He’s back! Was there ever any doubt? Yep, the demonic doll that first popped onto our screens back in 1988, spawning 5 sequels, is now joined by a new entry to the franchise. Reuniting franchise creators Don Mancini and David Kirschner have returned with a number of the original Child’s Play cast, including Alex Vincent (Andy Barclay) and Brad Dourif (as the voice of Chucky), together with returning talent from later sequels, Jennifer Tilly and Fiona Dourif. Out on Blu-ray October 3rd, it’s another installment that ups the ante for the Child’s Play franchise.
CULT OF CHUCKY Synopsis:
Confined to an asylum for the criminally insane for the past four years, Nica (Dourif) is wrongly convinced that she, not Chucky, murdered her entire family. But when her psychiatrist introduces a new group-therapy tool — a “Good Guy” doll — a string of grisly deaths plague the asylum and Nica starts to wonder if maybe she isn’t crazy after all. Andy (Vincent), Chucky’s now-grownup nemesis from the original Child’s Play, races to Nica’s aid. But to save her he’ll have to get past Tiffany (Tilly), Chucky’s long-ago bride, who will do anything, no matter how deadly or depraved, to help her beloved devil doll.
The original Child’s Play is a macabre horror classic, recently given a wonderful release by Scream Factory. While the sequels have fluctuated in terms of quality, they have generally embraced a more darkly comic tone, and even a quirky sense of perversity. While less ground breaking than the original, they have always entertained. Each installment finds ways to reinvent or expand the franchise, be it through a female doll or an offspring, and Cult of Chucky is no different. Its approach involves the evil Charles Lee Ray finding a way to fragment his soul. Why have one murderous Chucky doll when you can have three? The result is a film with bigger scope, not just in terms of threat, but in how scenes can play out with this multi-threat.
The film picks up with Nica (Fiona Dourif), who having been left mentally unstable after the events of the previous film, has been undergoing rehabilitation under the care of Dr. Foley (Michael Therriault). Of course Chucky returns, in the form of a therapy tool at first, before he works his way through the staff and patients before getting to Nica, who finally begins to realize she isn’t crazy after all. It’s another inventive aspect of the film that is used to good effect — the disbelief at Nica’s story about murderous dolls, her treatment, then finally reality sinking in for them all. That said, it’s the films final act when the real carnage is unleashed, which is what most fans will be waiting for. A bonkers stretch that shows some smart plot turns and impressive kills.
Brad Dourif and Jennifer Tilly give the usual amount of gusto in their voice roles, but it’s Fiona Dourif who is the standout. Her range throughout the film is impressive and largely key to making the far fetched premise work. The supporting cast too, notably the patients in the asylum such as Grace Lynn Kung, Adam Hurtig, and Elisabeth Rosen, commit themselves well (pun intended). Mancini & Co. embrace some of the more bizarre and twisted elements of the sequels here, the appeal of which will very greatly depending on the viewer. As you’d expect from a low budget slasher, some of the material is recycled, and there is a suspension of belief needed for some moments, but the end product is entertaining and surprisingly slick and inventive.
The Package
Overall the image transfer is good. Detail is sharp, but color looks a little washed out in some interior sequences, although blacks are deep. The release comes in a Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download combo pack. Included is a host of solid special features:
· Inside the Insanity of Cult of Chucky: Insights from director-writer Don Mancini, head puppeteer Tony Gardner, production designer Craig Sandells, actors Fiona Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Alex Vincent, and Michael Therriault. They touch on topics such as production, set design, the story and its characters, as well as how it fits into the franchise.
· Good Guy Gone Bad: The Incarnations of Chucky: This featurette offers a peek into Alterian’s workshop, the studio behind Chucky’s puppeteering, to see how the magic is created and focuses on how the look of Chucky has evolved over the years.
· Feature Commentary with Director and Writer Don Mancini, and Head Puppeteer Tony Gardner: Interesting and frank conversation about the making of the film, as well as how their careers have entwined. Plenty of snippets about the highs and lows of production.
· The Dollhouse: Brad and Fiona Dourif along with puppeteers Tony and Kyra Gardner talk about their collaborative approach to bringing these murderous dolls to life. Also some insights from Don Mancini and producer David Kirschner about the practical effects.
The Bottom Line
Fans of the Child’s Play franchise will not be disappointed. Cult of Chucky continues to blend macabre humor and violence, respecting the core traditions of the series while being inventive and weird and fun enough to keep things fresh. The Blu-ray also comes with a solid array of extras that add plenty of value to the release.
Cult of Chucky is available on Blu-ray/DVD October 3rd