Dolls (1987)

(On Cable TV, January 2021) While Dolls is a better-than-average horror film, it can also be useful as a yardstick with which to explain why some horror movies of the 1980s led to long-lasting franchises, and why others didn’t. (Not that there’s any innate nobility to sequels—I’d rather leave most movies alone—but that’s a topic for another time.)  The obvious comparison piece here is 1988’s Child’s Play, a near-contemporary horror film with a very similar possessed doll horror device that led to an eight-film series with an iconic monster. The key difference here is “iconic”: While Dolls is, in most respects, a better film—better story, more interesting characters, grounded morals, toned-down violence, and better mechanical scares—it’s not iconic. It’s a bit messy, and its “lead monster” (Mr. Punch) is not distinctive enough. It’s a better movie with less personality, and that partially explains why a sequel to Child’s Play could be framed around Chucky, while a sequel to Dolls never happened. Still, this comparison aside, let us cover Dolls with some praise: While it misses being a classic by a few notches, it does get most of the way there: the production design of the vast gothic house where the action takes place is well done, the scare sequences are handled decently by director Stuart Gordon, and the script does have a nicely twisted morality that’s missing from many nihilistic horror films (including Child’s Play!)  I was pleasantly surprised by the result, although I’m not sure Dolls makes its way on my list of 1980s horror must-sees. No matter; it’s a nice surprise if you haven’t seen it already—the poster reminds me of the scares I’d get from browsing video store horror sections as a kid.