Dolls (1987 film)
Encyclopedia
Dolls is a horror film directed by Stuart Gordon
, shot in Italy in 1985 and released in 1987.
. They are accompanied by a kind, modest, and mild-mannered businessman Ralph, who has picked up two hitchhikers, both British punk rock
girls. They all wind up at a mansion inhabited by Gabriel and Hilary Hartwicke, charming elderly people who appear to be toy makers; their house literally abounds with dolls, puppets, and other beautifully detailed toys.
One by one, the overnight guests are attacked by dolls who turn out to be curse
d, immoral people that have been killed and imprisoned in toys to pay for their crimes by the owners of the house, who are actually witches. Judy's father and stepmother end up being punished by the dolls for their lack of love towards their daughter
(the stepmother ends up being tortured by the toys before leaping to her death out of the window into a mutilating mess while the father was transformed into a doll to replace the one he destroyed in self-defense for attacking him), while the two female punks are also punished for trying to steal antiques from the house. One of the punks is brutally beaten by the dolls, smashing her into the bottom of the wall before dragging her into the attic to become one of them, the other is killed by a group of toy soldiers. However, since the dolls like those who are pure at heart (like Judy) or young at heart (like Ralph), they are spared, although Ralph was almost also killed by the dolls for trying to prove the dolls are not alive out of fear, but was saved by Judy's pleading for his life.
The movie ends with Ralph and Judy, who were knocked out by Judy's father during a brawl at the climax of the movie, leaving the house together after being bid farewell by Gabriel and Hilary, who even invite them to come back whenever they want, knowing they show respect to the childhood world and its mysteries. As they both drive away from the mansion, another car with another family with a set of obnoxious parents suddenly arrives and their car breaks down, seemingly stuck in the mud, yards from the mansion.
, it had an average 2/5 at Allmovie, and an average of 6.2/10 at the IMDb.
Stuart Gordon
After the University of Wisconsin demanded future theatrical productions by Screw Theater be overseen by a University Professor, Gordon cut his University ties to form Broom Street Theater. Its first production, the new translation of the risque Lysistrata, premiered in May 1969. Gordon is...
, shot in Italy in 1985 and released in 1987.
Plot summary
A violent thunderstorm strands six people in the gothic English countryside: Judy, who's traveling with her thuggish father and her cold, self-centered, stepmotherSibling abuse
Sibling abuse is the physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse of one sibling by another.Though several studies indicate that sibling abuse is far more common than other forms of family abuse, chronic maltreatment by siblings has only relatively recently become the subject of serious clinical...
. They are accompanied by a kind, modest, and mild-mannered businessman Ralph, who has picked up two hitchhikers, both British punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
girls. They all wind up at a mansion inhabited by Gabriel and Hilary Hartwicke, charming elderly people who appear to be toy makers; their house literally abounds with dolls, puppets, and other beautifully detailed toys.
One by one, the overnight guests are attacked by dolls who turn out to be curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
d, immoral people that have been killed and imprisoned in toys to pay for their crimes by the owners of the house, who are actually witches. Judy's father and stepmother end up being punished by the dolls for their lack of love towards their daughter
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
(the stepmother ends up being tortured by the toys before leaping to her death out of the window into a mutilating mess while the father was transformed into a doll to replace the one he destroyed in self-defense for attacking him), while the two female punks are also punished for trying to steal antiques from the house. One of the punks is brutally beaten by the dolls, smashing her into the bottom of the wall before dragging her into the attic to become one of them, the other is killed by a group of toy soldiers. However, since the dolls like those who are pure at heart (like Judy) or young at heart (like Ralph), they are spared, although Ralph was almost also killed by the dolls for trying to prove the dolls are not alive out of fear, but was saved by Judy's pleading for his life.
The movie ends with Ralph and Judy, who were knocked out by Judy's father during a brawl at the climax of the movie, leaving the house together after being bid farewell by Gabriel and Hilary, who even invite them to come back whenever they want, knowing they show respect to the childhood world and its mysteries. As they both drive away from the mansion, another car with another family with a set of obnoxious parents suddenly arrives and their car breaks down, seemingly stuck in the mud, yards from the mansion.
Cast
- Ian Patrick Williams as David Bower
- Carolyn Purdy Gordon as Rosemary Bower
- Carrie Lorraine as Judy Bower
- Guy RolfeGuy RolfeGuy Rolfe was an English actor born in London.He made his screen debut in 1937 with an uncredited appearance in Knight Without Armour. Notable roles include: Prince John in Ivanhoe , Ned Seymour in Young Bess , Caiaphas in King of Kings , and Prince Grigory in Taras Bulba...
as Gabriel Hartwicke - Hilary MasonHilary MasonHilary Mason was an English character actress who appeared in a wide variety of roles, mainly on UK television....
as Hilary Hartwicke - Bunty BaileyBunty BaileyTherese "Bunty" Bailey is an English model, dancer, and actress. Bunty started her career as a dancer in the erotic dance group Hot Gossip in the early 1980s...
as Isabel - Cassie Stuart as Enid
- Stephen LeeStephen Lee (actor)Stephen Lee is an American actor, from Englewood, New Jersey. He has appeared in over 200 TV shows as a guest star.-External links:...
as Ralph Morris
Sequel
- Stuart GordonStuart GordonAfter the University of Wisconsin demanded future theatrical productions by Screw Theater be overseen by a University Professor, Gordon cut his University ties to form Broom Street Theater. Its first production, the new translation of the risque Lysistrata, premiered in May 1969. Gordon is...
was, at one point, very interested in directing a sequel to this film. The initial storyline would have followed Judy and Ralph back to BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in which Ralph would have indeed married Judy's mother and they would all become a family. Until, one day Judy would receive a box sent from England which would contain the toy makers, Gabriel and Hilary, as dolls.
Reception
The film has a 63% and 5.5/10 at Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, it had an average 2/5 at Allmovie, and an average of 6.2/10 at the IMDb.