Monday 27 May 2013

Child's Play

"Child's Play" (1988, Tom Holland, United Artists) is the first of the Chucky the killer doll series.

I was never allowed to watch any of the Chucky films as a kid because my mum was freaked out by them and also due to the links to the tragic torture and murder of James Bulger here in the UK. Although, I've often thought the media had more to do with those links than reality. The real tragedy is that those murderers were given new identities and not made to rot in prison like they deserved! And we all saw how that worked out... And also the horrific torture and murder of Suzanne Capper, who's murderers took the movie links to a whole new level of sick.

So Chucky was off the watch list. And I was always somehow intrigued by the films, just like I was with Hellraiser (for similar reasons).

Karen (Catherine Hicks) buys her young son, Andy (Alex Vincent), a 'Good Guys' doll (his favourite kids TV show) from a homeless man for his birthday. Unbeknownst to her the doll, Chucky, is actually possessed by the soul of infamous murderer, Charles 'Chucky' Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) who has been learning voodoo. The doll hadn't been Chucky's first choice for a replacement body, but it was all that was available at the time.

When the doll begins to murder people, no one will believe little Andy that it is the doll that is doing it! But, as Chucky begins to focus his murderous intentions onto his past colleagues and the cop, Detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon), who 'killed' him it becomes a fight for survival against the little plastic monster.

Really good special effects and models make this movie all the more creepy and Dourif's memorable voice made the Chucky doll into a horror icon. But in general if you've seen one killer doll film, you've seen them all.

The effects, disturbingly good doll facial expressions and with a few jump scares, this iconic horror remains one of the best known killer doll films out there.



[Image: United Artists]

Hani

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