Child's Play (1988) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_385" align="alignright" width="353"] Official Score = 2 Devils[/caption]

When you are a kid one of the favorite things that kids like to do is to play with toys right? If you’re a boy, then oft times it would be to play with Action figures and video games of some sort (I don’t know what sort of toys are out there today, but when I was a kid it was all about Gi Joes and Transformers and the like.)

One of the things that I used to like to do when I was a kid was to watch TV Shows and Movies that were based on these Toys and Video Games that I used to like to play with when I was a kid, such TV shows as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (The animated TV series that was around in the 80s and the movies that were around in the early to mid 90’s) GI Joes (The 80s animated series), and others of the like…

The truth is though is that I found another type of movie that was based on toys when I was a kid that I also found to be rather interesting, and that is the horror movies that are based on toys!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] This killer doll from, 'Puppet Master' (1989) is one of the most famous killer toys in horror movie history![/caption]

When I was a kid, I have to admit that I really didn't like these movies (scared the hell out of me), but I re-discovered them here in the last decade or so, and I have to admit that they are a source of some awesome good times! Such movies as:

1. Dolls (1987)

2. Puppet Master (1989)

3. Hellraiser (1987)

And of course there is the more famous and universally recognized horror movie that has to do with demonic toys and the lot, and that is Child’s Play (1988)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] He will be your son or daughter's friend to the end... The only problem is, is that ending is brutal![/caption]

Now I did like this movie, but I do have to admit that I thought the sequel was better and I will tell you why… The direction from Director Tom Holland (Fright Night) was great, and even thought that writing by Don Mancini (Cellar Dweller) was great, and heck even the acting from Alex Vincent (My Family Treasure), Chris Sarandon (Fright Night), Brad Dourif (Halloween) and even for the most part from Catherine Hicks (Turbulence) was fun…

It was just lacking something which we will get in to in just a second…

You see this movie which tells the story of how after nearly dying, a criminal puts his soul in to the body of a heavily sought after doll that ends up falling in to the hands of the, ‘Barclay Family’ who then decides to terrorize the family until he can get himself out of the body of the doll and in to the body of little Andy Barclay (Vincent) and can continue his reign of terror!

[caption id="attachment_2667" align="aligncenter" width="450"] When a toy is trying to transfer his soul in to your body, you got to ask yourself... 'How did I get here?'[/caption]

Now the truth is, is that this movie was a fun one, but the formula was all wrong… What I mean by this, is that in Child’s Play 2 (1990) and Child’s Play 3 (1991) and began to get kind of convoluted for all of the future Child’s Play movies, is that the sequels all brought the element of more of the surrealistic slasher films that were so popular in the 80s, but Child’s Play felt more like it was a supernatural movie (which it really should not have been, and would have been better a surrealistic slasher flick!)

In the end, if you watch this movie you might find that you like it, but it is definitely not what you would expect!

http://youtu.be/p3zPevsovDE

Fright Night (1985) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

Have you ever seen a movie that just kind of stuck with you? Something that you found to be both fun and exciting but was also extremely emblematic of the decade upon which it was made? I have seen plenty of those in coming of age dramas and the like, but you know what? I have to admit that up until a few years ago I had never really seen it in a horror movie!

I mean don't get me wrong all horror movies regardless of the decades which they were made always had very clear cut signs of the times on which they were made, but some were just a little bit more then others... A great example of this is, Poltergeist (1982)!

Now this is one of only a small handful of horror movies that are like this, but one of things that I have grown to really appreciate and enjoy about this movie in particular, is the fact that this movie, (which was made in 1982), just really screamed the 80s, and the truth is, is I was pretty young back then, but that decade was a fun (and in the case of a horror movie like this,) thrilling walk down memory lane!)

And another one, and it is not the only thing that I like about this movie, but it is certainly a nice draw, and that is, Fright Night (1985)!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Charley Brewster (WIlliam Ragsdale) & Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) in, Fright Night![/caption]

Written & Directed by: Tom Holland (Child's Play). Starring: William Ragsdale (Justified), Chris Sarandon (The Nightmare Before Christmas), Amanda Bearse (Married With Children), Roddy McDowall (Shakma), Jonathan Stark (According To Jim) & Stephen Geoffreys (Moon 44).

Now, again I actually had not heard about this movie until about a few years ago when my buddy Matt Dowling from AwesomeBMovies.com told me about it, and I got to say that I was surprised at how truly pleased with this movie that I really was!

What I mean by this,  is that the story has some funny cheesy awesome moments to it, but it also has moments where in you are on the edge of your seat... And another lesser important side to it, but still good, is the fact that this movie never really has a truly dull moment to it!

You see, this movie tells the story of how a horror aficionado by the name of, 'Charley Brewster' (William Ragsdale), a nice suburban teenager, with a nice girl next door type of girl friend, and with the slightly nutty best bud... He is living a very ideal life indeed... That is until he comes to discover that his new next door neighbor is straight out of a horror movie!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Charlie as he is being introduced to his new neighbor... m[/caption]

You see, Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon) is some one who does not particularly enjoy sunlight, and is a lot older then he looks... He's a freakin Vampire!

So with out anyone actually believing him, it will be up to his skeptical best friend, and his hero (a former movie Vampire killer turned late night monster movie host), to stop Charley's new next door neighbor from really sinking his teeth in to the neighborhood!

The other thing that I really liked about this movie was the talent, I had seen these guys in some other things through out the years, but not for many years... So it was great to not only see them at work fresh, but from way back in the day as well!

In the end guys, if you haven't seen it yet, do so, it is definitely one worth watching... I thought so, and I suspect you will as well!

http://youtu.be/1ISgM9sjza8