Cult of Chucky (2017)

After spending last night in Morgantown at the WVU symphonic band concert watching my beautiful and talented daughter perform, I decided that tonight I wanted to watch something that could help continue the build-up to Halloween. At first, I debated my selection until I found one I have been looking forward to,  2017s Cult of Chucky.

Plot/ Chucky returns to terrorize his human victim, Nica. Meanwhile, the killer doll has some scores to settle with his old enemies, with the help of his former wife.

It has been some time since I ventured into the world of Chucky and while I am usually entertained by the series, a viewer really has no idea what to expect with a sequel (especially the 7th installment). In this case, Chucky was definitely back to his old self (complete with Brad Dourif perfectly bringing his voice to life), the series was intricately tied together, the effects are outstanding again proving that practical effects are much better in horror than CGI, there are some good moments with the blood and gore, and the performances were solid. Yes, the plot felt a little underdeveloped and there were some pacing issues that seemed obvious when watching it the first time. Both of those are somewhat expected when one considers that the budget was smaller than many other films of its stature. In the end, this film is a worthy addition to the Child’s Play franchise and a movie that was quite entertaining. Is it perfect? Absolutely not, but it is a decent flick and one that definitely should make fans want to see more installments in the future.

Curse of Chucky (2013)

After watching Amnesiac last night, I decided that I wanted to venture into some classic horror characters for the rest of the night. After some debate inside my head, I figured that I could give Chucky another shot. Sure, some of the sequels were horrid, but that character has always been awesome. With that in mind, I decided on the 2013 entry Curse of Chucky.

Plot/ After her mother's mysterious death, Nica begins to suspect that the talking, red-haired doll her visiting niece has been playing with may be the key to recent bloodshed and chaos.

For the longest time, I was convinced that the Child's Play model and Chucky had run its course. However, after watching this installment, I was wrong. This movie is one of the best in the series and one that should have received more attention. The storyline was interesting, the soundtrack spot on, the atmosphere is heavy and Chucky is at his best. The special effects are notably good, as they allowed for a tremendous of depth inside many different kills. Yes, some of the acting may have been too rigid to make this a perfect flick, but it is all rather good. In the end, this may be the best installment of the series since the original and makes some of the duds even more forgettable. Sure, this entertaining flick is not for everyone, but it should be. Check it out!

Child's Play 2 (1990)

After dinner I decided to kick back with the kids and watch Child’s Play 2. While I am not the biggest Chucky fan, for some reason the daughters enjoy him.

Plot/ Chucky's back as the doll possessed by the soul of a serial killer, butchering all who stand in his way of possessing the body of a boy.

This film suffers like many sequels by lacking the elements that make the first of a series so much fun. Sure, that is not to say that this film is terrible, it just lacks the overall depth and originality of the original. The story is decent, the acting is solid and there is enough gore to go around. Plus, you have Chucky who has some hilarious moments that keep you wanting more. Unfortunately, in this case, the gore may be a bit too much, taking away from the atmosphere that made the Child’s Play so memorable. In the end, this is decently entertaining and a decent follow-up. If you are a fan of Chucky this can be a fun flick!

Child's Play (1988)

I finally did it, broke down and let the kids watch Child's Play. I swear, every time I put on Netflix, the whining and pleading began, one can only take so much. Honestly, I was about their age when I saw Friday the 13th in the theatre, and I am quite normal.

Plot Young Andy Barclay gets the doll he wanted. However, he did not know it was alive!

I remember when this came out in theatres, what a blast. At the time, it was different and definitely took a different route with a serial killer. The were some decent chills, although, they lost some of their mustard now that I have seen it a few time. The cinematography, direction and acting are all solid and there was just enough violence and gore to make it interesting. Wow, I haven’t even mentioned Chucky yet, what a great character he is! Is it a perfect movie? No way, but it is an extremely entertaining flick that is a must see for horror fans.

Dolly Dearest (1992)

After a long day of cleaning and suffering though the two NCAA games to figure out which team my West Virginia Mountaineers will face next weekend in the final four, it was time to settle down for the evening. What a better way than to continue what I started last night, watching some killer doll movies. Tonights entry the 1991 film, Dolly Dearest.

Plot/ In Mexico, an archaeologist releases the evil spirit of a devil child from a tomb of an ancient tribe called Sanzia that worshiped Satan on Earth and dies in an accident. Immediately after, an American family with two children arrives to live and reactivate a factory of dolls in a site nearby the archaeological field. Elliot Read invested the savings of his family in this business to manufacture dolls. He finds many dolls left by the previous owners of the factory, and gives one of them, which is possessed by the fiend, to his daughter Jessica Read. The girl changes her behavior, speaks an ancient language and the maid tells to the mother Marilyn Read. Meanwhile, the archaeologist Karl Resnick arrives to investigate the finding of his colleague. However, the demon has been already released, threatening the locals and the Read family.

Set against the beautiful background of Mexico, much of the plot of this movie was involved with an ancient black magic curse associated with a pre-Mayan civilization, a subject that remains tantalizing on many levels. While the movie starts slow, you are rewarded with an outstanding film if you can stand the opening mnutes. Dolly is creepy and at times pretty scary, definitely on par with the much more famous Chucky from Childs Play. The characterization does a great job developing most of the characters, with the huge exception of the mother who seems out of touch despite being extremely paranoid. However, the script is definitely mediocre at best playing on the typical elements in many horror films.

At the end of the day, this is the decent little movie that offered more than I expected. YesI would have enjoyed more blood and gore, but you can't win them all. If you enjoyed Childs Play and Pinocchio's Revenge (last nights blog), you will enjoy this.

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Pinnochio's Revenge (1996)

Vampires and zombies, it seems as if that is all I have been watching lately as I attempt to make it through and review the entire Undead collection. That had to change though; I just could not take it any more this week. That’s when I found Pinocchio's Revenge on FearNet onDemand. This 1996 film definitely sticks with the undead theme, but takes it in a very different direction.

Plot/ An accused child murderer has been arrested five years ago, his lawyer, believes he's innocent as he may think that the Pinocchio puppet he made for his son told him to kill other children. She could not stop his execution in time, however she accidentally brings home with her the Pinocchio doll from the office, her daughter is having a birthday party as she mistakes it as a gift. The next few days she seems to act strange as she begins to develop a relationship with the puppet as bizarre accidents occur. Her mother begins to become concerned about her, and begins to seek out what is behind these accidents. As she is seeking the answer, both her boyfriend and nanny are killed. It concludes with a struggle between the lawyer and Pinocchio, who is revealed to actually be her daughter.

Going into the film, I had no idea what to expect and actually expected the worst. However, what I found was a very entertaining low budget movie. The script is sound and actually quite clever, the acting was above average and the plot is well thought out and executed. While I would view this as more of a thriller than horror film, the mystery that takes place at the core of the film is well done and while I had a good idea of who was killing people, I was not certain until the end!

In the end, the movie may be full of cliché’s and lack in blood and gore, but the good points definitely outweigh the bad, making this a very interesting killer doll film. It may not be Childs Play or have Chucky, but if you give Pinocchio a chance, I think you will find it worth watching!

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