child’s play | the m0vie blog

328. Bride of Chucky (#—)

Posted on August 12, 2023 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney and Charlene Lydon, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Ronny Yu’s Bride of Chucky.

Liberating the remains of the nefarious killer doll known as “Chucky” from a police evidence locker, Tiffany Valentine longs to be reunited with her former lover: the infamous serial killer Charles Lee Ray. However, the reunited couple quickly discover that their relationship was never perfect. In spite, Chucky traps Tiffany inside her own doll body, and the embark on a road trip across the United States in the hopes of reuniting the killer doll with his corporeal body.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: Brad Dourif, bride of chucky, child's play, chucky, don mancini, film, horror, jennifer tilly, joey keogh, katherine heigl, Movie, podcast, postmodern, puppets, ronny yu, self-aware, slasher, The 250 | Leave a comment »

327. Child’s Play 3 (#—)

Posted on July 1, 2023 by Darren

This week, Jack Bender’s Child’s Play 3.

After years of legal trouble arising from a high-profile controversy surrounding an alleged “killer doll”, Play Pals is back in business. However, the first doll off the line turns out to have a pretty mean attitude. Reconstituted from the remains of the original possessed doll, Charles Lee Ray once again finds himself trapped in a plastic body. Setting out to avenge himself on Andy Barclay, Chucky discovers that his old adversary has been sent to military school. This time, it seems, it’s war.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: andy barclay, Brad Dourif, charlene lydon, child's play, child's play 3, chucky, doll, gender, horror, killer doll, masculinity, military school, slasher | Leave a comment »

326. Child’s Play 2 (#—)

Posted on June 3, 2023 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney and Charlene Lydon, this week joined by special guest Diamanda Hagan, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, John Lafia’s Child’s Play 2.

Following a series of unexplained traumatic events, Andy Barclay has been taken into foster care, hoping to put the nightmare of “Chucky” behind him. Unfortunately, the Play Pal Corporation has other ideas. Desperate to put rumours about their Good Guy Dolls to rest, the company decides to reconstruct the doll at the centre of that horrific incident. Naturally, the doll takes on a life of its own, and Chucky resumes his fixation on the young victim who got away.

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: andy barclay, Brad Dourif, charlene lydon, charles lee ray, child's play, child's play 2, chucky, diamanda hagan, don mancini, horror, john lafia, roger ebert, sequel, slasher | Leave a comment »

325. Child’s Play (#—)

Posted on May 20, 2023 by Darren

Hosted by Andrew Quinn, Darren Mooney and Charlene Lydon, this week joined by special guest Bren Murphy, The 250 is a (mostly) weekly trip through some of the best (and worst) movies ever made, as voted for by Internet Movie Database Users. New episodes are released every second Saturday at 6pm GMT, with the occasional bonus episode between them.

This week, Tom Holland’s Child’s Play.

Young Andy Barclay just wants one thing for his birthday: a Good Guy Doll. However, the coveted toy is outside his mother’s price range. Luckily, fate brings a discount doll into her hands, but things quickly become complicated. Andy finds himself at the centre of a series of mysterious deaths and is convinced that his beloved companion has taken on a life of his own, inheriting the spirit of the serial killer Charles Lee Ray, better known as “Chucky.”

At time of recording, it was not ranked on the list of the best movies of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

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Filed under: The 250 | Tagged: Brad Dourif, charlene lydon, child's play, consumerism, don mancini, horror, imdb, killer dolls, mayhem, murder, podcast, slasher, The 250, Tom Holland | Leave a comment »

New Escapist Column! On How the “Chucky” Franchise Is About Being Both Mass Produced and Remaining One of a Kind…

Posted on January 14, 2022 by Darren

I published a new In the Frame piece at The Escapist this evening. I’ve been watching the Child’s Play and Chucky franchise, and so it seemed like a good opportunity to delve into one of the more distinctive major horror franchises.

There’s an interesting tension to the Chucky franchise, one that plays out across the various entries. This is a horror series about a mass-produced piece of children’s entertainment, controlled by the demented soul of a monstrous serial killer. Much of the franchise is about the contrast between those two ideas: the factory-assembled doll and the distinctive spirit inside of it. It works well as a metaphor for the larger Chucky franchise as a whole, which has changed form repeatedly across its various incarnations, but somehow managed to retain a unique and consistent identity.

You can read the piece here, or click the picture below.

Filed under: On Second Thought | Tagged: Brad Dourif, child's play, chucky, fiona dourif, franchise, horror, jennifer tilly, postmodern, self-aware, slasher | Leave a comment »

New Podcast! Scannain Podcast (2019) #25!

Posted on June 30, 2019 by Darren

It’s time for the Scannain podcast!

This week, I join Graham Day and Jay Coyle to discuss what we watched, the week in film news, the top ten and the new releases. Graham has rewatched The Shining. Jay has watched Cléo from 5 to 7: Remembrances and Anecdotes, Cabaret and Victor/Victoria. I have watched What We Left Behind. There is also a lively discussion of Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

In terms of film news, the Galway Film Fleadh has announced its full line-up. The makers of the documentary Gaza have donated their prize money to the Gaza Red Carpet Festival Appeal. The Gaze LGBT film festival also unveiled its line-up. The SXSW hit Extra Ordinary was purchased by Cranked Up Films. Donal Foreman’s The Image You Missed is now available on Vimeo on Demand. Also, Hollywood is having (another) existential crisis this summer.

The top ten:

Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Child’s Play
Diego Maradona
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Brightburn
Rocketman
The Secret Lives of Pets II
Men in Black International
Aladdin
Toy Story 4

New releases:

Yesterday
Drive
Support the Girls
Apollo 11
Metal Heart

You can listen to the podcast directly here.

Filed under: Movies, Podcasts! | Tagged: aladdin, Apollo 11, batman vs. superman, brightburn, child's play, Diego Maradona, Drive, godzilla: king of the monsters, men in black international, metal heart, rocketman, Support the Girls, the shining, toy story 4, what we left behind, x-men: dark phoenix, Yesterday | Leave a comment »

New Podcast! Scannain Podcast (2019) #24!

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Darren

It’s time for the Scannain podcast!

This week, I join Jay Coyle and Grace Duffy to discuss what we watched, the week in film news, the top ten and the new releases. Grace has watched Thieves, Missing and My Own Private Idaho. Jay has watched A Day in the Country, Without Name, Craig’s Wife, The Loved Ones and One Sings, The Other Doesn’t. I have watched The Dark Knight Rises, Sanjuro and Lone Wolf and Cub in Sword of Vengeance. There is also an extended discussion on the merits (or lack thereof) of Batman Forever.