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Stuart Gordon has made a name for himself by being responsible for some very big cult films; ReAnimator and From Beyond, not to mention his foray into Disney with a picture you'll have to research yourself if you're interested.
When producer Charles Band assigned Gordon to direct a film between Reanimator and FB he supplied him with a picture of a little child holding a scary looking doll. Writer Ed Naha and Stuart then went nuts and made a bunch of dolls be the stars and added a fairy tale element that often keeps this horror film unbalanced.
If you are looking for a solid horror film, this is not it. Everything about this screams 1980's low budget b movie. The stop motion, though impressive for its time, mixes with the sometimes stilted acting and missed comic beats into a sort of porridge. A boiling witch's brew of down home dark fantasy with inventive atmosphere.
I admit to really liking this movie. It has a cozy location and the more "scary" scenes are filmed in a peculiar way. It's kind of like art but not the kind of art that demands attention from seasoned art film buffs. This is not an art film. At all. It just has some style to it. Style that may not be easily seen by those conditioned to more ambitious films.
This doesn't feel like a Stuart Gordon film. It's mostly light hearted and goofy. It's extremely campy and self aware but also packs a message for hardened adults. It is a cautionary tale to embrace the inner child or else suffer the fate of becoming trapped in a lifetime of service. In this case - be trapped as a doll - to give service to children who need something to play with. "Toys are loyal, and that's a fact". That line pops up twice in the movie, and it seems like a cartoon slogan except in this cartoon it's live action and there is graphic violence.
Dolls (1987)
Director: Stuart Gordon
Director: Stuart Gordon
Stuart Gordon has made a name for himself by being responsible for some very big cult films; ReAnimator and From Beyond, not to mention his foray into Disney with a picture you'll have to research yourself if you're interested.
When producer Charles Band assigned Gordon to direct a film between Reanimator and FB he supplied him with a picture of a little child holding a scary looking doll. Writer Ed Naha and Stuart then went nuts and made a bunch of dolls be the stars and added a fairy tale element that often keeps this horror film unbalanced.
If you are looking for a solid horror film, this is not it. Everything about this screams 1980's low budget b movie. The stop motion, though impressive for its time, mixes with the sometimes stilted acting and missed comic beats into a sort of porridge. A boiling witch's brew of down home dark fantasy with inventive atmosphere.
I admit to really liking this movie. It has a cozy location and the more "scary" scenes are filmed in a peculiar way. It's kind of like art but not the kind of art that demands attention from seasoned art film buffs. This is not an art film. At all. It just has some style to it. Style that may not be easily seen by those conditioned to more ambitious films.
This doesn't feel like a Stuart Gordon film. It's mostly light hearted and goofy. It's extremely campy and self aware but also packs a message for hardened adults. It is a cautionary tale to embrace the inner child or else suffer the fate of becoming trapped in a lifetime of service. In this case - be trapped as a doll - to give service to children who need something to play with. "Toys are loyal, and that's a fact". That line pops up twice in the movie, and it seems like a cartoon slogan except in this cartoon it's live action and there is graphic violence.
Stunning opening title sequence and theme music!