A bunch of people are stranded in a remote house in England during a rainstorm. They are bitchy Rosemary (Carolyn Purdy-Gordon), her husband (Ian Patrick Williams) and their annoying little girl Judy (Carrie Lorraine). There's also a slightly overweight guy (Stephen Lee- who's supposed to be funny) and two female punk rockers. The house they're stranded in belongs to an elderly couple (Guly Rolfe, Hilary Mason) and has TONS of dolls in it. Thing is the dolls are alive...and have very nasty tempers...
I thought I might enjoy this--director Stuart Gordon had made "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond" right before this--two GREAT horror films. This isn't even half as good as them. It has a creepy setting but lame dialogue (and humor), clumsy exposition and takes forever to get to the horror. But the last half hour has some VERY gory deaths (the R rating is well deserved) and some truly astounding stop-motion animation to show the dolls moving...and killing. Those sequences are definite highlights--but they're only a small portion of the film--a VERY small portion. Some pretty good acting helps the slower spots--Purdy-Gordon is excellent in her role and Rolfe and Mason wisely underplay their roles. Unfortunately Lorraine has got to be one of the most annoying little actresses out there--mo wonder this was her last movie. But, more often than not, I was bored...until the last half hour.
This barely got issued in 1987 and was a total bomb. It really is easy to see why. I give it a 5.
I thought I might enjoy this--director Stuart Gordon had made "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond" right before this--two GREAT horror films. This isn't even half as good as them. It has a creepy setting but lame dialogue (and humor), clumsy exposition and takes forever to get to the horror. But the last half hour has some VERY gory deaths (the R rating is well deserved) and some truly astounding stop-motion animation to show the dolls moving...and killing. Those sequences are definite highlights--but they're only a small portion of the film--a VERY small portion. Some pretty good acting helps the slower spots--Purdy-Gordon is excellent in her role and Rolfe and Mason wisely underplay their roles. Unfortunately Lorraine has got to be one of the most annoying little actresses out there--mo wonder this was her last movie. But, more often than not, I was bored...until the last half hour.
This barely got issued in 1987 and was a total bomb. It really is easy to see why. I give it a 5.