Review by Peter Syslo
Over the years, there have been many "killer doll" films and some have been more successful at "doll horror" than others. There is the CHILD'S PLAY/CHUCKY franchise, the PUPPETMASTER franchise, and standalone films like TOURIST TRAP, DEAD SILENCE, POLTERGEIST (for the sake of the clown scene), etc. It is a special brand of horror, which is not for everyone, but for some reason I do "dig" the doll/mannequin thing. I do think that certain dolls are a little creepy and I enjoy some of the horror films on the subject. DOLLS (1987) is one of those films that I enjoy – it is very satisfying for a fan of this sub-genre and it is an interesting, non-Lovecraft venture for Stuart Gordon.
DOLLS is directed by horror icon Stuart Gordon and it is written by Ed Naha. The film stars Ian Patrick Williams, Carolyn-Purdy Gordon, Carrie Lorraine, Guy Rolfe, Hilary Mason, Bunty Bailey, Cassie Stuart, and Stephen Lee.
The movie is about, well...Dolls! Actually, a dysfunctional family has a bit of car trouble and they are forced to spend the night at the creepy English home of an elderly couple, who make dolls. While there, the family encounters other fellow travelers (two girls and another man) who happen to be in a similar predicament and must spend the night in the house. As everyone settles down for bed, strange things begin to happen; people start to disappear and the little girl Judy ( Lorraine ) is the one who is most aware of what is going on. Specifically, the elderly couple's dolls have come to life and they are singling out and "murdering" each of the travelers. Judy and Ralph (Lee) wind up joini ng forces, they attempt to save the others, and they both try to survive the night in the doll-infested house.
DOLLS was a really fun movie to watch; it is "lighter" horror entertainment and it is definitely a 1980s film (hairstyles, clothes, music – you get the picture). The best part about the film is the doll scenes – the effects are great and the dolls are definitely the stars of the show. The effects are practical (before CGI) and they are really neat because some of the dolls change their facial expressions, walk, and attack in plain sight – and it all looks very realistic. Basically, the mechanics (stop-motion camera work, etc.) are similar to what is used in the PUPPETMASTER films but for some reason, the dolls looked better in this one – the motion was a little smoother, which was impressive because there are numerous dolls in some shots.
I felt that Gordon created a likeable film which has a moral (bad things happen to purposefully bad people) to it and he injected enough action/horror into it to give it great flow and a steady pace; the movie really isn't boring/slow at all – it is a nice interspersion of horror and story development. Also, the scenes are all very imaginative and do have that surreal side to them, which is a trademark of Gordon's style. For example, when the family in the beginning has car trouble, Judy's father throws her Teddy Bear into the woods and Judy fantasizes about a huge Teddy Bear coming back for bloody revenge. It really was a cool scene and it was "something that you don't see every day".
Cutting to the chase: DOLLS is one of the better "doll horror" films that I have seen. My only criticism is that it is very similar to other films in the sub-genre, but it is crafted in a very stylish manner, which keeps it exciting. It does have everything that a "doll horror" fan wants to see – a mysterious mastermind who created the dolls, bloody kills, creepy dolls, and a cast of bad people (decently acted) who deserve to get "off'd" by the dolls. If you are a fan of the above mentioned films, a fan of Gordon's work, or a fan of 1980s films, then you probably would enjoy DOLLS. I give it a 7/10.