The Corner Penthouse

October is one of my favorite times of the year. I love all of the Halloween movies and specials, and in the lead-up to the 31st, I'm going to tell you about a few new releases perfect for the Ghostbusters' busiest night of the year. Today, I'll take a look at the Annabelle Comes Home Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. Read on to find out more...


Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc on innocent victims, demonologists Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) lock the possessed doll in their home's special artifact room, placing her behind sacred glass. When the doll escapes and awakens the room's evil spirits, it conjures up an unholy night of horror for the Warrens' daughter Judy (McKenna Grace, from next year's new Ghostbusters film), her babysitter Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman), and Mary Ellen's friend Daniela (Katie Sarife), as they desperately battle to bring Annabelle's reign of terror to an end.


Annabelle Comes Home is the latest film in the Conjuring universe, which includes the two Conjuring films, the previous two Annabelle films, The Nun, The Curse of La Lorona, and even the DC superhero films Shazam and Aquaman; those last two become part of the universe due to the appearance of Annabelle in them. Aside from the last three films (which are tentatively linked), I did not watch any of the other films before watching Annabelle Comes Home as I wanted to judge it on its own merits.


What I found was an enjoyable, though slow-paced "old school" thriller that plods through all of the cliches from the films of the 1970s and 1980s; which is kinda fitting since the film takes place in the 1970s. The Warrens appear in a cameo, of sorts, as this is more of a "haunted house" film starring a babysitter, her best friend, and her young charge. The old babysitter trope isn't the only one trotted out. You'll also find the "dumb teen who does stupid stuff to start all of the trouble" trope, the "all alone in a haunted house with no escape" trope, the "asthmatic character" trope, and many more. So, if you keep your expectations low, you'll enjoy the acting and the atmosphere, and a few bits of creativeness.


Annabelle Comes Home is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio with a runtime of 1:46:05. Audio languages include English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The film includes English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles. The first print run includes a beautiful slipsleeve.


All of the bonus features that can be found on the disc are in HD.

• Behind the Scenes - Part 1: The Ferryman/Demon (5:18) - A look at Alexander Ward and the two terrifying characters he portrays in the film.
• Behind the Scenes - Part 2: The Bloody Bride (2:57) - Natalia Safran's bloody character is discussed.
• Behind the Scenes - Part 3: The Werewolf (3:07) - Creating the werewolf scene.
• The Artifact Room and the Occult (5:07) - A tour of the artifact room and the items contained therein.
• The Light and the Love (4:26) - A juxtaposition between Ed and Lorraine's love life and their work life.
• Deleted Scenes (11:28) - Included are "Scene 28: Roller Skate", "Scene 51: Kitchen", "Scene 53: Birthday Cake", "Scene 84: Daniela and the Bride", "Scenes 85/86: Search for Annabelle", "Scene 96: Alternative Ending", and "Scene 98: Talk About the Werewolf".

Also included in the Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack is a second DVD disc, which contains only the "Behind the Scenes - The Werewolf" featurette listed above. The movie on the DVD is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio with an anamorphic widescreen transfer. Audio languages include English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The film includes English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles.


A digital copy code voucher is also included in the standard two-disc Blu-ray case.


Annabelle Comes Home is available on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and individual DVD. If you don't own the other films in the Conjuring universe, you can buy them all in the 5 Film Collection: The Conjuring Universe Blu-ray set (also available on DVD). To have a complete collection, add in The Curse of La Lorona (reviewed here), Shazam (reviewed here) and Aquaman (reviewed here); those last two become part of the universe due to the appearance of the demon doll.


All images were taken from the IMDB gallery of the film or were provided by Warner Brothers. This item has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.