Child's Play

Child's Play (1988)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Directed by: Tom Holland

Starring: Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif, Dinah Manoff

From: MGM/UA

A lot of people are talking about the franchise this week, as the new film (the seventh!) was just released on Netflix Instant. Below, I talk about the original:

As sometimes happens, it was messageboard discussion which spawned me watching a film. Of course I've watched this before but plenty of people here have been talking about the new Cult of Chucky (it's not just been Letterboxd where it's a hot topic) and the entire franchise in general. I'll just say I haven't seen all seven (!) of those films; there being that many is amazing, although it does help that one person has had control of it the entire time-Don Mancini-and he can make what he wants, and he's been able to take things in weird new directions. I know there are those who rate the series pretty highly and are impressed the seventh entry isn't as bad as a sexually transmitted disease like many 7th films in a franchise are. Eventually I imagine I'll watch/rewatch at least some of the sequels.

This OG film, yeah it is patently absurd, Brad Dourif using a voodoo chant to transfer his soul to a children's doll. Yet they did try... it helps that you enjoy both Andy Barclay and his mom, and even detective Chris Sarandon too. The kills aren't spectacular when it comes to brutality or blood & guts, I was OK with that as I know between the low budget and the effects of the time, things had to be done differently. While not graphically gory, the people Chucky dispatched still met rather painful deaths.

Like I said, it's easy to sympathize with both 6 year old Andy Barclay and his mom Karen. She is a single mom with one kid who has to work at a department store and she is struggling to get by. Then, there's Andy; he's a little kid and he has a toy based on his favorite cartoon character come to life, starts killing people, threatens to kill him, and people start thinking that HE has suddenly turned into a little psychopath. Rough. In addition, it also shows the hysteria that was a thing back in the early 80's over those ugly Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and what unfortunately has continued after 1988 with not only other toys, but also the gross trend of Black Friday, where people have been hurt and sometimes even killed over gross businesses selling various material items for cheap.

Anyhow, this was better than I had remembered so I am glad it was something I finally saw again.