Looking at the horror films that came out in 1988 with 30 years of hindsight, it’s fair to say it was a fucking incredible year.
There are so many horror films worth mentioning but for this post I’ll shout out the ones from some of the most iconic horror franchises. 1988 was the year the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise put out their 4th and most financially successful film, The Dream Master. It was a film and moment that really certified Freddy Krueger as the definitive horror icon of the 80s. Halloween put out a comeback movie after Michael Myers being MIA since 1981, Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers. It’s a great sequel that is arguably the most rewatchable film in the franchise. Friday the 13th was still going strong with a ridiculous grindhouse work ethic with their 7th entry in 8 years, The New Blood. All of these recognizable supernatural killers were doing quite well in 1988 and if that wasn’t enough, Child’s Play would be debuting a serial killer that would soon become part of this group.
Prior to being allowed to watch rated R horror films I would sneak into the horror section of the local videostore out of sight from my parents and obsess over the VHS covers and the photos on the back in order to get my fix of scares and frights. The photos I’d see of Chucky were a consistent high for the kind of fix I was looking for. It was likely I’d find myself laying in bed at night after visiting the local videostore and ready to call out for my mommy and daddy to check the house for any Good Guy dolls laying around.
Some other personal history with this film, the last time I rewatched this movie was in 2012 when a friend of mine texted me while I was watching it to tell me someone had attempted to rob him with a knife. He worked the 3rd shift at a gas station and sadly this was a somewhat common occurrence since it happened about 3 times within a single summer, the other two times I believe the person had a gun. That particular incident he actually drove the guy’s head into the register and sent the guy running away, completely forgetting about the cartons of cigarettes he was trying to grab for free, memories.
Child’s Play is such a great movie that you realize exactly why it kick started a franchise that is about seven films deep and has the constant presence of writer/now director Don Mancini. Child’s Play revolves around a serial killer who has learned the art of voodoo and puts himself into a talking doll as he’s about to die. This possessed doll is given to a child who is now complying with the doll and could even possibly end up becoming possessed by the soul of Charles Lee Ray since the serial killer soon needs the body of the first person he revealed his secret to in order to survive.
One thing that really separates Child’s Play from other horror franchise debuts is how great of a street film it is. Similar to the way the most dangerous sides of New York City were shown in films like Taxi Driver and Death Wish, the darkest parts of Chicago are the setting of Child’s Play. From seeing Andy’s mother walking out of this giant door that seems to have been constructed in the 1920s in order to go into a dirty alleyway and haggle with a homeless man to the trashy apartments that serve as hideouts for Eddie Caputo or Charles Lee Ray, a side of Chicago that was never shown in all of those 80s comedies that take place in Chicago is given so much screen time. It’s a great environment for a horror film and it makes sense the people working on Candyman would change the location of Clive Barker’s original short story to fit the great template Child’s Play created.
Another reason Child’s Play is still a compelling watch thirty years later is its fantastic use of practical effects. Multiple cars are destroyed and a house is blown up. During the time of its release a lifelike dummy crashing through a parked car perhaps wasn’t that much of an intense thing to see but with the overuse of CGI now, seeing moments like this in a film with a smaller budget truly is mind blowing. At one point there’s a smaller actor who is a stuntman for the Chucky doll actually being set on fire. Sadly a lot of big budget films fail to realize a lot of practical effects usually need to be placed into a movie in order to sell audiences on the action and the danger so when you go back and see a film like Child’s Play that realizes the ingredients needed to create movie magic, it’s so easy to appreciate all of the hard work that went into making this great film.
The great performances seen in this film are also something that continues making it such a beloved cinematic treasure. Brad Dourif is an incredible character actor and it’s amazing how he’s been able to successfully give a long running iconic performance using only his voice. Few people can be as intimidating and frightening only using their voice and Brad Dourif is so great at it. Alex Vincent gives a very compelling performance in this film, and it’s always appreciated when a child actor isn’t an annoying nuisance. He’s perfectly sweet when he needs to be and your heart just rips apart when at one point he’s in a cell all alone crying while thinking about Chucky coming to kill him. Catherine Hicks is so great as this loving and charming mom. Chris Sarandon is great at stepping outside the box of the rather villainous roles he’s best known for. In the short time she’s given Dianh Manoff is very charismatic and fun to follow. Also worth mentioning is Ray Oliver as the voodoo priest Dr. Death, I really thought he was great and it’s a shame that he only has 18 acting credits to his name. Hopefully it’s a case of finding something more fulfilling and leaving acting behind.
Child’s Play is a really great horror film that pulls you in with this surprising level of quality you perhaps don’t expect to get from a horror film centered around a killer doll. Some could hate on this film all they want, but there are rarer uses of horror that are more effective than someone discovering a talking doll has no batteries, it spinning its head like Linda Blair and speaking before being dropped and rolling under the couch. It’s by far one of the better horror films to be released within the past thirty years and all these years later still feels like a fresh breath of air when compared to horror films released before and after it.
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