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Dolls

1987, Movie, R, 77 mins

Dolls: Review

Stuart Gordon's disappointing followup to RE-ANIMATOR (1985) and FROM BEYOND (1986) was written by TROLLS screenwriter Ed Naha, author of such genre-film reference works as Horrors from Screen to Scream and The Science Fictionary. Beginning on a prototypical dark and stormy night, DOLLS centers on Judy (Carrie Lorraine), an unhappy little girl traveling through England with her father and hated stepmother. Stranded by the storm, Judy, her parents, and several other strangers seek refuge in a spooky mansion owned by an eccentric old couple (Guy Rolfe and Hilary Mason), who take an immediate liking to Judy and show her their massive collection of dolls. Of course, that night the dolls come to life and kill off the most obnoxious guests. Filmed by Gordon before FROM BEYOND, but released after it, DOLLS is merely a dull interlude between the two Lovecraft adaptations. Directed and scripted in a surprisingly perfunctory manner, this movie is incredibly tedious. Although the concept of small dolls coming to bloodthirsty life sounds scary, its fear factor decreases rapidly after the initial shock. Gordon and his effects team do manage to evoke some chills, however, especially when the dolls whisper among themselves. leave a comment