More like the "nearly fatal" collection, because it's missing the essential first film in the series, The Chucky Killer Collection is still a mighty fine addition to your library.
The DVD packaging, to which the photo does not do justice, is in 3-D and shows a gleefully vicious Chucky posing with his cache of favorite weaponry.
Child's Play 2 and 3 are barebones editions, while Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky have loads of additional release material (scroll down for new reviews of the latter two, including the goodies).
Child's Play 2: Chucky's Back (1990)
Directed by: John Lafia
Starring: Alex Vincent, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham, Brad Dourif
Synopsis:
Andy Barclay has been placed in a foster home after the tragic events of the first film, since his mother was committed. In an attempt to save their reputation, the manufacturers of Chucky reconstruct the killer doll, to prove to the public that nothing was wrong with it in the first place. In doing so, they also bring the soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray back to life. As Chucky tries to locate Andy, the body count rises.
Child's Play 3: Look Who's Stalking (1991)
Directed by: Jack Bender
Starring: Justin Whalin, Bead Dourif, Perrey Reeves, Jeremy Sylvers
Synopsis:
It's been some years since the events in the second film and Andy is now a teenager who has been enrolled in a military school. Play Pals Toy Company decides to re-release its Good Guys line, feeling that after all this time, the bad publicity has died down. As they re-used old materials, the spirit of Charles Lee Ray once again comes to life. In his search for Andy, Chucky falls into the hands of a younger boy, and he realizes that it may be easier to transfer his soul into this unsuspecting child.
Bride of Chucky (1998)
Directed by: Ronny Yu
Starring: Jennifer Tilly, Brad Dourif, Katherine Heigl, Nick Stabile, Alexis Arquette
Synopsis:
Chucky hooks up with another murderous doll, the bridal gown-clad Tiffany, for a Route 66 murder spree with their unwitting hosts, two eloping teens.
Review:
My favorite in the series, Bride of Chucky stands apart due in large part to Don Mancini's Bride of Frankenstein -inspired script which is visually and stylistically complimented by
Unlike most horror/slasher film franchises, Bride of Chucky noted a distinct and superior departure from the previous three films. Another component to this upswing was surely the inclusion of Jennifer Tilly as Chucky's sassy squeeze, Tiffany.
After Chucky was supposedly burned beyond repair, Tiffany, who was serial killer Charles Lee Ray's girlfriend in real life, retrieves the doll that contains his spirit and resurrects it with a Voodoo For Dummies book. Chucky is far from appreciative, so Tiff retaliates, only to find that she's no match for the terrible toy. She finds herself in the same boat as Chucky… dead, her spirit trapped inside a doll.
Costars John Ritter, Katherine Heigl, Nick Stabile, and Alexis Arquette round out the story more than ably. The gory special effects are beyond reproach, and they're evenly tempered with a strong story and truly laugh-out-loud dialogue.
From the opening credits, as an excellent White Zombie songs blares forth, Bride of Chucky is a nonstop thrill ride, riddled with humor and horror. Highly recommended.
Additional Release Material:
* Ronny Yu Commentary
* Cast & Screenwriter Commentary - Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, and Don Mancini mix it up throughout the film. The very first thing you hear is their laughter, and it's an indication of the fun that's to come. (Thankfully the movie is closed captioned, so you can follow the story as you listen to the yak track). In the commentary, Mancini reveals that he actually wrote script with Tilly in mind, mainly due to her enchanting voice. Tilly says that prior to this, she'd never done voiceover work. Mancini points out the many Frankenstein homages in his script – he's a well-informed, well-spoken film enthusiast. Dourif also offers his share of anecdotes, but since he only did voice-over, he naturally doesn't have as much to say. It is certainly interesting to listen to everyone, but this does appear to be an older commentary as no mention of Ritter's death is made.
* Spotlight on Location: Making-of Featurette. In these EPK-styled interviews, Mancini reveals how he actually structured Bride of Chucky as a romantic comedy (!). Ronny Yu talks about what made him decide to direct this film, and shares some of his thoughts on the horror genre. Intercut with film clips and behind the scenes footage, the featurette also has soundbites from Tilly and Ritter (who talks unashamedly about his Barbie collection!), and much more.
Seed of Chucky (2004)
Directed by: Don Mancini
Starring: Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Billy Boyd, Redman, Hannah Spearritt
Synopsis:
The film introduces Glen (Billy Boyd), the orphan doll offspring of the irrepressible devilish-doll-come-to-life Chucky (again voiced by series star Brad Dourif) and his equally twisted bride Tiffany (again voiced by Jennifer Tilly). When production starts on a movie detailing the urban legend of his parents' lethal exploits, Glen heads for
Review:
This movie is especially interesting for Child's Play franchise fans in that it marks the directorial debut of its creator and writer, Don Mancini. It also found a clever way to feature Tilly as both a doll, and a human. Even though Tiffany was killed in Bride of Chucky, she returns as Jennifer Tilly, playing Tiffany!
The most self-reverential of the series, and certainly the most outright comedic, Seed of Chucky reminds me a little bit of the Scary Movie franchise (though it is much better than those) in that it's topical (Britney Spears sight gag, rapper/actor in a major role) and somewhat skitty (the jokes are tied together interstitially, but there is less of a through-line here than in its predecessors). What I did not like about Seed of Chucky as a big screen release has actually turned into a "plus" for DVD and channel-surfing – you can pick it up anywhere, watch a few minutes, enjoy, then pick it up somewhere else later on.
Seed of Chucky is a fun romp of a movie, buoyed by an A-list score and sumptuous cinematography seldom seen in horror/comedies.
Additional Release Material:
* Filmmaker & Actor Commentary – Don Mancini and Jennifer Tilly: Throughout the track, Mancini points out the homages to Psycho, Brian De Palma, Dickens stories, Halloween (the movie), and more – while I've seen the films he's talking about, I tend to watch movies more with my heart than my head, so I appreciate the reminders. He also references some of the theatrical release reviews, making me glad that this is not a pre-release commentary… I really don't like commentaries with no perspective at all (most new movies have commentary tracks done before the movie is even on the big screen; next thing you know, we'll have script-level commentaries!). Tilly points out the cameos in the fake "film crew", and talks about filming in
* Conceiving the Seed of Chucky – Making-Of Featurette.
* Tilly on The Tonight Show – Moc-Doc on Making the Film.
Overall, this boxed set is recommended. It would have been nice to have the first film included (I'm assuming Universal doesn't have the rights), and perhaps a new featurette outlining the entire series, but for the price it can't be beat.
And remember... Ade Due Damalla!
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson