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Post by StevePulaski on Jun 10, 2014 21:52:34 GMT -5
Child's Play (1988) Directed by: Tom Holland Andy's mom (Catherine Hicks) buys her son Andy (Alex Vincent) a "Good Guy Doll" in Child's Play. Rating: ★★★★ A harmless doll, possessed by a serial killer who turns evil and is now looking to place is soul in a human boy. That's pretty much Child's Play, but yet its more. Its a scary, jolting, rollercoaster landmark of 80s Horror and has more jump scares than its follow ups. This movie is a frequent player on the Chicago based Horror show Svengoolie and is seen on Chiller sometimes too. Who would have thought this would become such a famous movie and pave the way for four sequels to follow? When it comes down to Chucky, this is the movie that started it all. The plot involves Charles Lee Ray, a serial killer who is robbing a toy store in the beginning of the film. When realizing he cant win, he transfers his soul into a Good Guy doll, with the doll taking the name of "Chucky". A joyful, six year old boy, Andy Barclay is greeted with mediocre gifts for his birthday after expecting a Good Guy doll. His mom then buys him one from the back alley of her workplace and gives him the doll. But neither know the possessed characteristics the doll holds. The doll is now on a murder rampage trying to but his soul into Andy Barclay's innocent, six year old body so Charles Lee Ray can live on unsuspected. This movie was one of the first films where a young boy was the main target for a psychopathic serial killer. This movie caused controversy for that and the fact that dolls were a popular toy in the 80s, many kids were scared of dolls because of the advertisements for this film. This movie also was the second Horror film I believe, the first being A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984, that combined a scary film with creepy elements and satire jokes and smart-ass phrases by the killer too. Both were a unique combination for the first two Chucky films, but the rest of them seemed more comical and almost ruined the overall creepy fun which made the first two so great, same goes with Freddy. After around the third movie the creators ruined his creepy image giving him stupid jokes to say. Though we can look up to this as a well made Horror film that is sure to live on with the genre. Starring: Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, and Brad Dourif. Directed by: Tom Holland.
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Post by StevePulaski on Jun 10, 2014 21:55:08 GMT -5
Child's Play 2 (1990) Directed by: John Lafia Chucky returns in Child's Play 2. Rating: ★★★½ Before the franchise went to mainly comical jokes and having the scare level of a child in a ghost costume, Child's Play was a Horror franchise we sense and style. This is one of the last true Child's Play films in the entire franchise that took on a creepy tone to it. The rest took the "Elm Street" route, having the character say cheesy catchphrases and have the funny dialogue be the main focus rather than the scares. Still, this one balanced it out perfectly. Enough scares and satire to even out the whole movie. It also stands as a worthy sequel. Andy Barclay is sent to a foster home while is mother takes time in recovery from their last encounter with the doll killer. He is taken by a family of three, Joanne and Phil Simpson, and their teenage daughter Kyle. Andy quickly find Chucky in the house and is petrified to go near him. The family's stress level goes over the top with only Kyle understanding the true pain Andy is facing with the doll. The movie has some great scares in a classroom scene and one of the best, most intense end scenes, Ive ever seen. Almost has the adrenaline filled ending to the 1994 movie, Speed. Like I said, this is the last creepy film in the Child's Play franchise. The rest were more of a Horror Comedy, or Black Comedy than the first two which was a shame. It makes me wonder, how would both Nightmare and Child's Play turned out if they the entire franchise was one creepy film after the next. The same fate unfolded for the Leprechaun franchise. By the fourth one ( Leprechaun 4: In Space) they started to take a turn for the ultimate worst and become cheesy, laughable, unbelievably bad movies. Then the following sequels (which were the last two) took place strictly in the hood or ghetto, which was the cemented end of the franchise. I was surprised after the green fellow went to space the series carried on. Space is a sign of a dead end and a plead for new ideas. Luckily Chucky hasn't visited the galaxy yet. Starring: Alex Vincent, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham, Christine Elise, and Brad Dourif. Directed by: John Lafia.
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Post by StevePulaski on Jun 10, 2014 22:00:20 GMT -5
Child's Play 3 (1991) Directed by: Jack Bender Chucky goes to military school in Child's Play 3. Rating: ★½ Its almost unbelievable that a franchise can go from two close masterpieces to one film that just spits on the entire franchise. Child's Play 3 is the obvious third installment to the doll killer franchise and its undoubtedly the worst to come. Its a poorly acted, odd Horror film that you consider yourself lucky to see because of the awful darkness of the movie itself. Screenwriter Don Mancini confessed to completely and totally running out of ideas for the series which is no doubt why after this one there was a seven year gap until Bride of Chucky, and then a six year gap until Seed of Chucky was made. Seems like ideas for killer dolls that need to find a human soul were hard to come by. This is a weird one to explain, The Good Guy Doll Factory has reopened and reassembled Chucky which still has the soul of Charles Lee Ray in the doll. Andy is now 16 and has been shipped off to Military School and apparently has been in more foster homes then just the Simpsons', and has failed in all of them. Ronald Tyler, a younger recruit takes the Chucky doll to Andy, but in a failed attempt to get possessed, goes on a killing spree again to find Andy and try to transfer his soul. Its the same movie in a different environment, but just unrealistically stupid. What bothers me is two things. One, its so dark in this carnival, military camp, trying to see whats going on is harder than understanding it. Most of the time, I'm clueless and just assuming what is happening. Another thing, is we get no mention to what happens to Kyle (Andy's foster sister in CP2). We get zero information. At least in the second one they say that the mother is in psychiatric therapy. So overall, this is shockingly the worst Horror film Ive ever seen. There's no adrenaline pumping scenes, and everything is just dark (quite literally). This still amazes me that a franchise can go from excellent to awful in just three movies. If a franchise makes it the third film they should put a lot of effort into it, not just throw some back ass movie together with almost no sense made. Maybe around 1991 they were learning movie sequels attract a lot of money no matter the plot. At very least we get Brad Dourif's excellent voice talents. Starring: Justin Whalin, Perrey Reeves, Jeremy Sylvers, Peter Haskell, Dakin Matthews, Travis Fine, Dean Jacobson, and Brad Dourif. Directed by: Jack Bender.
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Post by StevePulaski on Jun 10, 2014 22:02:04 GMT -5
Bride of Chucky (1998) Directed by: Ronny Yu Tiffany (left) in Bride of Chucky. Rating: ★★★ Horror franchises tend to be just crappy rehashes of the first film after the second film. That is not the case for Bride of Chucky, its a fresh start over after the last miserable mess. Its got great voice acting by the dolls once again and it revisits some scary moments that made the first two memorable. Though it still takes the dreaded Comedy factor in Horror a little too far, there are still enough jumps and catchy one liners that make the film good (the air bag scene and the Martha Stewart insult). The plot involves Tiffany (Tilly) a women interested in voodoo and talking to the dead, try to revive the old Chucky doll after, of course, being killed in CP3. She believe she failed, but sooner than later is killed by Chucky and puts her soul in a female doll. Now Chucky has a girlfriend, which then, like the title suggests, later becomes a beloved butchering bride. Chucky and his new bride begin going on a killing rampage traveling with two rebellious dating teens which leads to all sorts of slaughterings and gory fun. This film can be a little cliche, but its satisfying, scary, and hilarious to see two dolls run around killing people. What fun Bride of Chucky can be. Part of the prize that stems from this movie's greatness is the Honk Kong director Ronny Yu. He worked on several Honk Kong movies before starting working on American movies in 1991 with Rapid Fire. He would later become famous for directing the ultimate Horror match-up between Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees in the iconic Freddy vs. Jason, direct a Jet Li film three years later, and even do an episode for the NBC series Fear Itself which is definitely a must see. He is a great, underrated director, but it seems that the movies he does gets more recognition than himself. Bride of Chucky is one of my favorite movies to mix the Satire/Horror but use it in a limited form, so we're not just saying "c'mon gimme come scares". Still being succeeded in the best department by the first two, its hard not to call Bride of Chucky a fun Horror film and the best of it's kind. Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Katherine Heigl, Nick Stabile, John Ritter, Alexis Arquette, and Brad Dourif. Directed by: Ronny Yu.
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Post by StevePulaski on Jun 10, 2014 22:05:23 GMT -5
Seed of Chucky (2004) Directed by: Don ManciniChucky and Tiffany in Seed of Chucky. Rating: ★★½ Here it is, the finale of the Chucky series and the last one before the remake. We ended off on a decent note, but a sour note for the entire series. This franchise was so close to being perfect, but not after CP3 came along. The franchise's hopes of being perfect were dead and never again to be revived. This one, I like to consider a straight Comedy. Some sequences are Horror, but nothing is scary and it feels like it was just made to be Comedy. By the the third film, it was almost foreshadowed and engraved in walls that this film would take on a comical approach, which is too bad. This film most likely could have held up to an entirely creepy franchise. Though people like to say (and by people I mean someone on this website) if it has a Horror feel, its Horror, or if there's killing, blood, and a slasher, its Horror. Its not Horror when there are no jump scenes, no scares, and apparently, no overall creepy setting. This time the movie opens on Glen, who is now being abused as a ventriloquist dummy for a show. After seeing footage of Chucky and Tiffany, Glen assures himself that those are his parents and makes a quest to track them down. In addition to finding Chucky and Tiffany, they are skeptical if Glen is a boy or a girl. Throughout the film he/she is referred to as Glen or Glenda (an obvious parody of the film). With appearances by Jennifer Tilly and Redman, the film is still just a below average, forgettable Comedy, borderline Horror film. What bothers me is it's need to find big name actors to make the film better. I find it really unnecessary that Redman, Martha Stewart, and John Waters are in this movie. There's no point. The first three Child's Play's used no named actors and the fourth one they introduced Jennifer Tilley who had a reputation at the time. I like Horror films that start with no names and keep no names. There's no reason that this had to take a current turn and add actors who were current. The film was made in the 80s, there's no need to add anybody new. Once again, like Bride, but used at full force here, the film has too many one liners, that can be either cut down or removed. Come to think of it, this has so many pop culture references it's a wonder it's not a parody film. The direction this film took, should have just been scrapped from the beginning. But I will at least go as far as calling it, a watchable film, that serves it's duty as a fair sequel. Nothing more. Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Billy Boyd, John Waters, Redman, and Brad Dourif. Directed by: Don Mancini. My thoughts on Child's Play the remakeThe alleged poster for the remake of Child's Play. What can I say? It doesn't surprise me a remake to this is being filmed and is gearing for a release this or next year. I cant say I'm excited, but I can say, I'm intrigued to see if the film carries on with the pop culture film parodies or will it rebirth a creepy, scary film with minor satire jokes like it should have stayed. Or will it just suck. This was intentionally going to be a fifth sequel titled Child's Play 6: Chucky's Revenge, but the idea was scrapped in 2007 and the idea for a remake was brought up maybe in 2008. I'm not positive the poster above is the "official poster", but its the most realistic one I could find. Also, I heard Universal is working on the remake and the ROGUE logo leaves me skeptical or under the impression that the poster was made before a company was decided. Though with Danny Trejo may being in the film, Brad Dourif returning, and various rumors of the creepy aspect returning, I can at least say, I'm intrigued and this project has some potential. If only they wont screw it up. This concludes my five reviews summed up to one in my take on The Child's Play Franchise. UPDATE: On March 29, 2011 MGM announced they scrapped the idea of a Child's Play remake for now. They stated that rumor, along with the rumor of Jeepers Creepers 3 being secretly shot in Los Angeles, are not true and MGM's focus is The Hobbit, Robocop, and an upcoming James Bond film. A remake may be made in the future, but for now, no plans are made. Source: www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=18616
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Post by StevePulaski on Jun 10, 2014 23:00:09 GMT -5
Curse of Chucky (2014) Directed by: Don Mancini Chucky returns after nine years in Curse of Chucky. Rating: ★★★ After laying dormant for nine years, the Child's Play franchise finally gets a resurgence with Curse of Chucky, which now makes Child's Play one of the few horror franchises to span over four decades. Following the release and solid success of Seed of Chucky, a sixth installment was planned but quickly scrapped when writing and directing positions couldn't be secured. Following the scrapped sixth film was the extensive and exhaustive talk and news of a remake of the original Child's Play, which, at first, was going to exclude Brad Dourif as the voice of Chucky but then went on to say he was attached to the product in 2008. Despite a couple years of solid planning, in 2011, MGM denied the news that the remake was in production, and that while the idea could have some leverage later on, for now, no plans to remake the film were being executed at that time. Out of the blue, in summer of 2013, a trailer for Curse of Chucky premiered and the film was finally released in October of the same year, thankfully not being burdened by the same line of delays as the first sixth installment and the remake. This time, the story takes place a shocking twenty-five years from when young, impressionable Andy Barclay first had his encounter with the murderous, knee-high Good Guy Doll after his mother purchased it from a shady, back-alley bum. We focus on a paraplegic woman named Nica (Fiona Dourif, daughter of Brad Dourif, who voices Chucky), who lives with her mother in an old, but lavish mansion that is decorated in Gothic style. The film begins by showing Nica and her mom receiving a mysterious package in the mail; a Good Guy Doll who proclaims its name is "Chucky." The next morning, Nica finds her mother dead on the floor, with vicious stab wounds. The death is implied a suicide by the coroner, and to give Nica a sense of comfort, her sister Barb (Danielle Bisutti), her husband Ian (Brennan Elliot), their daughter Alice (Summer H. Howell), and their live-in nanny Jill (Maitland McConnell) pay Nica and her spacious home a visit. Little do they know that they are in the company of Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif), the infamous doll who bears the soul of murder Charles Lee Ray inside his plastic interior, and is hellbent on finding a person to transport his soul into so he can finally take human form. Of course, the immediate target for this soul transportation is Alice, being she is young, innocent, and almost entirely oblivious to grave danger. Not to mention, when Chucky transports his soul into her, he can live throughout his entire life starting at the tender ages. For starters, the eerie element of the franchise is restored with this installment. There is no more of the horror/comedy hybrid we saw with the last three installments. Curse of Chucky takes on a Hammer Horror-style, meaning that Gothic scenery, ubiquitous decorations, slowburn pacing, and atmosphere triumph over jump scares and silliness. This is how I prefer the series; creepy, tonally dark, and without the comedy of the latter two films. While the latter two films proved amusing in some regards, the true creepy element of a child's doll coming to life in order to take his soul was shortchanged so one-liners and goofy, situational comedy could take prominence instead. The whole thing left a bitter taste in my mouth, even if the outcomes of some events were occasionally satisfying. What director Don Mancini (who also directed Seed of Chucky) has done is return to the franchise in a manner that pays careful attention to detail and revitalizes aspects so that a new direction can be taken. Mancini does to the series what should be done, after it remained idle for nearly a decade. Mancini throws new characters into the mix, expands on backstory, and provides us with alternative routes the series can go, rather than just the briefly-fulfilling elements of another sequel. Mancini's only issue is that, by the end of Curse of Chucky, he has fallen too deeply in love with the material. Mancini winds up attaching about four different endings to the film. Just when you feel the credits are about to roll, there is another scene that further obscures the ending and how the film was meant to be tied up. Mancini even goes as far as to include a post-credit scene that contradicts the pre-credit scene that precedes it by just about four minutes, as novel as the post-credit scene is. Other than an attempt to name-drop and provide long-devoted fans with cameos of some of their favorite characters of the franchise, it's difficult to see Curse of Chucky's ending (or endings) as one to try and coherently conclude an otherwise solid picture. Having said that, there's still much more to see in this film than one could've initially thought. Being so devoted to the franchise as a young child, I am kind of ashamed it took me nearly a year to finally sit down and see the latest installment. With a sequel already in the works and Mancini still invested, there's hope in a seventh and maybe eighth installment to the franchise I'm sure many of us couldn't have foreseen getting a trilogy. With the abundance of Cabin Fever, Joy Ride, and Wrong Turn sequels and talks to expand the franchise of Jeepers Creepers, let it be known that when revitalizing a series - especially in the often frowned-upon and underestimated format of direct-to-DVD, that it comes down to how much you want to expand on the mythology and the storyline rather than providing viewers with a rather unsubstantial and forgettable experience. Starring: Fiona Dourif, Danielle Bisutti, Brennan Elliott, Maitland McConnell, Chantal Quesnel, Summer H. Howell, A Martinez, and voiced by Brad Dourif. Directed by: Don Mancini.
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Post by StevePulaski on Nov 2, 2017 12:40:14 GMT -5
Cult of Chucky (2017) Directed by: Don Mancini Chucky returns for the seventh time in Cult of Chucky. Rating: ★★★ The Child's Play franchise was revived at the right time by the right director and Cult of Chucky shows that its predecessor's success and quality wasn't just a minority fluke.
If Don Mancini, director of all "Chucky" films since Seed of Chucky, hadn't diligently worked with Universal Pictures to get these brand new installments off the ground, the Child's Play franchise would've been left on a hokey, uneven note. After almost a decade away from the material, Mancini returned to give us a compelling new installment with a barrage of innovative tricks that made for a captivating watch. With Cult of Chucky, Mancini continues to explore new ideas, almost effectively making us forget this is the seventh time we've seen the knee-high killer doll carry out his vindictive agenda. Obviously films involve a plethora of people working together to achieve a common goal, but Mancini's work not only to continue but improve what has become his baby, so to speak, should not go unnoticed.
To keep the plot at bay, I only intend to divulge generalities. We are reacquainted with Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif) four years later, who is living in a mental hospital after being framed for the murders of her family when they were really committed by Chucky in the previous film. Nica spends her days in a somber, self-loathing state, accompanied by a few equally troubled friends such as "Multiple Malcolm" (Adam Hurtig), nicknamed as such for his split personalities. Nica is troubled when the hospital begins using "Good Guy Dolls" as comfort tools for patients; these dolls are pushed on patients by Dr. Foley (Michael Therriault), who monitors Nica for any telling signs of returning to her allegedly erratic ways. Soon enough, Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif) reemerges inside not one but multiple Good Guy Dolls.
Juxtaposed alongside Nica's story is Andy Barclay's (Alex Vincent), the young boy who was introduced to Chucky and subsequently haunted for years after his mother was institutionalized, his foster family murdered, and so forth. Andy, now much older, is struggling to re-assimilate to everyday life in the opening scene. He keeps Chucky's original, half-intact skull locked away in his home, torturing it with a diverse arsenal of weaponry in hopes that he'll remain confined, unable to haunt ever again.
The way Mancini has righted the direction of this franchise rather than keep it going for the sake of remaining relevant is something that should be noted. Consider the various horror franchises such as Joy Ride, Wrong Turn, and Hellraiser that have taken on new lives thanks to the wonders of modestly budgeted direct-to-DVD sequels. Now consider how far removed Child's Play has been from a mainstream theatrical release yet how meager the quality-dropoff has been. Seed of Chucky continued Bride of Chucky's infusion of comedy, offering marginal attempts at humor for cinephiles who enjoys seeing John Waters pop up at random times during a film but little for the horror fan who adored Chucky's conniving and frightening roots.
Curse of Chucky took on the aesthetic resemblance of a modern Hammer Horror film. Cult of Chucky, with its antiseptic, mostly one-setting location inside a mental hospital, confines us like a trapped patient, victim to gaslighting and cruel hypnosis as if we are directly in Nica's shoes. Fiona Dourif furthers her character by picking up where she left off, committed to playing a person who is the future of the franchise if it chooses to continue. As great as Alex Vincent is in some of his scenes and as fun as it is to watch both Jennifer Tilly in person in addition to her reprise her role as the doll Tiffany, these recognizable souls are merely adjuncts in what is more comparable to a reboot with Fiona Dourif and her story at the center of the action.
Furthermore, the animatronics on Chucky look quite good, although the rendering of the character as a puppet is a little odd. It's almost as if the new Good Guy Dolls look too perfect, with faces that are too rounded and eyes that bulge in an uncomfortable way. It's all a little too clean, whereas in the original Child's Play films, Chucky's movements and physicality looked so naturally doll-like. It almost makes me miss the grittier, stitched look Chucky had in later installments. The "new" Chucky, so to speak, is evidently victim to new technology trying to appear like old technology, and the result is facial features sometimes appearing as clean as the environment in which he exists this time around. He still bears the snide sense of humor - which comes into play hilariously when Chucky makes his first appearance, conversing with a schizophrenic patient who believes he's a figment of her imagination - and even some of his kills are echoes of past installments, I would be dead-wrong in saying that he doesn't continue to entertain.
Cult of Chucky is more than competent for a seventh installment. It shows attention to detail combined with care and respect for characters that have been around for almost thirty years. The franchise is in an interesting place now, with the possibility of laying dormant for a few more years or promptly reemerging in another installment. One of the beautiful things about these two most recent continuations is that Don Mancini gives you the feeling he could be either wrapping up or continuing this unthinkable streak. Whatever he chooses at this point, I'm confident in saying the fans will wholeheartedly embrace it and the quality-standard will likely remain in place. He's not content with the status quo of horror sequels; he's determined to keep pushing the boundaries.
Starring: Fiona Dourif, Michael Therriault, Adam Hurig, Alex Vincent, and Jennifer Tilly. Directed by: Don Mancini.
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