PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I can’t pinpoint when exactly a 2-foot-tall, red-haired psycho killer doll became one of my all-time favorite icons. But at 29-years-old, the Child’s Play franchise, which follows the slaying adventures of a children’s toy possessed by the soul of Lakeshore Stranger Charles Lee Ray, brings me joy like no other film series. Whenever another birthday rolls around, family and friends know that anything plastered with Chucky’s scarred face will be warmly accepted. There’s just something about the little guy that’s a perfect blend of scary, comedic, and yes, even adorable at times.
Out of the seven movies, Seed of Chucky will forever be at the top of my list. This is largely a controversial opinion; many fans dislike the humorous direction that creator Don Mancini took with this installment. But I think it’s brilliant. Viewers see Chucky and his wife, Tiffany, united for the first time with their child, Glen, who travels thousands of miles to meet them and discover his roots. Chucky and Tiffany have differing opinions on Glen’s gender, which leads to the split personality of the soft-spoken, kindly Glen, and the sassy, murderous Glenda. I can’t help but smile every time Glen speaks in his British accent and have my fingers crossed that Mancini will welcome him and Glenda back to the franchise at some point.
Mancini’s original 1988 Child’s Play film continues to stand the test of time. Not only are the animatronics to make Chucky come alive extremely advanced for that era, it can still force kids (and adults) to double check that their toy is running on batteries, not the soul of the Lakeshore Strangler. At its core, the plot is endearingly simple… a single, hardworking mom just wants to make her little boy’s birthday special by getting him his dream gift, a Good Guy Doll.
Sometimes, children in horror movies aren’t likeable. Take, for example, The Shining‘s Danny Torrance, who has full conversations with his finger named Tony. Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent), on the other hand, is precious. He isn’t weird or spoiled, just grateful to his mom for getting him the best present ever. My favorite line from any Child’s Play movie is Andy saying, “Aunt Maggie, Chucky wants to watch the 9 o’clock news.”
While Seed of Chucky and the inaugural Child’s Play are standouts for me, I can’t get tired of watching any of them… even as SYFY hosts marathons every few weeks. Each is amazing in its own way: Child’s Play 2 kickstarts a lifelong bond between Andy and foster sister, Kyle; Child’s Play 3 introduces a brand new setting at a military school; Bride of Chucky has Jennifer Tilly, who is arguably Mancini’s best casting decision; Curse of Chucky brings in the ultra-talented Fiona Dourif, daughter of Chucky voice actor Brad Dourif; and Cult of Chucky sees Charles Lee Ray upping his voodoo talents to the next level.
So, when someone asks me to name my favorite horror movie (and movie in general, who are we kidding?), I can happily say Child’s Play with no hesitation. It can turn some people off because many assume Chucky is similar to terrifying slashers like Jason and Michael Myers. Unlike those guys, who do nothing but violently kill, we see character development in Chucky. He (somewhat unwillingly) builds a family, stops trying to possess kids when he recognizes his true calling as an infamous killer doll, and learns some new voodoo skills along the way. And, despite Chucky’s small stature, he moves his little sneakered feet quicker than Michael and Jason combined.
With the new SYFY Chucky series currently underway and receiving rave reviews, it seems Chucky is here to stay. As he would say, “A true classic never goes out of style.”
