Annabelle (2014) - MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Annabelle is a prequel to the hit film, The Conjuring. The Conjuring was a movie based on a true story about a family who gradually became possessed by a demon. With help, they seek Lorraine and Ed Warren (Vera Framiga and Patrick Wilson). However, Lorraine and Ed have a collection of 'possessed' items, including one doll called Annabelle. The 2014 film, directed by John R. Leonetti, reveals the story behind Annabelle and how it got into Ed Warren's case which he said to have had it blessed by a priest twice a week.

The film follows up on a young couple that live happy in their suburban house. Oh, sorry, yes, there we have it. A horror film that starts with a family in their home! Meaning... they lived there before the film even started! Anyway, Mia Gordon (Annabelle Wallis) is a heavily pregnant woman who is married to medical student, John Gordon (Ward Holton). They are apart of the Christian church so of course, there will be the cliché priest and his usual exorcism at the end of the film no doubt.

However, to obviously kick off this kind of prequel, you need a who, what, and why. Another little, subtle cliché, you have a news report about a cult that have gone on the rampage in the neighbourhood so that clearly sets the story for us. Of course, they skip to night because, well, they showed us who's going to show up the house next and yes, guess who! The cult are inside and terrorising Mia and John after murdering their next door neighbours who were mentioned to be the parents of Annabelle (actress not credited), the young girl who committed suicide whilst holding the doll (hence why the doll is called Annabelle) in Mia's nursery room.

The police luckily came in time to shoot the male leader of the cult and get Mia and John to safety. The scene of them leaving the house is skipped to seeing if their unborn child is safe, and it is so time for Mia and John to move back, besides the fact that two members of the neighbourhood's deadliest cult died in their house. Obviously now skipping on to do the whole 'now a happy family, nothing to worry about' cliché as they are now in a local apartment after their house burnt down, supposedly burning the demons.

Mia and her now born child, Leah (actress not credited), spend most of their time alone because obviously the whole 6 months have passed and John obviously passed medical school. However, after soon discovering Annabelle was actually packed in the moving boxes... Wait, it took 6 months to unpack? Come on guys. Real world calling... but back to the point, they start getting the weird cliché objects moving, disappearing and strange voices... Oh and that creepy ass doll that was supposedly a rag doll in the actual true life story - can we please keep it real... But hey, the profit they made definitely came from the china chipped face and not some doll every kid had in their past. 

To be completely honest, take every horror film with what you assume would happen. Definitely Paranormal Activity! Include that... Make it an hour and half long and et voilà, you have Annabelle but include the creepy doll that was bought from some ancient voodoo land. This film is horror cliché galore and unless you like that 'oh my god, is this place haunted? I better stay and put my 6 month baby through the torture' then please sit and watch, just don't come running back.

Overall Choice: So bad, please don't make a second.

Let Me In (2010) - MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Let Me In may sound like your everyday kidnapper story but there is more to the title than you think. In mythical legends, it is believed that you had to personally invite a vampire into your home or they burn but in this film, nicely bleed to death. 

The film itself is more the classic vampire movie but far from the cringe nasty Twilight but not so gloomy as Dracula. Instead, this vampire film is more based on the more friendship level between a young vampire called Abby (Chloe Grace Moretz) and a

young human called Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee).

This film came from Tomas Alfredson, who adapted this Swedish cult story then became an American hit, by director Matt Reeves, and it tells the story of Owen and how he met Abby, a mysterious girl who moved in next door within in the block of flats with her father (Richard Jenkins).

Set in the Los Alamos, New Mexico and around the 1980s, Owen is the usual outcast, beat up boy who has no friends with a quiet, depressed mother (Cara Buono) and no father to be seen. He soon meets Abby who acts just like him with the personality, quiet and mysterious but a strong force that keeps her upfront, with no foot protection in the snow or warm clothes. One link that starts between their little young love story is the rubix cube. However, as Abby is inhuman, of course she has no idea what Owen has just presented so she decides to give it ago.

On the other hand, life for Abby is a little different from the bullied, alone Owen. She depends on her father far more than any other daughter in mind. Not only does her father protect her from being caught out by police, he also goes around to murder people for blood so Abby is fed and keeps sane, instead of going on an insane rampage. However, people start going missing everyday so protection and safety around the small town gets more of a concern, putting Abby and her father into the spotlight. 

Due to clues leading up to them, Abby fled after her father poured acid on himself to escape the police's radar, therefore giving good understanding that, of course, leaving poor Owen to defend for himself yet again. It did work but this whole malarkey of ditching a defenceless, loner with a terrible mother and bullies is literally just an hour and ten minutes wasted of the film, just to find out she never really cared in the first place. However, of course, what film works without a good ending? None, which is getting a little boring so having the bullies on verge to murder Owen, of course Little Miss Blood Thirsty Run Away comes to save the day. 

So, although it is different from all the malarkey, cliché filled vampire movies, this one did have a good storyline and had a good taste in horror; amazing and eerie cinematic music, and a near teen flick that gave it a good rating by IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. However, not my top 10 but a nice film to see.

Overall Choice: Bad

Insidious (2010) - MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Insidious, directed by James Wan, is the type of movie that was made to send chills down your spine as you recline in the comfort of your own home; even with every single light on to keep away the ghouls in the shadows that we still believes exists as an adult. 

As every horror film known to existence, you get the introduction and wide shots to clearly show that the suburban family from America have just moved home and show the good old fashioned, 'quiet spot in the area, where nothing happens' cliché. Also, you have the boxes everywhere and the tweaked shots to show it is obviously early morning, day one may I add, in the new house but the director clearly giving the order to the post-production team, "hello, this is a horror film so let's make sure we have the audience know that!"

However, kicking off the film, you have Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne), a housewife and mother, with her three young children, one of which a baby that I may think was given a contract to cry on scene every 5 minutes. In the other room, Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson), is clearly getting ready for work and already shows there is a marriage problem when Josh rushes off to his job, leaving Renai in distress and again, three children and one of which screaming at the fact her father has just left.

To link the horror to this family issue related film, they throw in some creepy, chilling music like someone plucking at a violin or beating a piano up then, on some occasions, getting someone who has never played a violin and a piano, to play them and hope it turns out well. In fact, it turned out so well, it added the tension to the moment their son, Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkons), heard clicking sounds from the shadows. Without music, it would honestly be leaving us wondering to what is actually happening so the bad, ear-piercing sounds do work; well done music and sound department!

Another thumbs up to the music and sound department is the good choice of song called 'Tip-Toe Through The Tulips' by Tiny Tim. The song is known for its high pitched vocal and catchy ukulele beat. The song is eerie and deformed at the same, which gives more taste and chills to the film. This song becomes the theme to the ghosts that Renai starts seeing in her home and when they come across the Lipstick-Face Demon (Joseph Bishara).

When discovering their home is actually haunted after Dalton falls into a coma after hitting his head in the attic, Lorraine Lamber (mother of Josh and played by Barbara Hershey), calls in an old friend and medium; Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) to help get the ghosts out of the house and also discover what has caused this. Again, another discovery, they realise that comatose Dalton is actually trapped in what seems like purgatory so they send in his father Josh to rescue him due to realisation that since a young boy (seen on the right) he is in fact still haunted by a black dressed crone.

To the near ending, it really shows a good twist, not something anyone would of thought because of the many ghosts in purgatory. The twist really puts the family into more distress to what really comes next. Besides all the good horror clichés, it really takes its own self into the horror list with a good variety of songs and ghostly demons. A definite must see in my top 10 horrors.

Overall Choice: Good.