Director Tom Holland single-handedly rejuvenated the vampire genre with Fright Night before presenting one of the most iconographic figures of modern horror with screenwriter Don Mancini’s demonic Pinocchio, Chucky. Well-made in most every respect, the threat of a less-than-intimidating antagonist, a child’s murderous doll, is made frighteningly manifest as the abrasive figure of Chucky mercilessly stalks his prey while effusing disquieting salvos of profanity. Though never attempting to be more than a slick horror production in lieu of the fact that it does house brief flights of satire, Child’s Play stands as one of the better crafted horror productions of the late Twentieth Century.
Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif), the notorious Lakeside Strangler of Chicago, is mortally shot by detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon). Before passing away, Ray utilizes his background in voodoo, calling upon the god Damballa to transfer his soul into a “Good Guy” doll named Chucky, of which Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) receives from his mother, Karen (Catherine Hicks), for his sixth birthday. Amid resuming his killing spree, Chucky pursues Andy in hopes of regaining the mortal coil through transference of his soul back into a human’s lest he remain in the personage of a doll for eternity.
Cowriters Holland, Mancini, and John Lafia begin with a clever premise, a killer doll unknowingly issued to a child, because no rational adult will take such a claim seriously once reported, thus we automatically sympathize with the helpless, lone figure of young Andy in his desperation. Vincent is largely responsible for the film’s success, second only to the famed antagonist, in that he bypasses the typical apprehension that most horror viewers experience when a child is given a title role as the young actor convincingly portrays his innocence (though Holland briefly hints, and perhaps not suspending the possibility to its greatest effect, that Andy may well be the murder, thus allowing the audience’s equilibrium to be further upset via narrative ambiguity), then anxiety, as he futility attempts to convince those around him of the doll’s malevolent intentions
The director wisely opts to allow Chucky’s maliciousness to be indirectly experienced as the killer’s POV is shown until midway through the film when the murderer is aligned in frame with his vile actions. Until such time, we are only permitted glimpses of the doll–shots of the inert toy with the eerily placid stare as it conveys an unnerving air (thus compounding the uncanny nature of dolls as human effigies to begin with). What is fascinating about the character of Chucky is why this horror antagonist, a parody (and in itself a satirical indictment) of the “My Buddy” line of children’s dolls marketed toward boys during the time, captivated the public eye in lieu of the fact that the genre had been witness to a barrage of similar villains, as seen in such notable films as Alberto Cavalcanti’s Dead of Night, Dan Curtis’s Trilogy of Terror, Richard Attenborough’s Magic, and Stuart Gordon’s Dolls. The easiest and most ready explanation is the antagonist’s fleshed-out personality as the toy’s Nicholson-esque sneer aligns itself with arresting language, the latter recalling William Friedkin’s character of Regan in The Exorcist, all to penultimate effect. Once again, considering the premise seems implausible in its summation, once we are convinced of the threat, the audience resigns itself to being sold wholeheartedly to the director’s whims and wishes as a consequence, thus further accounting for the film and character’s effectiveness.
The influence of Holland’s cinematic hero, isn’t isolated to the former’s cinematographic choices and character depiction, but is also apparent in his reference to the famed filmmaker’s masterpiece, Halloween, as Andy hides in a closet from Chucky. Other renowned classics of the genre are alluded to as well as Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is acknowledged when Chucky spears a knife through the bathroom door as Karen, an isolated mother, attempts to protect her young son from the murderous assailant. Lastly, and arguably most dominatingly, Chucky continues his rampage even though he has been burnt to a crisp, almost to the degree where one could posit that the sequence is a mock imitation of the finale of James Cameron’s The Terminator (thus excusing the clichéd faux horror ending). Cunningly, though many have cited the film’s lack of genre awareness, the production closes upon the image of an open door, thus hinting at the lack of literal closure and the possibility of a sequel.
As cinematically astute as the film is and as well presented as it may be, Child’s Play does have its share of problems which, for whatever reason, occur almost simultaneously during the middle of the feature. Norris is escorted out of the Barkley’s apartment too easily by the distraught figure of Karen in lieu of the fact that the police are in the middle of a murder investigation. Although the circumstance is extenuated, the natural reaction for a person being assaulted while driving a car would be to stop the vehicle. However, Norris not only fails to stop once Chucky appears in the back seat (most of us would slam on the breaks, regardless if the doll were murderous or not, given that the toy isn’t designed to be fully automated), but continues to navigate as the killer makes one attempt after another to slay the driver. Shortly thereafter, Norris, previously nonplussed by Karen’s claims that a doll is responsible for her friend’s death, meets with Karen after his encounter with Chucky, narrowly escaping death, but never mentions the occurrence to the hysterical mother.
Tom Holland’s Child’s Play is one of the more effective works of modern horror. By juxtaposing the figure of a child’s toy as a dirty-mouthed serial killer in search of a host body, the character of Chucky is strikingly effective as we watch at knee-level as a six year-old, his mother, a detective, and a host of other characters scurry for their lives. Obviously, the control and restraint exhibited the feature is evidence of the director’s prowess but, sadly, the film never tries to be more than a well-made horror movie (it does house the “False Alarm” horror cliché). However, during an age when horror films aren’t always promising in their returns, Child’s Play nonetheless allows the viewer to walk away content and satisfied with the iconographic image of Chucky firmly lodged in one’s psyche.
The DVD has many features such as Audio Commentary with Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks and Chucky designer Kevin Yagher, as well as Audio Commentary with Producer David Kirschner and screen writer Don Mancini and also “scene specific Chucky Commentary. Also are a few featurette such as “The Birth of Chucky”, “Creating The Horror” and “Unleashed”, there is also a featurette about how Chucky was created called “Chucky: Building the Nightmare” and “A Monster Convention Featurette” and The Making of Child’s Play Vintage Featurette, Still Photo Gallery and more…
-Egregious Gurnow
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
