PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Twenty-five years ago, writer Don Mancini, producer David Kirschner and director Ronny Yu gave the Child’s Play franchise an unprecedentedly campy overhaul with the release of 1998’s Bride of Chucky.
After spending three films hunting down Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent, House Guest Massacre 2013 [read our interview with Alex]; Justin Whalin, Dungeons & Dragons 2000), Chucky (Brad Dourif, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 1975) is switching gears. Joined by girlfriend Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly, Bound 1996), these dolls are on a mission to retrieve an amulet from Charles Lee Ray’s human corpse, allowing the duo to transfer their souls into the bodies of Jesse (Nick Stabile, Saints & Sinners 2007) and Jade (Katherine Heigl, Grey’s Anatomy 2005).
For many fans, this was an incredibly welcome shift in direction by the franchise’s creators. While the first three movies are certainly more “horror” than “horror-comedy,” they weren’t without occasional comedic elements and laugh-inducing Chucky one-liners. According to Kirschner in a behind-the-scenes interview, audiences always responded positively to such moments, which is why they felt confident in the decision to go full “dark comedy” for Bride of Chucky.
Not only is this film the first that truly allows Chucky to embrace his funny side, but it’s also the first that features Chucky as the leading man. While he’s obviously a key player throughout the initial trilogy, audiences are meant to root against him and for his human victims, including Andy, Kyle (Christine Elise, Beverly Hills, 90210 1991 [read our interview with Christine]) and Tyler (Jeremy Sylvers, My Wife and Kids 2001). In Bride of Chucky, though Jesse and Jade are fighting for their lives as well, the story is ultimately about Chucky, his reunion with Tiff, and their road trip to Hackensack, New Jersey to ditch their doll bodies and become human once again.
What truly makes Bride of Chucky so iconic is the introduction of Jennifer Tilly into the franchise. She brings the perfect blend of murderous rage and likeability (not to mention a kickass Swedish meatball recipe) and allows the franchise to move forward in such a way that would’ve been impossible without her. There would be no Glen (Billy Boyd, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2001), no limbless Nica (Fiona Dourif, The Blacklist 2018), and no hilarious doll sex sounds, which are heard in Bride of Chucky.
At one point in the movie, Chucky and Tiffany discover that, despite their plastic physiques, all of the “plumbing” works. This leads to a steamy moment between the reunited ex-lovers, though this scene almost didn’t turn out like it did. Mancini and the creative team were originally going to make it a simple, quick shot, but Tilly suggested that Chucky and Tiffany make noises and converse during the moment. She said in a behind-the-scenes interview:
“So me and Brad Dourif were in the recording room making all these little doll sex noises and it was so much fun.”
Bride of Chucky drew upon a number of inspirations, including Bride of Frankenstein, and Hitchcock films, which Yu explained have a knack for scaring people before giving them a dash of comic relief. The idea to give Chucky a mate all started when Kirschner was in the video store and spotted a copy of the movie. He pitched the concept to Mancini, who was instantly on board.
Ultimately, Bride of Chucky stands the test of time 25 years after its release. It’s creepy and comedic and marks a major turning point in the franchise that is still being felt today. The television series Chucky holds fast to the humor, one-liners, and overall campiness that was introduced in 1998, with the current storyline of Chucky wreaking havoc on the White House possibly being even more outlandish than doll sex. While such concepts have turned some fans away, I’m ready and waiting for whatever craziness the mind of Mancini concocts next.
