I have always had an unhealthy fear of dolls and the like, and can vividly recall averting my eyes and scurrying past the video of “Dolls” when I would venture to Blockbuster or Video-to-Rol with my parents.
Released in 1987, the Empire Pictures effort was hardly a financial success; costing $2 million to make and grossing only $3 million in return. Nevertheless, the movie preceded the notorious “Child’s Play” for the doll horror genre and though the acting and characters are over the top, the cheapened effects of the time actually make for some really sinister moments in the movie.
Playing like an episode of ‘The Twilight Zone,’ “Dolls” has a plot that’s so obvious you can spot it about five minutes into the story. A terrible storm forces the Bower family to a remote mansion, where they meet the elderly Hartwicke couple. Gabriel Hartwicke (Guy Rolfe) is a toy maker who speaks in riddles and puns, giving away his true intentions in an overly conspicuous way. Various dolls and puppets are scattered about the entire house; his own handmade creations.
Daughter Judy Bower (Carrie Lorraine) is the main character, and she’s a cute kid who provides an effective, albeit simple performance. She befriends fellow stranded traveler Ralph (Steven Lee) a man-child with a friendly disposition and welcoming heart. Ralph is the only other occupant of the house that’s decent. Judy’s father and stepmother are typically horrible parents, and two ridiculously 80s British punk girls round out the characters. There’s little in the way of depth for any of them. We know they are all terrible people, and we all know what’s going to happen to them.
While the acting and the story are anything but ingenious, the individual scenes once things get going are quite chilling. The true terror coming from the dolls themselves; an eclectic ensemble of horrifying looking things, with eyes moving, smiles cracking, and an ominous giggling sound coming from behind closed doors. Oh yes, we know right from the beginning that there’s more to the dolls than just an ambiguous uncertainty.
If you have a fear of dolls, you’ll find this movie particularly scary. Its done in an outlandish way that wreaks of the 1980s and doesn’t compare to much more terrifying doll movies that have come since. Its still a decent effort from an unheralded film.
by – Matt DeCristo
