Dolls (1987)
directed by Stuart Gordon
Rated R for cussin, violence, and creepy dolls
For fans of fairy tales, stop-motion, and the Puppet Master series. Truly wonderful effects in this movie. It’s not really a Child’s Play or M3gan type of doll film, but I think anyone who appreciates living doll stories would really enjoy this one.
My rating: B-Movie Delight – Not sure about that name, but I stand by the message. This one is for all the horror obsessed folks who know the joy of watching “lesser” films. Produced by the legendary Charles Band, the film follows six travelers who get stranded at the manor of a toy making couple during an intense storm. Like most of Band’s projects, the movie makes heavy use of practical effects while maintaining a small budget. Is there some questionable dialogue and acting? Sure, but Leo mostly grunted and pretended to be horribly maimed for two and a half hours and won an Oscar, so maybe that shit is subjective and we should let ourselves have fun.
Some thoughts: (I’m gonna talk specifics of the film, so if you want the full experience, stop reading and go watch it.) Man, this movie rocks. I alluded to it being like a fairy tale, but it also has a Matilda type vibe with its use of a terrible father/stepmother. The six stranded characters we follow are the aforementioned couple and their daughter Judy (our protagonist), Ralph (American, good guy), and some English hitchhikers who are actually thieves. You can probably guess what happens from there…The dolls are possessed and dole out justice to the wicked while sparing the good and innocent.
I said it before and I’ll say it again, the movie has incredible effects. The movement of the dolls is impressive and the transformation of the humans into dolls is very fun. I also love that Judy’s father and stepmother get murdered and the elderly homeowners are like “Yeah, they left a note that they don’t want you anymore and you can go live with your mother.” and then Judy tells Ralph that he can become her new father and he agrees. I’m not even kidding, I genuinely think it serves the film, both in its fairy tale quality and the childlike perspective of our protagonist. So, if you really love horror and enjoy a lower budget picture, check this one out.