:29.039
It's because the look is scary as hell.
00:46:29.199 --> 00:46:32.320
Like I can just look at the cover for this movie and not be okay.
00:46:32.639 --> 00:46:34.960
I don't like looking at this doll for too long.
00:46:35.199 --> 00:46:44.159
But the problem with me is the doll itself has very little personality because the real antagonist is the demon that's using it.
00:46:44.320 --> 00:46:51.840
So the movie now relies on the doll's appearance as an icon more than it develops the mythology behind it.
00:46:52.000 --> 00:47:00.559
And so the problem is, is Annabelle actually the villain in this movie, or is Annabelle basically a demonic Airbnb for a much nastier tenant?
00:47:00.800 --> 00:47:04.400
Yeah, I love the idea of the Airbnb.
00:47:04.719 --> 00:47:09.840
I think she's a DLC cosmetic that got downloaded by Satan, and that's about it.
00:47:10.079 --> 00:47:12.639
Yeah, but that like, does it do it any favors?
00:47:12.719 --> 00:47:22.639
You know, for a movie called Annabelle and the doll being the center showcase of this thing, did it do it any favors to really take more away from the from the doll itself?
00:47:22.960 --> 00:47:31.280
The other problem that I have with this, Sean, and and maybe this is because I grew up around a lot of porcelain dolls that do look really fucking creepy.
00:47:31.519 --> 00:47:33.760
Why is this doll still being purchased?
00:47:34.159 --> 00:47:38.400
This doll, I get it, was a collector's item, but it's damaged.
00:47:38.480 --> 00:47:42.320
It's damaged goods, it's dirty, and nobody is trying to restore this fucking thing.
00:47:42.559 --> 00:47:46.159
It looks so creepy by the end of this.
00:47:46.239 --> 00:47:57.679
Now, I get how it could have been purchased when Mia got it as a gift because it didn't look nearly as bad, but we're talking about this doll now looks so deranged.
00:47:57.920 --> 00:48:08.239
The literally the it the glassy eyes and just the dirtiness of it, the raggedness of it, the evilness of the of the face now pops out more.
00:48:08.320 --> 00:48:15.039
And you're telling me somebody's just gonna walk into an antique shop and be like, yeah, this is the thing that I need to buy.
00:48:15.199 --> 00:48:17.119
Anyone buying this doll has problems.
00:48:17.199 --> 00:48:18.320
I'm just saying it right now.
00:48:18.639 --> 00:48:20.079
Fucking terrible, man.
00:48:20.320 --> 00:48:21.360
Fucking terrible.
00:48:21.519 --> 00:48:22.239
No, thank you.
00:48:22.559 --> 00:48:29.599
But I will say I think the best thing Annabelle has going for it, and I said it earlier, is the atmosphere.
00:48:29.679 --> 00:48:35.119
This it's the the cinematography at all, the shadows, the the creepy apartment setting.
00:48:35.360 --> 00:48:37.599
You can throw Annabelle the doll in there as well.
00:48:37.679 --> 00:48:40.159
That's just a hideous doll to look at.
00:48:40.320 --> 00:48:46.000
And and I think when you mix it all together, you feel like something terrible could happen at any moment.
00:48:46.239 --> 00:48:51.280
And you know, I think that you know, Woodard brings some genuine heart to the story.
00:48:51.360 --> 00:48:56.639
So, you know, I okay, I I can get there, and and there's a good horror movie hiding in there somewhere.
00:48:56.719 --> 00:49:04.880
I just unfortunately it feels like maybe the demon got to the screenplay before the filmmakers could finish it, but they had a good look going for it.
00:49:05.039 --> 00:49:06.159
If looks could kill.
00:49:06.639 --> 00:49:09.599
I think it's hilarious that you said a demon beat them to the screenplay.
00:49:09.679 --> 00:49:10.719
That's kind of fucked up.
00:49:10.960 --> 00:49:18.159
Listen, I I've gone on about the worst part of this movie for me, which is John, although not the worst horror husband we've ever seen.
00:49:18.239 --> 00:49:21.280
My god, he just made a lot of this movie insufferable.
00:49:21.679 --> 00:49:27.519
But overall, I'm happy to show that that is in no way impeding me from ever watching this again.
00:49:27.679 --> 00:49:32.880
And in fact, what I am open to, and it's not gonna be anytime soon, I'm gonna take a little break.
00:49:33.199 --> 00:49:40.239
What I'm excited to do is to do a walkthrough of Annabelle Creation, Annabelle, then Annabelle Comes Home.
00:49:40.400 --> 00:49:45.119
I feel like I just I've never seen Annabelle Comes Home either, so I feel like I just have to stack them all up.
00:49:45.519 --> 00:49:46.320
Why would I have seen it?
00:49:46.400 --> 00:49:47.199
I didn't watch the first animal.
00:49:47.280 --> 00:49:48.400
I don't know, I guess that's true.
00:49:48.639 --> 00:49:50.400
Okay, so here's what I'm thinking, Sean.
00:49:50.559 --> 00:49:56.880
We do a watch along commentary, and we'll both watch all three movies back to back to back.
00:49:58.159 --> 00:49:59.199
Just blitz them.
00:49:59.599 --> 00:50:02.639
Just blitz them, because at some point we gotta make sense of it.
00:50:02.960 --> 00:50:11.280
But until then, folks, for now, Annabelle in 2014 has earned one hack and one slash.
00:50:11.440 --> 00:50:16.320
Now we certainly had a robust discussion here, but the conversation about this movie
doesn't end here by any means.
00:50:16.559 --> 00:50:18.719
Yeah, what did you think about Annabelle?
00:50:18.800 --> 00:50:20.480
Did it elevate the franchise?
00:50:20.639 --> 00:50:22.000
Did we miss anything?
00:50:22.239 --> 00:50:23.519
We want to know what you think.
00:50:23.679 --> 00:50:27.039
You can join in on the conversation on our Discord, our subreddit.
00:50:27.199 --> 00:50:28.880
You can find the links in our show notes.
00:50:28.960 --> 00:50:48.400
And if you want to find out how you can go even further than this episode, consider supporting the show by visiting patreon.com slash hackerslash because this is where you can enjoy even more of the show, including bonus content with early access, extended episodes with our B-sides, which are free sides through the spooky season.
00:50:48.559 --> 00:50:52.320
You can take part in movie nominations and of course live shows.
00:50:52.800 --> 00:50:56.880
See you next time, folks, and remember, crazy people do crazy things.
00:50:57.119 --> 00:51:00.159
Well, maybe one day we can all be friends.
00:51:08.719 --> 00:51:15.119
Alright, Sean, how much do you actually know about the doll upon which this story is based?
00:51:15.440 --> 00:51:20.400
Well, I can tell you what I know 100%, and it this doll does not look scary at all.
00:51:20.480 --> 00:51:22.000
It's a fucking Raggedy Ann doll.
00:51:22.159 --> 00:51:22.880
That's what I do know.
00:51:23.119 --> 00:51:33.679
Yeah, how John Carpenter was able to feature Raggedy Ann in Halloween 1978, and then we're also able to do it again in Halloween Resurrection is beyond fucking me.
00:51:33.760 --> 00:51:37.199
But they couldn't get it for Annabelle, they couldn't get it for the conjuring franchise.
00:51:37.440 --> 00:51:39.920
Would this have even worked with a Raggedy Ann doll?
00:51:40.079 --> 00:51:41.199
Like, I don't, I don't know.
00:51:41.519 --> 00:51:45.280
I just am looking at Raggedy Ann right now, and I'm like, this is not it.
00:51:45.360 --> 00:51:46.960
I'm not scared of this doll at all.
00:51:47.119 --> 00:51:57.360
Yeah, so to be clear, the real Annabelle, to Sean's point, is a plain classic Raggedy Ann with red yarn hair.
00:51:57.599 --> 00:52:09.360
And after they couldn't get the licensing for Raggedy Ann, they made the porcelain doll to also create the image of a more horror movie friendly entity creature.
00:52:09.679 --> 00:52:12.400
And I think that was the right choice, to be honest with you.
00:52:12.639 --> 00:52:14.960
But I know that there's a lot of lore around this doll.
00:52:15.039 --> 00:52:18.800
I know that you know there are things that happen when people have tried to move this doll.
00:52:19.360 --> 00:52:21.599
Alright, so let's let's actually get into this lore.
00:52:21.679 --> 00:52:29.760
And I also want to point out that this story is it has various slight differences and accounts as you go.
00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:35.360
Everything that we're about to discuss is what the Warrens have shared as an account.
00:52:35.840 --> 00:52:41.119
And we have already discussed and Lorraine Warren at length in Anauseum on our conjuring episodes.
00:52:41.440 --> 00:52:44.159
So take this with a big ol' fucking grain of salt.
00:52:44.480 --> 00:52:52.239
But essentially, the story goes a 28-year-old nurse received a doll as a birthday gift from her mother.
00:52:52.719 --> 00:52:56.000
That's where what happens at the end of this movie that we just saw.
00:52:56.960 --> 00:53:08.239
Older tellings say the mother bought at a second-hand store, but Donna is the nurse, and Donna shared the apartment with a roommate named Angie.
00:53:08.559 --> 00:53:12.880
Now, they reported that the doll changed position on its own.
00:53:12.960 --> 00:53:19.440
So Donna and Angie began finding it on the couch after they left it locked in Donna's room.
00:53:19.920 --> 00:53:20.960
That's fucking creepy.
00:53:21.280 --> 00:53:21.599
Yeah.
00:53:21.840 --> 00:53:25.920
I mean, anytime something shows up in the different place is not right for sure.
00:53:26.239 --> 00:53:26.480
Yeah.
00:53:26.800 --> 00:53:30.960
What this could have also been was a s a strange person in their apartment doing things to fuck with him.
00:53:31.679 --> 00:53:32.000
True.
00:53:32.320 --> 00:53:36.159
If you've seen Carrie, you've also heard a little bit of this from Mr.
00:53:36.239 --> 00:53:37.119
Billy Nolan.
00:53:37.519 --> 00:53:40.480
The other element that they reported were notes.
00:53:40.719 --> 00:53:48.639
So there were messages in a child's handwriting that appeared on parchment reading help us and help Lou.
00:53:49.039 --> 00:53:54.480
That detail is particularly odd because the women say that they never owned parchment paper.
00:53:54.960 --> 00:53:58.079
Also odd because Raggedy Ann doesn't have fingers.
00:53:58.400 --> 00:54:01.440
Nope, sure doesn't, but demons don't need doll fingers.
00:54:02.000 --> 00:54:04.960
They also said that the doll appeared to leak blood.
00:54:05.519 --> 00:54:06.000
Nasty.
00:54:06.400 --> 00:54:07.119
Super nasty.
00:54:07.199 --> 00:54:08.960
We hate a doll with a menstrual cycle.
00:54:09.199 --> 00:54:14.320
Now, after about a month of all this going on, Donna contacted a medium.
00:54:14.719 --> 00:54:19.760
And the medium said the doll held the spirit of a dead seven-year-old girl named Annabelle.
00:54:20.000 --> 00:54:27.119
Later retellings give her surname as Higgins, and they say that she was found dead in the field where the apartment complex was built.
00:54:27.440 --> 00:54:30.480
And the roommates gave the spirit permission to inhabit the doll.
00:54:30.719 --> 00:54:33.039
And the warrants say things got worse from there.
00:54:33.360 --> 00:54:33.519
Okay.
00:54:34.159 --> 00:54:35.519
Now there's Lou.
00:54:35.599 --> 00:54:38.239
So I mentioned earlier there were some notes that said help Lou.
00:54:38.480 --> 00:54:41.039
Lou is a friend who distrusted the doll.
00:54:41.280 --> 00:54:48.800
And in one
account, he actually woke up paralyzed and choking with the doll gliding up his body.
00:54:49.039 --> 00:54:53.840
In another, he felt a sharp pain across his chest after hearing someone behind him.
00:54:54.320 --> 00:55:02.079
The retellings describe seven claw marks, three vertical and four horizontal, which reportedly healed within two days.
00:55:04.960 --> 00:55:06.480
No, superficial shit.
00:55:07.039 --> 00:55:10.159
So after that, that's when the Warrens start getting involved.
00:55:10.239 --> 00:55:18.320
So Donna contacted an Episcopal priest named Father Hagen, who passed the case of Father Cook, who then called Ed and Lorraine Warren.
00:55:18.960 --> 00:55:21.360
The Warrens obviously then interviewed everyone.
00:55:21.679 --> 00:55:27.119
Father Cook then performed an Episcopal blessing, described as an exorcism on the apartment.
00:55:27.360 --> 00:55:30.639
And then Donna asked the Warrens to take that fucking doll with them.
00:55:30.880 --> 00:55:33.840
And then they've just had it in their possession ever since.
00:55:34.079 --> 00:55:34.559
Mm-hmm.
00:55:34.800 --> 00:55:36.719
But listen, you've seen the story.
00:55:42.960 --> 00:55:45.679
Do you know anything about what the Warrens experienced with Annabelle?
00:55:46.079 --> 00:55:46.880
Not really.
00:55:47.039 --> 00:55:51.440
Not not truthfully, or at least not from what we get in the franchise.
00:55:51.679 --> 00:55:58.079
So according to the Warrens, when they had the doll with them in the car, the car stalled and swerved on the drive home.
00:55:58.400 --> 00:55:59.039
Oh sick.
00:55:59.199 --> 00:55:59.920
That's what I'm saying.
00:56:00.000 --> 00:56:06.559
Like I didn't know that specific detail, but I knew that there was shit that happens when people try to move this doll around.
00:56:06.800 --> 00:56:07.920
Even to today.
00:56:08.159 --> 00:56:13.440
Didn't the person that was like taking this fucking thing on tour like something weird happen to this dude?
00:56:13.679 --> 00:56:21.119
Yeah, so there's been a lot that's been happening with Annabelle as of late, especially because the Warren's home and museum was sold.
00:56:21.360 --> 00:56:24.320
Annabelle essentially went on a tour.
00:56:24.559 --> 00:56:25.840
It's a national tour.
00:56:26.000 --> 00:56:30.880
And there's been rumors that some people said like the Annabelle went missing during the tour.
00:56:31.119 --> 00:56:36.960
That wasn't necessarily accurate, but Annabelle's handler at the time was Dan Rivera.
00:56:37.280 --> 00:56:44.400
Dan Rivera was a US Army veteran who was from Connecticut, began attending Lorraine Warren's lectures.
00:56:44.559 --> 00:56:50.960
He worked with her in her final years, and he was named NESPR Lead Investigator in 2011.
00:56:51.440 --> 00:56:55.760
So he was a reputable pillar of the community.
00:56:56.159 --> 00:57:01.440
And he sadly passed away in his hotel room during the tour.
00:57:01.679 --> 00:57:04.400
Not with Annabelle, not anything of that
nature.
00:57:04.639 --> 00:57:11.679
The coroner really revealed that it was cardiac related and natural because he had a known history of heart issues.
00:57:11.920 --> 00:57:12.559
It's sad.
00:57:12.639 --> 00:57:14.880
It's fucking terrible for his family.
00:57:15.199 --> 00:57:16.079
Yeah, for sure.
00:57:16.559 --> 00:57:24.079
Now, my belief about some of the copious amounts of bullshit that the Warrens have spun are in no way related to this man.
00:57:24.639 --> 00:57:28.239
There are a couple other things that have been claimed.
00:57:28.559 --> 00:57:33.840
So one, there was a priest who mocked Annabelle as harmless.
00:57:34.159 --> 00:57:40.559
Lorraine warned him to drive carefully, and he reportedly had a near fatal crash that totaled his new car.
00:57:40.719 --> 00:57:46.159
And in a 1987 talk, the warren said a priest who insulted the doll ran his car into a tree.
00:57:46.480 --> 00:57:51.679
Okay, so you know, this is given isn't this giv this is given some like Robert the Doll kind of stuff.
00:57:51.920 --> 00:57:53.280
See, that's what I'm fucking saying.
00:57:53.360 --> 00:57:56.239
I mean my aunt had a weird experience with Robert the Doll.
00:57:56.480 --> 00:57:59.760
Yeah, don't talk to ask permission.
00:58:00.000 --> 00:58:01.119
Ask permission.
00:58:01.840 --> 00:58:03.360
Don't call him out of the street.
00:58:03.760 --> 00:58:06.000
Disrespect, yeah, don't disrespect the doll.
00:58:06.639 --> 00:58:10.960
Another story goes that a young museum visitor heard about Lou.
00:58:11.039 --> 00:58:13.519
So again, Lou was the guy who had all the claw marks.
00:58:14.320 --> 00:58:19.119
And this motorcyclist banged on the case and dared the doll to scratch him.
00:58:19.440 --> 00:58:24.239
And the Warrens later claimed that he crashed his motorcycle on the way home and died instantly.
00:58:24.559 --> 00:58:25.119
That's true.
00:58:25.280 --> 00:58:27.440
I mean, there's only one way to find out.
00:58:27.679 --> 00:58:30.159
But Sean, do you know where Annabelle is right now?
00:58:30.400 --> 00:58:31.519
Where is Annabelle right now?
00:58:31.679 --> 00:58:32.800
Annabelle's in Salem.
00:58:33.039 --> 00:58:33.599
Oh really?
00:58:33.760 --> 00:58:34.239
Mm-hmm.
00:58:34.559 --> 00:58:34.960
Uh-huh.
00:58:35.199 --> 00:58:35.440
Okay.
00:58:35.679 --> 00:58:37.440
Yeah, there is a new museum.
00:58:37.599 --> 00:58:40.079
It opened on August 27, 2026.
00:58:40.159 --> 00:58:41.599
It has 13 rooms.
00:58:41.840 --> 00:58:44.719
There is admission starting at like 66 bucks.
00:58:44.880 --> 00:58:46.880
Well,$66.60.
00:58:47.199 --> 00:58:49.679
And it is leased through December 23rd.
00:58:50.000 --> 00:58:50.719
Couldn't be better.
00:58:50.880 --> 00:58:53.519
The wife of Annabelle literally getting fame.
00:58:53.840 --> 00:58:55.679
Would you actually go visit Annabelle?
00:58:55.920 --> 00:58:56.960
I would for sure.
00:58:57.199 --> 00:59:01.280
If I could get to Salem to see, I mean, I wouldn't go in there mocking Annabelle.
00:59:01.519 --> 00:59:04.800
I would be respectful, but I would definitely go see the doll.
00:59:05.199 --> 00:59:07.440
Because you respect women because you're such a feminist.
00:59:07.679 --> 00:59:09.280
And I respect the entities, you know.
00:59:09.360 --> 00:59:11.199
I'm just trying to vibe, you know.
00:59:12.000 --> 00:59:13.679
So you also respect Robert, got it.
00:59:13.840 --> 00:59:15.039
Yeah, Robert, I'm not going.
00:59:15.280 --> 00:59:18.880
I'm just gonna go say what's up, ask if I can take a picture, you know.
00:59:18.960 --> 00:59:19.519
That's all.
00:59:19.679 --> 00:59:24.320
I highly doubt I'll be able to, but if I was able to go to Salem before the end of December, that would be kind of dope.
00:59:24.559 --> 00:59:25.679
What's stopping you, Sean?
00:59:25.760 --> 00:59:26.960
Don't let your dreams be dreams.
00:59:27.199 --> 00:59:29.440
It's not that far-fetched, you know.
00:59:29.679 --> 00:59:31.599
Could spend a little weekend trip.
00:59:31.840 --> 00:59:32.639
Not bad.
00:59:32.960 --> 00:59:33.920
In this museum.
00:59:34.079 --> 00:59:38.320
They even have a bypass corridor for anyone who wants to skip the Annabelle room.
00:59:38.559 --> 00:59:39.039
Nice.
00:59:39.199 --> 00:59:40.239
I mean, that's safe.
00:59:40.400 --> 00:59:40.960
Oh, damn.
00:59:41.039 --> 00:59:46.159
And this October they have a VIP photo experience with the doll and Bonnie Ahrens who played the nun.
00:59:46.320 --> 00:59:47.920
The Haunted Warren Museum.
00:59:48.079 --> 00:59:54.559
Oh no, I'm gonna give you the this looks like a Chat GPT graphic of a website if I've ever seen one.
00:59:54.880 --> 00:59:57.760
It's a museum full of the Warren stuff.
00:59:58.000 --> 00:59:58.320
Yeah.
00:59:58.559 --> 01:00:00.079
Okay, I could get behind that.
01:00:00.320 --> 01:00:03.599
Okay, flashlight experience starting at 6660.
01:00:03.760 --> 01:00:14.320
Encounter the real Annabelle and explore the Haunted Warren Museum filled with more than a thousand haunted objects, cursed artifacts, true crime items, and occult relics through an immersive self-guided flashlight experience.
01:00:14.639 --> 01:00:16.400
You have to go in with a flashlight?
01:00:17.519 --> 01:00:19.440
Paranormal investigation experience.
01:00:19.599 --> 01:00:21.119
Hey, Sean, we could do this.
01:00:21.360 --> 01:00:22.719
We could definitely do this.
01:00:22.960 --> 01:00:25.039
Only available November to December.
01:00:25.280 --> 01:00:32.000
Explore the Haunted Warren Museum during a three and a half hour paranormal investigation experience that includes a photo with a real Annabelle.
01:00:32.159 --> 01:00:37.920
Get familiar with investigation equipment, take a museum walkthrough, and then begin your investigation with guides available to help.
01:00:38.079 --> 01:00:43.519
Your experience includes a flashlight, special gifts, and a photo with Annabelle taken by our team and delivered digitally by the end of the evening.
01:00:43.760 --> 01:00:45.119
That could be kind of fun, actually.
01:00:45.440 --> 01:00:46.559
It's only$250.
01:00:47.039 --> 01:00:47.679
That's not bad.
01:00:47.920 --> 01:00:48.719
Might be worth it.
01:00:48.880 --> 01:00:50.159
Let's go ghost hunt.